MANAGEMENT

We dairy farmers are excellent at producing milk. We take pride in what we do. We have the drive to get up every morning, pull on the coveralls and milk cows.

We know who is next on the list to calve and that, by Bessie’s sideways glance, she needs to be bred. Although many us excel in the production side of the farm, many of us need help on the business side.

Building a new milking facility – or renovating an old one – can be nerve-racking. There are so many decisions to make and you need to move quickly so production can begin as soon as possible.

Every day there are conversations of different types occurring on your dairy. These interactions happen to everyone, owners, managers and employees – and they are the day-to-day conversations that affect the life of the dairy and the life of everyone involved.

It is important for your radar to be at its highest awareness because what makes a conversation crucial is: First, that opinions do vary from person to person.

I was born and raised on a dairy farm in Colombia where, from an early age, I was embracing the lifestyle of and nurturing a passion for milking cows.

My family and I organized our lives and schedules around the needs of the herd.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series on developing middle managers. Click here to read the second part of this seires. Click here to read the third part of this series.

It is true that persistently dry conditions in North America are taking their toll on the agriculture industry. Many climatologists agree that we are experiencing the worst drought in more than 50 years.

As a result, forecasted yields for corn, wheat and soybeans have been revised down significantly. And that is pushing commodity prices up.