MANAGEMENT

The dairy goat industry in Ontario is an exciting and dynamic industry that has experienced both growth and difficulties.

Don’t tell me you’ve never done this before: It’s a cold, wet day and you’re standing in the farm store parking lot. You ran into town because you just needed that one part to fix a pump or a gate.

What if you could ask your smartphone to tell you which of your cows were lame? Or which cows were most likely to get sick in the next day or two? Or whether a switch from feeding last year’s silage to this year’s crop has impacted milk production?

Most dairies I work with utilize dairy software to help organize daily activities such as what cows to breed, treat, etc. While this can be extremely helpful in staying organized, what can make data even more valuable to a dairy is its ability to help us solve mysteries.

With turmoil brewing between Canada and the U.S. in ongoing trade talks, it is important to remember the foundation of each industry: dairy producers.

Family businesses don’t always fail because of poor business. Instead, it is due to turmoil amongst the family owners and operators. In a presentation at the 2017 Advancing Women Conference, Jolene Brown outlined “The Top Ten Mistakes That Break Up a Family Business.”