Send us a text

In this month's "Protecting Your Profits" discussion, Michael Sherman, Outreach Specialist and Beginning Farmer/Veteran State Coordinator for the USDA Farm Service Agency in PA, shared what dairy farmers need to know about the Dairy Margin Coverage program and how to enroll. Dairy farmers have until March 31, 2025 to enroll in the DMC Program for 2025. During the webinar, Michael offered his perspective on several important questions from producers:

• With the current margin forecasts showing no payments for program year 2025, why should dairy farmers still enroll?
• What are some common mistakes or misconceptions farmers should avoid when enrolling?
• Are there any other FSA programs farmers can sign up for or should be aware of?

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

Send us a text

In this February installment of the new "Protecting Your Profits" minisode series, Dairy Report Rundown, Zach Myers, Director of Member Services with Maola Dairies, sat down with us to discuss the December 2024 Dairy Products report. He covered key points, how the data measured up to expectations, and notable influencing factors.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

Send us a text

In this first installment of the new "Protecting Your Profits" minisode series, Dairy Report Rundown, Nicole Colgren, Sales Director with Total Farm Marketing, sat down with us to talk through the December 2024 USDA Milk Production and Cold Storage reports. She covered the significance of the reports, key takeaways, external influencing factors, and what she believes the future holds for the dairy industry.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

Send us a text

In this month's "Protecting Your Profits" webinar, Kathleen Noble Wolfley and Colin Kadis from Ever.Ag projected the trends and opportunities that might be on the horizon for the dairy marketplace in 2025. They talked about milk supply expectations – both U.S. and global – new cheese capacity, importance of exports, dairy market outlook and domestic demand forecasts, "headline” risks, and ways to manage risk in this ever-shifting marketplace.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

Markets change and they don’t care about what you think they should look like – or what you might need for your cost of production. Are you setting yourself up for long-term success by capturing opportunities before they’re too late? Are you adapting to changing feed and dairy markets to guide your approach to risk management on your dairy farm?

In this month’s free “Protecting Your Profits” webinar, hear from Jacob Thompson and Andy McCarty, two experienced dairy business advisors. They will share how to control what you can through a solid risk management plan, no matter the level of volatility or uncertainty in the markets. As we approach the end of the calendar year, they will dive into the four main risk management products available to dairy producers who want to protect their revenue stream: Forward Contracting, Livestock Gross Margin, Dairy Margin Coverage, and Dairy Revenue Protection. Each program has different tiers, levels, and decisions that make it possible to tailor a plan that’s unique to your dairy operation.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

In this month's "Protecting Your Profits" discussion, Rob Goodling from Horizon Farm Credit breaks down 17 benchmarks that are part of the PA Dairy Performance Indicators project. From year to year, these benchmarks help us compare individual dairy operations to how the top dairies in the data set are performing financially. Rob shares an overview of the 2023 data and a comprehensive snapshot of herd performance across various sizes and production types – revealing distinct patterns in milk production, costs, and financial outcomes.

Find out where Pennsylvania stands in terms of herd performance, financial performance and more. Rob also examines how herds participating in both years of the Performance Indicators Project compare to the group averages and shared some of the variation between herd size groups.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

Send us a text

What daily responsibilities on the farm have the highest risk? The answer might surprise you. From animal handling and manure application to horizontal silos and working with heavy machinery, dairy farmers are exposed to a large amount of risk on a daily basis. According to 2019 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agricultural sector is the most dangerous in America. While most dairy farmers accept the risk involved in the profession and enjoy working with their hands, farm safety should still be a top priority on dairy operations to help protect families and employees. As we approach the fall harvest season, Dr. Florence Becot from Penn State University shares the top three farm safety risks – and how we can be proactive with simple precautions that could save a life.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.

In this month's episode, Kathleen Noble Wolfley and Bryce Windecker from Ever.Ag explored market factors that are influencing feed price and shared strategies to help farmers mitigate feed price risk. They gave an update on key feed commodity markets, including corn, soybean meal, canola and cottonseed. They also shared a deep dive into basis trends in the Northeast and ways for livestock producers to manage feed risk.

To receive weekly dairy market updates via email each week, click here to subscribe and get the updates sent to you at no cost each week.