Progress on the farm rarely comes from a single breakthrough. It comes from the everyday decisions that make a dairy run smoother, smarter and more sustainably than it did the year before. For three dairymen speaking at this year’s MILK Business Conference, Greg Bethard, TJ Tuls and Hank Hafliger, success isn’t accidental, it’s intentional.
These producers offer practical, hard-earned tips for other producers, sharing the strategies that have helped their dairies stay competitive, efficient and resilient in a fast-changing industry.
Invest In Technology That Pays Its Way
Technology continues to transform how dairies operate by offering tools that streamline processes and boost efficiency. For Tuls, the principle remains clear that every investment must deliver value.
“We’re always looking for ways to make our dairies run better,” Tuls says. “Right now, we’re testing three or four different systems to see what works best.”
Some tools use cameras to monitor cow movement and employee performance. Others combine data with DairyComp to spot trends and guide better decisions. But Tuls reminds farmers technology only works if you use the data.
“At the end of the day, it’s feeding your data back into your operation and doing something with that information. And it takes good people and managers to interpret it and really apply it on your farm,” he says.
For Bethard in Kansas, his perspective comes with decades of hindsight.
“I remember 30 years ago when I started out, a 1,000-cow dairy was huge. Back then, DairyComp and headlocks were your tools to manage that many cows,” Bethard says.
Today, his list of non-negotiables to manage a larger herd has grown. Sort gates, activity collars and meters in the parlor are all essential. The philosophy behind adopting new technology, though, hasn’t changed.
“I can barely use my cell phone, so I’m not really a technology guy,” he jokes. “I’m looking for anything that’s easy to use and lowers my cost to produce milk. The key is evaluating it and embracing what makes sense for us.”
For Bethard, every piece of technology has to prove its worth. When he evaluated activity collars on his dairy, the numbers spoke for themselves. Looking ahead, he plans to follow the same approach by avoiding flashy trends and focusing on tools that truly improve efficiency and animal care.
Measuring What Matters
Across all three dairies, success is powered by key performance indicators.
Tuls’ team in Nebraska leans heavily on people-focused metrics.
“One of the biggest KPIs we track is employee turnover,” he says. “When you have a strong, experienced team, it directly improves profitability, production and cow longevity.”
Feed efficiency is another cornerstone metric for Tuls.
“You can feed a lot of different products and make a lot of milk, but if you’re spending a ton of money doing it, it doesn’t help your bottom line,” he adds. “How cows convert feed into milk, that’s a huge deal.”
Bethard’s dairy approaches metrics through the lens of business sustainability. Their guiding number is their break-even cost with no milk price factored in.
“If we achieve that, really nothing else matters much,” Bethard says.
Operationally, they track a daily static variable margin: income over feed cost minus variable expenses.
“That margin is what pays for all the other fixed costs,” Bethard says.
It’s the heartbeat of the business, and the number he relies on to maintain a healthy, resilient operation.
Winning With People
For all three dairymen, success starts with people. Hafliger says that means creating a family atmosphere on his operation.
“These guys come to work in the middle of the night when it’s snowing outside,” he says. “They’re pulling calves and caring for cows in the toughest conditions. It’s important to treat them like family.”
Tuls agrees. Watching employees grow has become one of his greatest rewards.
“Three of our managers started as cow pushers, and now they’re running dairies,” he says. “That’s fun to watch. They really are family.”
Tuls says leadership means being present, listening, checking in and making sure people know their work matters.
“They’re working at your farm by choice,” he says. “You’ve got to convince them it’s a good place to be,” he adds.
Bethard sees culture as the cornerstone for his operation.
“Culture is what keeps the wheels turning,” Bethard says. “You can have the best systems in the world, but if your team doesn’t feel respected and connected, nothing works.
The Blueprint for Success
Across three states and three management styles, one message is clear. Great dairies do not achieve success by chance. They build it through careful adoption of technology, disciplined measurement and workplaces where people feel valued and motivated.
