The Changing Financial Tides of Dairy Farming: A New Year’s Reflection

ZISK
12 hours ago
1 min read

It wasn’t that long ago that we considered ourselves fortunate to receive $35 for a Jersey bull calf and $150 for a crossbred. Times have certainly shifted since then. As the one keeping the books on our farm, I decided to remove the bull calf line item from our records four years ago, dismissing it as mere pocket change. But last year, with the earnings from these calves surpassing six digits, I realized it needed to make a comeback. And now, we’re grateful for the appealing price tags attached to those bull calves, as I’m sure many of you are too.

My late father had a tradition of keeping a little pocketbook where he documented his daily activities, both the highlights and challenges, whether personal or dairy related. He even tracked the Class III milk price, which used to hover around $15. One thing to keep in mind is my father’s dairy herd was sold off with the 2005 CWT program.

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