Dairy business management
Through research and outreach, we are working to maintain the stability of individual farms as well as Minnesota's dairy industry overall. We provide practical solutions for dairy families in times of transition, train dairy industry professionals to support producers and discover methods for reducing costs and raising profits.
Running a dairy business
Margin compression affects dairy producers
- Like most industries, the dairy industry suffers from margin compression over time.
- You can prevent your family’s standard of living from declining by using strategies on your farm.
- Robots are good at milking and can harvest high-quality milk consistently.
- Robots improve lifestyle, decrease labor and allow family labor to milk more cows.
- Proper management is key to robot success.
Dairy cost of production calculator (Google Sheet)
- Cost of production will vary by farm and by size of the farm.
- If you do not know your farm costs, you can go to the FINBIN database to retrieve cost estimates for dairy farms of different sizes and regions of the state.
- If you do not have records for what your costs are, start keeping records. This spreadsheet can help track costs.
Monitor your pasteurized milk feeding system
With proper management and monitoring, you can consistently deliver a clean, high quality milk diet to your calves, and maximize the benefits captured from your pasteurized milk feeding program.
Crossbreeding dairy cows to improve sustainability
Geneticists at the University of Minnesota have been crossbreeding with Montbéliarde and Viking Red sires at the University’s two dairy research herds since the early 2000s and explores alternative ways for producers to improve calving ease, fertility, health and survival of cows.
Learn more in these videos
- Opportunities for Value Added Dairy - Becca Jablonski, assistant professor and food systems extension economist at Colorado State University
- What You Need to Know About Financing Dairy Processing - Amanda Durow, senior credit officer, CoBank
- Identifying and Selecting Value-Added Opportunities for Your Farm - Betty Berning, Betty Berning Consulting
- AURI opportunities and resources - Jennifer Wagner-Lahr