Cow-Side Conversations Podcast
With limited land availability on their home farms, many Pennsylvania dairy farmers are considering investing in satellite dairies. In this episode of
Cow-Side Conversations, Rod Hissong of Mercer Vu Farms in Franklin County, PA opens up about their journey to investing in a satellite dairy in Virginia – 65 miles away from their home dairy farm. He also shares their unique approach to calf management, including a group housing facility and feeding acidified milk. Rod also offers tips they’ve learned along the way about cultivating a diverse workforce and a team of dedicated employees at two locations.
Podcast Highlights: On satellite dairies: “I’d say it has made us a better business as far as profitability. You’re leveraging talent a little bit more and the same thing with equipment. It’s being utilized over two facilities. It’s the same
thing with the office. Everything gets billed through our Pennsylvania farm. It has allowed us to be more efficient with pretty much everything, which I think at the end of the day has translated into being a better business. It has also opened up opportunities for a cheaper source of feed, for example. We’re spreading that risk out.”
On cultivating a team: “We would do our yearly job reviews and give raises. Our employees were always appreciative, but some would thank me the most for giving them responsibility to make decisions. They really valued that and found it to be important. That’s something we’ve built on. They could all probably go somewhere else and make a little more money, but I think it’s all the other things: the way they’re treated and the way they’re managed. We’re recognizing that talent.”
Listen to the podcast episode
Be the first to comment