The challenges and opportunities that dairy farmers face are real. The rollercoaster prices that we have seen unfold in the last couple of years really underscore just how volatile the dairy economy is.
Three business-minded dairy leaders will gather together during a Farm Journal Milk Business Quarterly webinar to share advice on how to future-proof your dairy business, offering solutions they feel can help set the stage for future success. The panelists include:
Ed Gallegher, president of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) Risk Management, leads the DFA division that offers price risk management programs to members, DFA-owned plants and business units and their customers. He is also responsible for DFA’s Federal Dairy Revenue Protection and other crop insurance programs. He also leads DFA’s Federal Order policy initiatives and serves on its Strategic Planning Committee and Enterprise Risk Management Executive Committee. Gallegher was a founding member of DFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.
Lucas Sjostrom, serves as the executive director of Minnesota Milk Producers Association and is the managing director of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. In his roles, he guides farmers with legislative and regulatory relationships, promotes Minnesota as a place to dairy and provides other services to members. Both organizations have helped to build and improve risk management programs through their work. Sjostrom and his family own a dairy farm and cheese plant near Brooten, Minn.
Jeremy Van Ess, an owner of Van Ess Dairy and Legacy Dairy, Sanborn, Iowa, home to 10,000 cows. Van Ess owns and operates the dairy alongside his four brothers and their parents. Van Esses motto is to be a low-cost producer without sacrificing production or herd health. They feel blessed to have a great crew of employees that have been with the operation for a long time. In addition, they work with a great team of advisers that have helped them lean forward when opportunities arise.
These three panelists will talk about the unfavorable 2023 milk prices and what issues they hope the Farm Bill will deliver. They also will discuss major pain points and conversations that need to happen on the farm, along with what keeps them up at night.
Registration now to watch live at: https://fjwebinars.com/account/register/dairy-herd-management/174
