By Darren Turley
TAD Executive Director
Texas dairy farmers are some of the most diverse businesspeople in the world.
They have the animal husbandry and animal health skills of a veterinary technician. They understand farming and planting practices needed to grow the crops that help cows produce an average of 10 gallons of milk a day. Their knowledge of nutrition allows them to balance rations for animals at every stage of life, whether they are lactating cows, pregnant dry cows, calves or growing heifers. At the same time, producers must know, understand and comply with state and federal rules and regulations governing milk quality and handling, as well as environmental requirements.
When it comes to genetics, producers can rattle off statistics on semen and the traits they want to improve in their herds. Breeding decisions may also include crossbreeding with dairy breeds from around the world. Then there is the care of newborn calves — a skill that not everyone possesses, but one that is crucial to successfully bringing advanced genetics into the herd.
Dairy producers are also commodity trading experts, as they purchase numerous types of feed and forage for their herds. Knowing when to contract feed for future needs — and what constitutes a good price in the current market — is a skill in itself. Producers also use milk contracts and other risk-management tools to manage future prices and bring greater stability to their businesses.
Labor management cannot go unrecognized, either. As modern dairy farms grow larger, labor becomes increasingly specialized and skilled. As the industry adopts new technologies, such as robotic milking systems, farms need employees with skills that may not have existed on a dairy a generation ago. Managing a large dairy operation today requires expertise on many different fronts.
But no matter how much a dairy producer knows, there’s always more to learn when it comes to operating a business or caring for livestock. As our kids head back to school, adult dairy producers should consider their own continuing education.
In Texas, dairy producers have a number of opportunities to hone their business and on-farm skills, develop their leadership abilities and network. Options include The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers, TEPAP, which you can learn more about in this newsletter; the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program, TALL, and Texas Farm Bureau’s AgLead Program. Click on one of the links to learn more. The Texas Association of Dairymen would be proud to consider sponsoring any interested dairy farmer for one of these programs.
A modern dairy farmer manages a large and complex business with countless moving parts. The skills required to run that business must evolve every day to keep pace with changing markets and emerging technologies and innovations.
Dairy farmers deserve respect not only because they work every day to produce safe, wholesome and nutritious food, but also because they are among the most diverse and skilled business professionals in the world.
