First-generation dairy farmer maximizes profits using direct-to-consumer marketplace

Adriana Toste for Progressive Dairy

Hard work, dedication and passion are a just few things Holden Midkiff, owner of Crossroad Farms, became very familiar with at a young age.

Midkiff, a first-generation dairy farmer from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, started his venture with farming at the age of 11 when he began milking goats for a neighbor.

As a teenager, Midkiff continued to gain knowledge in different areas of agriculture and, when he was 15, got a job at a 400-cow dairy. His experience there helped him learn concrete skills that would later help establish his own herd and eventually specialize in the production and bottling of A2 milk, he says.

See how Midkiff has found creative ways to thrive in a challenging industry.

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How to grow from 50 to 500 cows in an automated milking system

Jouni Pitkäranta and David Kammel for Progressive Dairy

Dairy farms of different sizes all over the world are pondering if robotic milking should be their next step as they change or grow their dairy business. Reasons like lack of labor availability, creating more flexible working times and making dairying attractive to the next generation are driving farms toward robotic milking systems.

Robotic milking is a large capital investment. Many smaller farms may still be milking cows in tie stalls, so switching to robotic milking requires a new design for housing facilities. At the same time, robots are extremely suitable for smaller farms using mostly family members a labor. Stepping from a tiestall barn system to a completely new automated milking system facility is a large capital investment that many farms cannot financially afford. The dream of a new robotic milking barn is on the horizon, but it is unreachable. But, there might be a solution. Rather than building everything new, could capital investment costs be kept down by using some of the farm’s existing buildings and infrastructure?

6 phases of farm growth and expansion

3 measures of long-term farm viability

Get some pointers on how to measure your operation's long-term viability.

Read more.

How to uplevel your repro team

Anibal Ballarotti for Progressive Dairy

A successful reproductive performance is fundamental to keep a dairy farm profitable. But how exactly can we measure repro success? Basically, this is measured by how fast we can turn nonpregnant cows into pregnant cows. The primary metric used to do this is by calculating the 21-day pregnancy rate (PR), which is defined by the total number of pregnant animals divided by the total number of eligible cows during a given time frame.

Effective reproductive strategies to achieve high 21-day PR can integrate different types of programs. Among the most common are tail chalking for detection of estrus followed by artificial insemination (A.I.) or protocols of synchronization of ovulation and timed A.I. Either strategy can be used for the first insemination or after early nonpregnancy diagnosis. No matter what strategy is used, both need a qualified repro team to perform either or both programs.

Make sure your team has mastered these four fundamental skills.

Other than your veterinarian, whose advice do you trust about animal health management on your dairy?

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(Look for the gray poll box to the right on our website.)

The basics of transitioning an operation to certified organic

Kelli Boylen for Progressive Dairy

If you are interested in becoming an organic operation, good records are essential, says Kristen Adams, certification service director at MOSA (Midwest Organic Services Association) Certified Organic. MOSA is one of the agencies that certify operations as organic. She says her recommendations will help producers in their transition to organic no matter what certifying agency they use.

Producers choose to become organic for a variety of reasons including personal philosophy, health and environmental benefits, access to growing markets, and premium prices. “One of the motivators to transition to an organic market is the price point of organic milk versus the price of conventional milk. Over time, the additional benefits often reveal themselves. Farmers have to take a proactive approach to animal health and nutrition, so they see healthier animals, healthier pastures [and] fields, and the return of biodiversity to their farm,” Adams says.

Learn some dos and don'ts of transitioning into organic production.