FInd Other Resources for My Dairy
Dairy farm families deal with many issues as they navigate their business through a challenging and ever-changing dairy environment. Here are resources to help you navigate your business.
Expand, Modernize or Enter a Niche Market
Are you thinking of expanding or modernizing your business? Do you want to enter a niche market? Here are some resources that may be helpful:
A Target Profit Team: brings together a team to help you work toward your goal.
"My Dairy Business Plan": provides a step-by-step process to creating a business plan.
Dairy Farm Planning Site: This section of the Dairy and Animal Science Web site is a resource listing for producers considering expansion or establishing a new dairy operation.
PAgrows: Offers a listing of grants and loans available to support modernization and expansion projects.
Transition My Dairy
Transitioning a dairy operation can take years of planning and decision-making to make sure the right steps are taken to protect the farm and business for future generations. Here are resources that are available to help with that process:
Succession Planning Team: Funding and resources are available to help farms establish a team to transition their business into the next generation.
The Center for Farm Transitions: was intiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to provide a one-stop source of information and services to farmers who are transitioning their business.
Pennsylvania Farm Link: a non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of "creating farming opportunities for the next generation." Their website provides documents and information to aid in transitioning farms to the next generation or getting starting into farming.
Work with a Consultant
Dairy consultants can provide valuable outside expertise into business planning and strategy for moving forward.
Dairy Decisions Consultants are funded by the Center for Dairy Excellence to work with farm families to evaluate the family business and identify strategies for future viability.
A list of Business Planning Consultants is available for farms that want to work with a business consultant on business planning and strategy.
Improve My Herd Performance
Improving profitability on a dairy farm begins with improving the dairy herd's performance. Several resources are available to help dairy farms evaluate their herd performance and identify strategies for strengthening their herd.
Target Profit Team: Offers funding & resources to put together a team of individuals to identify bottlenecks and work toward solutions.
PA Dairy Tool: A tool from Penn State Dairy Alliance that examines the whole farm operation in order to identify and begin a proces to eliminate the most costly bottlenecks in a dairy operation.
Dairy Herd Benchmark Tools: Charts are available to help you track your herd's performance to key benchmarks identified by the industry in key herd performance areas.
"Mastering the Dairy Business Calls": Often address key herd management areas. Recordings and presentation materials from past calls are available online.
Ensure Quality Animal Care
Quality animal care from the day an animal is born until the day she dies is critical on every dairy farm. Here are resources to help you ensure quality animal care on your farm.
Dairy F.A.R.M. -- a national initiative providing consistency and uniformity to best practices in animal care and quality assurance in the dairy industry.
PA Beef Quality Assurance -- offers a certification program for dairy producers to demonstrate their commitment to animal welfare and quality dairy beef.
Penn State Livestock Mortality Site -- outlines and explains the process for the approved methods of proper livestock mortality disposal on the farm.
Find Resources on Stress & Transition
To help those families who are weighing their options or who are overwhelmed by stress, the Communications & Information Committee of the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force has compiled the information in the attached document. Several resources exist to help dairy farm families work through this difficult time, and details with contact information for each resource are provided in this document.
Click here to access the document.
Complete Survey
Dairy producers in mineral rich regions across Pennsylvania are facing decisions about the future of their dairy operation. We are asking for your input and response so as to better understand how these changes will impact our dairy industry. Those farm families who were asked to complete the survey can do so by clicking on the link below.
PA DAIRY PLANNING QUESTIONNAIRE