A diagnostic program could help Freeborn County dairy producers fine-tune their operations and boost their profits, but few are taking advantage of the opportunity, experts say.

Friday, March 16, 2001

A diagnostic program could help Freeborn County dairy producers fine-tune their operations and boost their profits, but few are taking advantage of the opportunity, experts say.

The Dairy Diagnostics and Modernization program began in 1997 to help small and medium-sized producers identify ways to improve their operations, making them more profitable, said Minnesota Milk Producers Association representative Bob Lefebvre.

For a $200 enrollment fee, staff will help producers assemble a team of people involved in the farm’s operation to identify areas for improvement and make suggestions.

Enrollees can expect to get about $2,000 in benefits from the program, said Vic Richardson, Dean of Management Education for Riverland Community College. But other benefits are not as easily measured.

&uot;Attitude-wise, they feel they have the information they need to make the operation go the direction they want it to go,&uot; Richardson said.

Teams usually have about four to eight people and can include the lender, veterinarian, equipment supplier, nutritionist, extension agent, and others, said Kendall Langseth, University of Minnesota Extension Educator.

&uot;The team identifies weak links in the farming system, to shore it up, that don’t really cost anything,&uot; Richardson said. &uot;It’s just a matter of doing things differently.&uot;

The group makes suggestions about herd health, milk quality or quantity, or anything else that would improve their bottom line, but the farmer decides whether to implement the practices, Langseth said.

&uot;The information is confidential,&uot; he said. &uot;The information is there for the farmer’s benefit and it’s his information, not the group’s information.&uot;

Few Freeborn County dairy producers have participated in the program, but almost a quarter of dairy producers have statewide, Lefebvre said. None of the 578 farmers currently enrolled are from Freeborn County.

Some farmers may be reluctant to hold their operation up for the scrutiny of their lender or veterinarian, he said.

&uot;Because when you have people on your farm, you’re like an open book and it can be hard to take criticism,&uot; he said. &uot;But once that initial apprehension is gone, the producer makes changes and they see the benefit.&uot;

For more information on the Dairy Diagnostics program, call Vic Richards at 507-433-0619, or Kendall Langseth at 377-5660.