Business Management
Solid business management skills are essential as the dairy cattle industry grows more competitive, complex, and challenging. Dairy producers will find information and tools to utilize in their daily routines, as well as opportunities to connect with other professionals and dairy experts. Find resources for running a dairy operation – from market trends and insights to resources management, dairy herd metrics, record-keeping, and cash-flow planning.
Dairy Farm Management
While raising cattle and managing dairy production, dairy farm owners and managers need to also stay informed and adapt to changing variables such as cattle feed prices, dairy market trends, and regulations.
In this section, you can access many other Penn State Extension resources on dairy farm management, such as our milk production record book to monitor herd productivity, and feeding records for monitoring feed intakes and forage dry matters.
Information is also available for entrepreneurial dairy producers interested in value-added dairy products, such as cheese, butter, and yogurt. From resource planning and management to production, marketing, they can access a variety of all Penn State Extension insights on value-added dairy production.
Tools and Apps for Dairy Producers
Useful tools for dairy producers are also featured in this section, such as the Penn State Dairy Herd Metrics mobile application and the Milk Production and Feeding Records app.
Calculation tools allow producers to get a clearer picture of their dairy expenses and income and how they relate to other farm expenses. Such useful tools are the Farm Margin mobile application for calculating a dairy's break-even cost of production, the DairyCents Mobile App for income over feed costs, and the CropCents Mobile App for actual costs to produce home-raised feeds.
Dairy producers can also find records management systems for determining the actual costs of raising replacement heifers, colostrum management, metrics for monitoring culling strategies, protein and phosphorus monitoring, and many more.
Risk Management for Dairy Producers
Risk management for dairy producers accounts for volatility in milk markets, farm costs, and other factors, so that an unforeseen setback does not cost you your business.
Make the best of Penn State Extension resources on managing risk for dairy operations. Topics include managing income over feed costs, tracking milk prices and feed costs, using milk futures to lock in profitability, risk management for reproduction programs, dairy margin coverage, as well as many others. In addition to these, you could see how to use the USDA Risk Management Checklist to develop or assess your risk management plan.
Dairy Farm Finances and Market Trends
A profitable dairy farm is sustained by adept business and financial management. Dairy producers are constantly monitoring production costs and staying informed of market trends and impending regulations.
Here you can find numerous resources to keep up with market information and help your business stay profitable. Penn State Extension is regularly publishing Dairy Outlook information with current market trends. The Dairy Sense series is also a useful resource for various business management topics.
In addition, producers can find advice and tools for dairy finances, such as these five steps to monitor the financial health of a dairy business. Tips on cash flow management are also available, and you can download our annual cash flow tool to identify cash inflows/outflows for the dairy enterprise.
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ArticlesTake a Bite Out of Those Dairy Losses
Managers can look at mortality numbers, feed shrink, and inventories of supplies to determine if changes could reduce these steady drains on profitability. -
ArticlesSteering Your Dairy Day-to-Day to Avoid the "Drift"
A subtle but steady "procedural drift" away from consistency can cost dollars and cents. -
Tools and AppsGoal-Setting Worksheet
Goal-setting worksheet to help outline specific goals for a dairy advisory team with an example -
ArticlesWant to be a Better Leader? Work on Your Communication Skills
Whether it's your farm business or a community organization, being able to effectively communicate is a key aspect of leadership. -
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ArticlesCover Crops, Double Crops, and Cost Considerations
The use of cover crops can result in multiple environmental and soil health benefits, further sustainable intensification by utilizing those cover crops in a double cropping system may provide an additional economic benefit to dairies. -
ArticlesAre You Hiring the Right People at Your Dairy?
Job descriptions provide the foundation for building strong human resource management practices into the day-to-day management of a dairy farm business. -
ArticlesDairy Heifer Contracting Fundamentals
Understanding the importance and components of a written contract is essential for custom heifer growers and for dairy producers using these services. -
ArticlesFAQ on EID: Electronic Identification for Dairy Calves
This article summarizes recent updates to the USDA's Animal Disease Traceability rule and how this rule applies to non-replacement dairy calves. -
NewsWeir Joins Penn State Faculty
Date Posted 11/4/2025Dr. Becca Weir has joined the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education as an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics. -
ArticlesDo Your Cows Know How You Feel About Them?
Handling, transportation, environment, feed, interactions with other animals, and interactions with humans can stress cattle. Do our attitudes influence factors that can affect profitability? -
ArticlesIs Your Farm Right For Value-Added Dairy?
Is your farm up to meeting the demands on production and labor of a value-added operation while conveying a consumer-friendly farm image? Here are some points to consider when evaluating your farm. -
ArticlesAssembling a Team to Explore a Value-Added Dairy Enterprise
If you are considering a value-added dairy foods business, a useful approach for gathering information and making an informed decision may be to consider forming a profit team. -
ArticlesHeifer Economics
Heifers are an important investment in the future of successful dairy operations. -
ArticlesHave Your Cows Repaid their Debts?
Farm owners and managers should evaluate their culling decisions to determine when cows are leaving the herd and for what reasons. -
ArticlesGoals: Review, Reset, and Reflect
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result-Oriented and Timed) goals provide clarity and accountability. -
ArticlesWhat's Old Is New Again: Records Never Go Out of Style
An adventure in cleaning out old file cabinets yields financial record keeping advice that has stood the test of time. -
ArticlesThe "Forgotten" Year End Task
Quarterly meetings with your accountant can help reduce stress, save money and plan for long-term financial strategies. -
ArticlesSimplify Your Financial Records Process
There is great potential in using software to help manage and decipher a business' financial data. There are key concepts agricultural businesses can consider to simplify the process. -
VideosEvaluating and Conditioning Cull Cattle for Market
Length 3:40Video will help the viewer evaluate a cow's readiness for market, and show helpful steps to ensure that she is properly conditioned for the transition to market -
ArticlesWorking through Tough Times: Dairy Breakevens
Tough times are a great time to make sure breakeven prices for a dairy operation are well understood to help with decision-making. Here is how to get started. -
ArticlesDairy Sense: A Strong Forage Foundation Begins with a Good VFA Profile
Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA) profiles can help guide dry matter intake and minimize animal health issues. -
Tools and AppsCosts to Raise Replacement Heifers: Template
This example shows how to complete the Costs to Raise Replacement Heifers spreadsheet and uses data from Penn State research. -
Tools and AppsCosts to Raise Replacement Heifers: Spreadsheet
A tool to determine the actual costs of raising heifers on any dairy operation -
ArticlesDairy Cropping System Project – Forage Quality and Quantity, Part I
A two-part series, Extension Educators evaluated a Sustainable Dairy Cropping System. Part I covers forage quality and quantity. Part II examines the financial analysis.
