MANAGEMENT

A few weeks ago, I was talking with one of my dairy farmer friends. This dairyman is a well-respected and known leader in the dairy industry. He told me about participating in a recent meeting of agriculture leaders. At the meeting, he was asked the question,

Recruitment and selection are not the fondest areas of work for most dairy farm managers, leaders and owners. It, therefore, is important to productively focus your energies.

Farmers know a lot about the microscopic elements affecting the health of their dairy herds and crops. As researchers at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, Wisconsin, we are taking a fresh look at agricultural microbiomes (the clusters of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live together) in different farm environments.

Cows don’t like to get stuck in muck. Many stressed-out dairy families are also seeking solutions to get transition plans unstuck and moving again. Fairness is a key challenge in the process.

Two of the main areas that need to be addressed to set a farm up for a successful future are succession planning and employee management. The plan to transition the farm from one generation to the next can either help or hurt a dairy operation, as can the strength and loyalty of the farm’s workforce.

On April 5, four young dairy producers from across the country participated in a panel presentation at the Canadian Dairy XPO in Stratford, Ontario. They discussed how they started in farming, their plans for the future and their thoughts on the industry.