Dairying is a hard business to get into. I can't tell you the number of times I have been told that in the course of the past four years. I have heard it from aging producers, but more often it comes from people my age who like working in the dairy industry and with dairy cattle but don't see a future for themselves in it. All of those people weren't wrong. Dairying is a high-cost startup industry but worth the investment for some young people.
Four young dairy producers from Pennsylvania and New York offered students attending the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge contest and academy insight to how they got into the dairy industry. One of their biggest recommendations for students who are interested in dairying immediately following graduation was learning as much as they could about finances while in college. "Going through college, I wanted to be with the cows, but I wish I had paid more attention to finances," said Jessica Slaymaker, a Pennsylvania dairy producer. She and her husband house 130 cows in two rented tie stall barns and are working on financing for a barn of their own in the next year.
The panelists were also huge proponents of pursuing internships on a variety of dairies. "If you are planning to go home, go work on another operation first," said Luke Getty, a New York dairyman. Getty bought out his home dairy in 2011 and is in the process of buying into another dairy. He emphasized working hard to achieve your goals. "If you are ambitious, work hard and want to grow, there is a spot on a dairy for you," he said.
Dairy Challenge was also an important part of the college experience for three of the panelists, as they cited the contest as an opportunity to see farms and network with people. "Dairy Challenge was one of the best experiences of my college career," said Jordan Fisher, a partner at Mapleview Dairy, LLC. in New York. "It is helpful to see how other people take care of animals."
For all four producers, dairying has been a very rewarding career that has allowed them to work with their families and build equity. "I enjoy having my family on the farm," said Ryan Clark, a Pennsylvania dairyman. "Starting a dairy from scratch is really tough, but it has been worth it."
The author was the 26th Hoard's Dairyman editorial intern. She is a senior at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. At KSU, Maggie is double majoring in agricultural communications and journalism and animal sciences and industry. Seiler grew up on a 130-cow registered Holstein dairy in Valley Center, Kan., near Wichita.
