For the last several years, the beef-on-dairy trend has felt like a gift from the heavens. In a world of volatile milk checks and rising input costs, the ability to turn a low-value Jersey or Holstein bull calf into a high-value beef cross was the ultimate easy button for profitability. Producers called it a honeymoon — high premiums, easy sales and a massive boost to the bottom line with very little extra effort. But our recent deep dive in the Farm Journal State of the Dair

The cost of producing milk fell in 2025, but not across the board. Operating costs lowered while overhead rose, which tends to disadvantage smaller farms. Managing overhead may be the best strategy, on the cost side, to improve a farm’s profitability. Operating costs versus overhead Milk cost-of-production estimates for 2025 were recently released by the USDA Economic Research Service. The numbers represent averages and extrapolations based on a survey completed in 2021, but

The cost of producing milk fell in 2025, but not across the board. Operating costs lowered while overhead rose, which tends to disadvantage smaller farms. Managing overhead may be the best strategy, on the cost side, to improve a farm’s profitability. Operating costs versus overhead Milk cost-of-production estimates for 2025 were recently released by the USDA Economic Research Service. The numbers represent averages and extrapolations based on a survey completed in 2021, but