Another way to determine land values

Posted on July 1, 2013 in Dairy Performance
By Gary Sipiorski The real estate market has continued to see escalating agricultural land prices.  Many reasons have led to higher dollar sales, including grain producers who have seen a number of very profitable years and now have strong cash reserves.  Low interest rates and dairy producers seeking land for nutrient management have also been

Don’t lose money with too many replacements

Posted on January 4, 2013 in Dairy Performance
By Randy Greenfield Is your heifer-raising operation a profitable one?  How many heifers do you need to support your dairy herd’s turnover rate?  Should you consider culling some of your youngstock? If you are a Midwestern dairy producer, you’ve probably asked these questions recently. Historically, dairy producers have striven to maximize the number of heifer

Where do you invest your dairy dollars?

Posted on November 6, 2012 in Dairy Performance
By Gary Sipiorski With today’s markets, dairy producers are wearing their business hats around the clock.  Every dollar counts when looking at the long-term financial success of your business.  So when you make a profit, where’s the best place to invest your money and increase your potential for future success? The first step:  Know your

Don’t look back: Something might be gaining on you

Posted on September 5, 2012 in Dairy Performance
By Al Gunderson I recently came across an article I wrote for Progressive Dairyman back in June.  At that point, experts were forecasting a record crop and producers’ attention was focused on where the milk price might be for the rest of 2012 and into 2013.  After this year’s drought, feed prices have taken center

The ever-changing global economy

Posted on December 30, 2011 in Dairy Performance
By Al Gunderson Browse the Internet on your tablet or smartphone and you know we’re living in a global world where information flows across borders seamlessly.  That applies to economics too. The Greek debt crisis plunged the whole Euro zone into crisis and affected our U.S. markets.  A huge, global trading company placed a “bet”

Positioning your dairy financially for 2012

Posted on October 21, 2011 in Dairy Performance
By Gary Sipiorski The weather’s getting chilly, which means winter and the New Year are coming up fast.  It also means it’s time to once again time to take a hard look at your dairy business and position yourself financially for 2012.  Here are my top 10 things to look at as you plan: 1.

Dairy risk management: Understanding the basics

Posted on September 29, 2011 in Dairy Performance
(Editor's note:  In his 2011 article below, Randy Greenfield shares the basics of various dairy risk management tools.  A new tool to add to the list is the Dairy Margin Protection Program, as explained in the following 2014 update.  Contact your Vita Plus consultant if you're interested in further discussing these tools and strategies.) 2014