Archive for New Dairy Farmers

How Low-Overhead Grazing Can Slash Costs and Boost Profits

Learn how low-overhead grazing can slash costs and boost your dairy farm profits. Ready for a game-changing system? Read on.

Summary: Dairy farmers are facing extreme volatility and fluctuating milk prices, pushing many to seek cost-cutting solutions. Enter New Zealand’s low-overhead dairy grazing system. This innovative method enables farmers to reduce both fixed and variable costs while staying profitable across a wider range of milk and feed prices. It focuses on maximizing nutrient intake from grazed pasture, operating high-throughput milking systems, and keeping investments in buildings and machinery low. This approach also offers environmental and social benefits, making it appealing to both veterans and newcomers. According to researchers from the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, stored forages are needed during nongrazing months, but the overall cost drops significantly compared to year-round feeding. Grazing cows act as their own manure spreaders, further cutting labor costs by up to 20% and feed expenses by 30%. Seasonal calving aligns with natural growth cycles, improving labor efficiency and reducing supplemental feeding needs. Overall, low-overhead grazing offers young farmers a feasible entry into the industry with lower capital requirements and benefits like carbon sequestration and soil enhancement.

  • New Zealand’s low-overhead dairy grazing system reduces both fixed and variable farming costs.
  • The system maximizes nutrient intake from pasture and minimizes investments in machinery and buildings.
  • Stored forages are required during nongrazing months but at a significantly lower cost than year-round feeding.
  • Grazing cows act as their own manure spreaders, cutting labor and feed costs significantly.
  • Seasonal calving improves labor efficiency by aligning with natural growth cycles.
  • The system offers new farmers lower capital entry requirements and benefits like carbon sequestration and soil enhancement.

Are you annoyed by the continual fluctuations in milk prices? Dairy producers constantly strategize to remain afloat in high market volatility, which refers to the rapid and unpredictable changes in milk prices due to weather conditions, global demand, and trade policies. In the face of such challenges, producers continually look for methods to decrease expenses while maintaining profitability. The dilemma remains: where can we save money while producing high-quality milk?

The low-overhead grazing strategy is gaining popularity among dairy producers seeking relief from financial challenges while maintaining sustainability. This technique, which originated in New Zealand, offers a beacon of hope by focusing on lowering both fixed and variable production costs, providing a possible answer to the financial dilemmas that many farmers face today.

“Stored forages will be required for feeding in the nongrazing months, but the amount and cost are significantly less than feeding stored forages year-round,” observed researchers from the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, Wallace Center, Winrock International, and Food System 6.

Let’s Talk About the Reality Dairy Farmers Face Today 

Let’s discuss the current realities for dairy producers. You get up before dawn daily and work relentlessly to keep your organization operating correctly. Despite your efforts, you are continually fighting growing feed costs and the gut-wrenching uncertainty of dairy prices. The pressure is unrelenting.

High feed prices may eat away at your revenues quicker than you can say “high-protein supplement,” leaving little money to spend on other essential aspects of your farm. Furthermore, with milk costs shifting dramatically, preparing for the future is difficult. You’re making money one month and trying to make ends meet the next. We understand that economic concerns might make you feel like you’re always on edge.

So what is the solution? Practical and cost-effective agricultural methods may be your lifeline. Adopting measures that lessen dependency on costly feed and strengthen your business’ resilience to market fluctuations might lead to a more stable and lucrative future. One such method is low-overhead grazing. With its focus on reducing feed costs and offering efficiencies, this strategy empowers you to navigate the unpredictability that has become characteristic of contemporary dairy production.

Discover How New Zealand’s Low-Overhead Grazing Model Can Revolutionize Your Dairy Farm

Low-overhead grazing is a dairy farming practice developed in New Zealand. This strategy aims to optimize nutrient intake directly from pasture, decreasing the requirement for costly stored feeds. A high throughput milking setup is critical to the system, increasing efficiency and allowing more cows to be milked in less time. Low-overhead grazing is distinguished by its focus on minimal investment in structures and equipment, making it an appealing alternative for farmers trying to reduce expenses while increasing profitability.

Time to Crunch the Numbers: The Financial Wins of Low-Overhead Grazing

Now, let’s speak about the bottom line. Low-overhead grazing has a significant financial advantage since it reduces fixed and variable expenses. Traditional dairy production requires substantial infrastructure, technology, and feed storage expenditures. However, low-overhead grazing allows you to reduce these expenditures significantly, providing reassurance and confidence in your financial management.

