2022 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference

A Farm-Level View: Producer Panel Discussion

Three Pennsylvania dairy producers will describe specific steps they have taken in the past few years to move their business forward, including any reinvestments or modernization projects, business transformations, or transition plans. They will share their future goals and describe what type of outside assistance (whether consultants, resources, or grant programs) helped them take those initial steps forward. All three producers have been guests on our Cow-Side Conversations podcast and have worked with the Center’s On-Farm Teams to help their business succeed.

Donny Bartch of Merrimart Farms will discuss his robotics transformation project

“We definitely found out where our edge is. I would have hated to start this robotics project and then realized all of a sudden we need to cut out [certain aspects]. Now we know how far we can go and how many extra things we can add to this barn. Especially for a farm our size, it’s invaluable just how far the grant money went and the information we were able to get out of it. It helped jumpstart everything. It gave me the confidence I needed to move forward with a project like this. It went from a pipe dream to a reality.” -Donny

> Greta Snider Halahan of Singing Brook Farms will share her reinvestment project and management strategy 

“Your protocols are only as good as the people who are managing them. I’m very proud of the protocols and how far we’ve come in certain areas, but we have wonderful employees who care about the cows every bit as much as I do. They are excellent at following the protocols and very resilient and willing to work with our way of managing things.” -Greta

> Jared Kurtz of Kurtland Farms will share the steps his family has taken with transition planning 

“There has to be mutual respect, understanding, and a willingness to work together and not get frustrated quickly. With a family business, that can be challenging when your lives are so intertwined. Have grace with one another. At the end of the day, the goal is to have a successful, productive dairy operation that benefits everyone. That’s really what you need to have a good transition.” -Jared

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