Outstanding profit margins that dairy producers have enjoyed so far this year have begun to fray around the edges. It's a pattern uncomfortably similar to what was seen in 2007, so keep your eyes on it....
Recently, there have been a lot of comments, papers and seminars using the general phrase "Precision Farming." We have all marveled at the global positioning satellite (GPS) technology that was introduced...
February and March have brought new reminders that nondairy events almost anywhere in the world can affect milk production costs on U.S. farms. The latest examples continue to bring new price volatility...
There was generally good news for U.S. dairy producers with the release of USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report on February 10. On the input side, feed costs are going to...
"Last year was a good year for producers. Milk prices were up, and feed costs dropped the second half of the year," noted Bob Cropp, professor emeritus at UW-Madison, as he addressed Wisconsin Dairy Field...
Farmers who plan ahead for tax management maximize their benefits. by Ali Enerson, Hoard's Dairyman Special Publications Editor Tax time can bring mixed feelings for farmers. Some are worried about pulling...
As consolidation continues, producers who remain in business will need to develop a plan to handle the mounting economic pressures. While processors continue to consolidate, retailing is concentrating...
Asking questions helps you zero in on why your business has changed and to focus future efforts. The top 20 percent of herds saw gains in labor efficiency, milk sales and herd size. Change in the financial...
There appears to be a "shift" coming that will put a strain on most dairy farm cash flows. In the past five years, lenders have been flush with money. With historically low interest rates, it has been...
Sensitivity analysis is about asking "What if" scenarios. It involves the study of how uncertainty in the output of a mathematical model can be apportioned to uncertainty in the inputs to the model
Review these ten decisions to determine if you can find additional income or reduce expenses on your farm or with your clients. Be a detective and make long-term economic decisions
We are going on the fourth year with low interest rates which have been one of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) tools in combating the "Great Recession." How do these unusually low rates work?
Few things can irritate a person like finding out they overpaid for a product or did not sell their own for its true value. In the April 8 Hoard's Dairyman "Reviewing forage and feed costs – What's...
As anyone who has recently refinanced a mortgage knows, long-term interest rates are at head-shaking lows. Just as they're an opportunity that is too good for many homeowners to pass up, they're an opportunity...
The three c's of farming: Character, capital and conditions are critical considerations for anyone who wants to farm in the future. The dream of farming has become a reality for thousands around the world...
"You can't just go out there, feed them and squeeze them," was one of the many great financial one-liners Gary Sipiorski shared with a packed audience at the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth,...
Another milk price year is in the rear view mirror, so it's time to sort through the rubble and see what it says. First, Class III prices for the year averaged $17.44 per hundredweight