Here’s why. Cows graze on pasture from May to October and need much less bought and stored grain. Researchers have said, “Stored forages will be required for feeding in the nongrazing months, but the amount and the cost are significantly less than feeding stored forages year-round.” This seasonal arrangement minimizes feed expenditures and storage and handling charges. Furthermore, dairy farming requires continual work throughout the year. Still, low-overhead grazing employs a seasonal calving schedule, lowering personnel requirements during calmer months. The labor efficiency advantage is obvious since cows grazing on pasture operate as their own “manure spreaders,” reducing the effort required for manure management.

If you are seeking complicated numbers, consider the following: Dr. Jon Winsten’s research in Progressive Forage found that well-managed low-overhead grazing systems might reduce feed expenditures by up to 30% and labor expenses by up to 20%. Such savings might have a significant impact on your farm’s profits. Low-overhead grazing may improve financial stability and growth by eliminating wasteful expenditures and increasing profits.

Seasonal Calving: The Secret to Labor Efficiency 

Seasonal calving dramatically improves labor efficiency. By timing calves’ births with the natural growing season, farmers may guarantee that their busiest times coincide with the best circumstances for pasture development. This synchronization reduces the need for supplementary nutrition and intense care in the off-season.

This implies that farmers will see increased activity during the stated calving season, likely in the spring. Most of their efforts will be focused on monitoring births, guaranteeing the health of infants, and controlling the milking process during peak output. While this stage is challenging, it is relatively brief.

Once the calving season is over, the burden drastically decreases. Cows graze on grassland, which reduces the need for food and dung control. This cyclical strategy enables farmers to manage their personnel flexibly, possibly employing more assistance during peak months while operating with a smaller crew the rest of the year. The result is lower labor expenses and greater overall efficiency throughout the year.

Unlocking Opportunities for New Dairy Farmers: Why Low-Overhead Grazing is a Game-Changer

Starting a dairy farm may be scary, especially for young or inexperienced farmers. Traditional agricultural practices need extensive capital investment in buildings, equipment, and other infrastructure, which sometimes entails large debts and financial risk. What if there was a more accessible route?

Enter low-overhead grazing, a new approach that drastically reduces access barriers. This technique reduces the requirement for expensive infrastructure in favor of utilizing natural resources. The approach decreases the cost of stored forages and commercial feeds by depending on pasture for most feed. You won’t need to spend substantially on barns, feed storage, or specialized equipment, which makes getting started simpler.

Furthermore, less financial risk is a significant benefit. Because continuous operating expenses are very minimal, new farmers may remain profitable even in volatile markets. “Utilizing lower overhead grazing provides farmers who may just be starting the opportunity to minimize capital requirements needed to start a farm,” observed Dr. Jon Winsten, a prominent agricultural economist. This might result in a more solid and secure financial future for people joining the dairy sector.

Sustainable Farming: The Hidden Environmental Benefits of Low-Overhead Grazing

Beyond cost-saving efforts, well-managed pastures have significant environmental advantages that cannot be overlooked. Farmers help to sequester carbon from the atmosphere by allowing cows to graze on pastures, trapping it in the soil. This natural process improves the soil while also helping to counteract global climate change. Pastures can retain and recycle nutrients, growing denser and more fruitful with time than typical agriculture. This enhanced nutrient storage promotes healthier soil ecosystems and supports sustainable agricultural methods.

Let’s Not Forget About Our Dairy Cows—Their Well-Being Is Key to Our Success 

Remember, our dairy cows ‘ well-being is crucial to our success. One of the most notable benefits of low-overhead grazing is its effect on cow health. Allowing cows to roam on pasture leads to fewer cases of illness. Isn’t that a comfort to know? Healthier cows need fewer antibiotic treatments, which saves you money while providing more nutritious milk.

We know the hardship and expenditures connected with frequent veterinarian appointments and treatments. With low-overhead grazing, these risks are considerably reduced. Your cows will live a more natural lifestyle, which may prolong their useful life in your herd. As a farmer, anything that results in a longer productive life for your cows is a significant plus.

So, low-overhead grazing is worth considering if you want to keep your cows healthy and happy while minimizing medical costs.

