In the mid-to-late 2000s, dwindling university dairy herds and dairy programs in the Southwest led Dr. Mike Tomaszewski from Texas A&M and Dr. Robert Hagevoort from New Mexico State University (NMSU), along with Dr. Bob Collier, previously with the University of Arizona, to develop a program that provides university students with a hands-on dairy education to prepare them for careers in the dairy industry.

Kerry Estes did not grow up on a dairy farm, but in the early 2000s, that is exactly where life led him and his family. They bought a farm in Fountaintown, Indiana, milked their first cows in March 2005 and have continued to build the farm into what it is today over the past two decades. 

After 18 months of planning and preparation, Freshly Dairy began processing non-homogenized whole milk in two flavors – chocolate and traditional white milk – in August 2022 just west of Indianapolis in Lizton, Indiana.

Held in the nation’s capitol on May 3-5, the 2023 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit attracted 320 attendees from five countries to learn, network and discuss key topics facing the industry. 

The program provides tools and resources to dairy owners and managers to help them identify strengths and opportunities related to employee engagement and build a plan to address and improve weaknesses.

Whether joining a peer group or building an advisory board for your farm, dairy producers are finding value in learning from other producers and business owners facing similar challenges and seeing their businesses from new perspectives.

A desire for their community to experience the farm firsthand led John Carter and his family to create an annual event on the day their cows are released out to pasture in late April.

What sets successful dairies apart from the rest of the industry? According to agricultural economist Bruce Dehm, president of Dehm Associates LLC, there are four key indicators of success: efficient milk production, low or profitable cost per hundredweight, effective management, and financial stability/sufficient cash flow and equity.

The American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) provides certification of animal scientists through examination, continuing education and a commitment to a code of ethics.