A dairy business consultant tells Brownfield many family farmers need to change their way of thinking to keep their farm and family profitable.  Dr. Thomas Fuhrmann with DairyWorks Management System says, “‘Dairying is a way of life’ is poor business, but dairying as a business can provide a really good way of life.”

Fuhrmann says the family farm is a business first, starting with managing farm workers.  “We cannot underestimate the need for today’s dairymen to improve your ability to manage your people.”

 He tells Brownfield written protocols such as how to prepare the cow, how to milk, how to mix feed, how to take care of colostrum are things that can be trained and monitored.

 Fuhrmann also says farmers should not let the stress and the down economy take them away from good management practices, and to stay positive.  “If we let the current dairy economy get us down, it’s going to cloud the opportunities that are really out there.  It’s a battle to tell yourself to stay optimistic, but there are better times ahead.  This dairy business is cyclical and it’s going to come.”

 Fuhrmann spoke to Brownfield after his seminar on data and key performance indicators at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.