The Bottom Line

In summary, low-overhead grazing is a new method that has the potential to revolutionize dairy producers’ financial landscapes. This concept offers considerable cost reductions while increasing labor efficiency and sustainability by concentrating on grazing pastures, reducing expenditures in buildings and equipment, and establishing a seasonal calving schedule. It offers new and young farmers an accessible gateway into the business, needing lesser initial financial commitments. Furthermore, the environmental advantages, such as better nutrient storage and a lower carbon footprint, are evident.

Have you ever considered how much more lucrative and sustainable your farm might be using low-overhead grazing? Given the positive results and the collaborative efforts of scholars and organizations, isn’t it time to explore making this change? The future of dairy farming may lie in the pasture, waiting for you to embrace the moment.

Learn more:

Are New Dairy Farmers Prepared?

When our family dairy farm was at a crossroads in 1988, we asked our three children how they felt about dairy farming.  At that time aged 11, 14 and 17, they didn’t see themselves as future dairy farmers and so their grandparents’ animals went under the hammer.  Within ten years we were not only the proud parents of a manager for a Canadian A.I. company, an animal nutritionist for an American feed company  and a budding dairy marketer who owned and operated his own business, but hubby, and I had moved onto the farm and were both working for a national dairy genetics marketing association.  So much for not foreseeing our continuing future in the dairy industry.

“Learn to Do By Doing”

That 4H motto, “Learn to do by Doing” is an excellent mantra for anyone looking seriously at a dairy farming career. What four out of five of us were not prepared for in 1988 was the daily care and management of a dairy herd. With the exception of Murray. Murray was not only up to the challenge but, throughout 45 years of our married life, always managed dairy cows – in addition to whatever other career responsibilities he has taken on. While this has led to exciting opportunities and rather major challenges it probably isn’t a roadmap that others would choose to follow.  The good news is that to this day we live next door to the 96-year-old matriarch of his family who has lived her entire life here.  In today’s dairy marketplace, there has been so much change that it is forcing new and different ways to do well as new dairy farmers.

Required Education & Training

Dairy farming has always meant mastering many skills including feeding, administering medication, managing waste, operating milking equipment two to three times daily, and other daily duties. A growing number of dairy farmers hold a two or four year degree in dairy science, animal science, agriculture, or a closely related field of study that is the driving force in moving their goals forward since coursework for such degrees generally includes dairy science, anatomy, physiology, reproduction, crop science, farm management, technology, and agricultural marketing.  Nevertheless, there is no substitute for direct, hands-on practical experience and working on a farm with dairy cows is a necessary prerequisite for becoming a dairy farmer.

From Family Tradition to Farm Apprenticeships

In the past, the majority of new farmers learned the business from the ground up on the family farm.  Today those opportunities are dwindling and those who are inspired to choose a dairy career often apprentice with an established operation before venturing out on their own.  Those who intend to remain viable recognize that a lifetime of learning – classroom instruction, farm visits, seminars, videos and Internet – is necessary for the continuous improvement that is necessary for a sustainable, profitable dairy business.

New Education and Training

When you do a little research to discover the resumes of successful dairy farmers or, for that matter, most people working in the industry, you learn that many have backgrounds in 4-H, ag-education or courses and seminars to round out their hands-on expertise.  Today’s dairy operators hone skills in calculating application rates, determining genetic merit of livestock or trading grain on the futures market.  Continuing your agricultural education is like money in the bank.  You can farm without it, but it`s sure a lot easier to farm with it.

New Dairy Farmers Start Out Herd First!

Canadian dairy farmers face the first hurdle of quota purchase before they can become part of the national dairy industry. Figuring out a way to get a foot in that door is a major challenge. In the US, many beginning dairy farmers pursue a “herd first” strategy—that is, they buildup their herds before they make fixed investments in land and buildings.  This is a logical first step which builds equity, before investing in buildings and equipment which can depreciate quickly. Cows are also an investment that is relatively easy to buy and sell. The “herd first” strategy is a good way to start generating an income while managing debt.

Advice from Those Who Have “Been there done that!”

