What can producers do to manage that competitive advantage?
That was the theme for Dairy Analysis 20/20, billed as East Meets West Multistate Business Analysis Workshop, which met in Gettysburg, Pa., in June. Now in its second year, the workshop brings together producers from around the country to analyze financial and management practices and exchange information. The event is organized by Penn State Dairy Alliance, collaborating with Cornell’s PRO-DAIRY program, the University of Florida, New Mexico State University and AgChoice Farm Credit. Producers from the 12 participating dairies submitted financial data ahead of time. During the meeting, all participants got a chance to analyze each other’s numbers and benchmark their own. The experience was invaluable, several of them said. “This is where the rubber meets the road with the numbers,” said Lloyd Holterman of Rosy-Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis. “Here, we look at specific dairies’ numbers and ask how you got them. You can see the impact on profits.” Industry benchmarks are helpful but n
