It is hard to believe that this is my last column of the year and that I have been in Pennsylvania for two years already. December 10th marked my second anniversary working at the Center. It has been a big transition from dairy farmer to risk management consultant. I look forward to another year here…
There is no doubt 2020 has been a volatile year for dairy markets. The milk price swings we have seen are unprecedented, with domestic demand a rollercoaster ride. Restaurant closures led to a loss of nearly 50% of dairy product purchases in just two weeks. The resulting shift from eating out to eating at home…
What comes to mind when you hear the word “communication?” What does communication mean to you? Merriam-Webster defines communication as, “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.” This is a broad definition that covers a complex topic. There are four basic types of communication…
Dairy markets are certainly difficult to predict, and a global pandemic makes it nearly impossible. In December 2019, milk prices were forecasted to build on the momentum gained in the latter half of 2019 to be decent in 2020. Of course, there are no guarantees with projections. As we all know, 2020 dairy markets did…
As the month of November ends, milk price volatility continues to define 2020 dairy markets. Earlier this month, the Center released two podcast options to provide relevant dairy information in a more portable format. One option is the “Cow-Side Conversations” podcast. This podcast will feature Jayne Sebright, executive director at the Center, interviewing Pennsylvania dairy…
Dairy Market volatility has taken its toll on cheese prices over the last month, even more drastic over the last two weeks. Fears surrounding the increasing infection rate of COVID-19 during this second wave of the pandemic have cheese buyers wary of what will happen if a second shutdown or partial shutdown occurs in the…
Dairy markets have certainly behaved strangely this year. We have had milk price extremes for Class III. While Class IV milk prices have been less volatile after an initial plunge earlier this year, they continue to struggle to catch up to Class III or reach pre-COVID-19 prices. It looks like the spread between Class III…
November 6, 2020 Markets & Management Update: Weather is unpredictable from year-to-year. In my limited travel this year, I did not see as much of Pennsylvania compared to last year, but in southcentral Pennsylvania, most corn and soybean fields looked good. However, it was obvious that there were drought conditions in some of the western…
You can learn a lot from people or cultures different from your own. One of the things I miss most about dairy farming is the people I worked with. I learned a tremendous amount about Mexican culture from the Latino employees who worked for us over the years. As they assimilated into the U.S. culture,…
would wager that if the word “team” is mentioned without any other context, thoughts begin to form in your head of your favorite sports team. I am guilty of it. As I am writing this column, I cannot help but think about my alma mater, NC State, and the numerous Wolfpack football and basketball teams…