  1. Get experience on someone else’s farm before going it on your own. Build equity in cattle, while you work.
  2. Get a positive credit and community history in the area where you want to farm.  It is invaluable to have support and references from local farmers and Ag business people.
  3. Be willing to start a little lower than where you want to end up. A farm that needs work may also come with an entry price that can be the first step to your dairy dream.
  4. Buy used equipment and keep it in good condition.
  5. Whenever possible use your own sweat equity.  Production costs can be controlled if you are willing and able to do more than you hire someone else to do.
  6. Farming is always ready to teach patience.  You can’t get everything at the beginning. A plan that adds value every year is one that will see you build a sustainable operation.
  7. Listen to, learn from and work like other successful farmers.
  8. Target having a barn full of cows as soon as possible, so that you can keep the milk and cash flow flowing.
  9. Don’t get too far into debt. Specifically, stay at or under $2000 per cow
  10. Management skills are essential. Work smarter, not harder.

What is the Outlook for Dairy Farming?

Hundreds of new farmers get started in dairying every year.  Compared to other types of livestock farming, dairying can provide a higher income per animal, a monthly milk check, and, in many areas, more markets.  As the average age of farmers continues to climb, there will continue to be farms selling our or needing to be taken over.  Here a young farmer may find the perfect partner/mentor to work with in planning a future that includes farm ownership.  Modern dairy succession is not always through family lines and, in fact, non-related succession will probably become the norm that it is in other industries.

The Off-Farm Job is Important

In a Wisconsin survey (1996-1999) 51 percent of 300 beginning dairy farmers or their spouses worked off farm.  It reported that “Twenty-four percent of those taking over the family farm and 33 percent of those starting out on their own had off-farm jobs. Off-farm jobs can provide beginning farm families with additional income, health insurance, life insurance and other benefits.  Off-farm income can help meet family expenses when milk prices are low.  With an off-farm job, often a family farm can support two households without having to expand herd size or increase the number of milkings per day.”

Research and Development

Most major industries recognize the necessity of having constantly evolving research and development to keep the industry moving forward.  When times are good, we imagine that the markets will stay that way and feel overwhelmed when outside forces impact what we have grown comfortable with.  As much as we need a new generation to take over the dairy operations, we need next-generation scientists and researchers with a passion for dairy to choose careers that will have a positive impact on dairying.  Whether it’s genetics, engineering, architecture or economics, new minds need to accept the challenge of finding solutions, and creating new ways to provide food under changing environmental, political and demographic conditions. It’s frustrating for young people who enter agricultural graduate programs when times are good to discover that funding has been cut, and their futures are anything but sustainable. Five or more years of budget cutting and financial downturns, is having a detrimental effect on dairy research and development.

New Facilities

The positive outcome of the constant change in the industry is that there is a change in educational institutions as well. The Rayner Dairy Research and Teaching Facility in Saskatchewan, Canada plays a significant role in teaching undergraduate and graduate students within the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Research conducted in the new facility will involve dairy nutrition and feed development, animal fertility and health, animal management, technology development, and development of green technologies for improved sustainability. The facility will also be used to further research from the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, College of Engineering, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and VIDO/InterVac.

USDA Help for New Farmers

New and beginning farmers are the future of American agriculture,” said US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Krysta Harden. “The average age of an American farmer is 58 and rising, so we must help new farmers get started if America is going to continue feeding the world and maintain a strong agriculture economy. The new policies announced June 23, 2014 will help give beginning farmers the financial security they need to succeed. Our new online tool will provide one-stop shopping for beginning farmers to learn more about accessing USDA services that can help their operations thrive.”  Agriculture institutions worldwide are revising and upgrading their dairy offerings.  In Canada, the University of Guelph answers the challenge with a Dairy Education Series which they report is “available as a resource for university and secondary school students, industry personnel, and interested consumers around the world.” As well the University of Guelph has a new dairy facility: The Livestock Research Innovation Centre. Construction began in 2013.

USDA’s New Farmers website has in-depth information for new farmers.  The New Farmers website has been built on issues identified by new farmers as top priorities. It will also feature instructive case studies about beginning farmers who have successfully utilized USDA resources to start or expand their business operations.The website includes how to increase access to land and capital; build new market opportunities; participate in conservation opportunities; select and use the right risk management tools, and access USDA education, and technical support programs.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Dairy farming is constantly evolving from a craft to a science, and more extensive training is necessary, especially for those starting out. There are many tools that new dairy farmers must recognize and use well. Those who make the wisest use of all the education, mentorship and hands-on tools will be the new dairy farmers that also stand out.

 

 

 

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