GREEN BAY, Wis. — More than 300 people gathered at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay on January 15 for the annual Dairy Strong conference focused on the most pressing issues and topics facing today’s dairy farmers.
A premier event for dairy farmers and agribusiness professionals in the Midwest, Dairy Strong provides attendees with the opportunity to connect, learn and grow in the dairy industry through keynote presentations, breakout sessions and networking activities.
Brett Sciotto of Idealyst Innovation, the morning’s keynote speaker, said today’s dairy farmers live in dynamic times, but the industry has a lot of opportunity.
“Dairy farmers need to be decisive and bold. You need to lead with purpose and help shape the future and not just react to it,” said Sciotto, a former U.S. intelligence officer who now applies those skills to advising the agricultural industry.
Adaptability is a key to success for dairy farmers, Sciotto said. He explained the dynamics now facing the industry are not cyclical but a fundamental transformation.
“By aligning your strategic plan, diversifying your revenue, automate recordkeeping, mitigating risk and controlling the variables you can control will help you find success,” Sciotto said.
“Uncertainty” defines just about everything happening in Washington, D.C., said Michael Torrey, president of the Torrey Advisory Group, which serves clients in the agriculture and food sector. In a policy breakout session looking at deciphering what’s going on in the nation’s capital, he said if Democrats can flip the House — they only need to gain three seats — that next year will be locked down in hearings and investigations.
As to what to expect in 2026 in Congress, Torrey said there will be a lot of retirements, people moving to other offices, redistricting issues and party unity challenges, which can make passing legislation challenging.
From a policy standpoint, 2026 issues will include trade, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), labor and the farm bill, said Cassandra Kuball, vice president with the Torrey Advisory Group.
“We’re really hoping to see something on the farm bill this year and hopefully something on agricultural labor. I know we’ve all been waiting a long time for something on comprehensive immigration reform,” she said.
Higher beef prices are providing a bright spot for dairy farmers, said Mike North, president of the producer division at Ever.Ag during a market outlook for the coming year. Since 2021, prices for cull cows have risen and while milk prices have fallen, North said “profitability doesn’t look as scary when your milk and beef prices are added together.”
As part of the market outlook, Marin Bozic, founder and CEO of Bozic, LLC, encouraged farmers to utilize Dairy Margin Coverage, commonly known as DMC. Run by the USDA, DMC helps protect dairy farmers when milk prices fall or feed costs rise.
“Risk management needs to be part of your farm’s plan. You’ll get about $10 for every buck you spend on DMC,” said Bozic, adding that livestock insurance is becoming more popular among dairy farmers, even among unborn calves.
Benchmarking plays a pivotal role for farmers as they look to see where they stand against their own prior performance, comparable farms or the industry average, said Curtis Gerrits, a senior animal ag lending specialist-lending for Compeer. Gerrits, along with Jim Moriarty, vice president of ag lending-dairy for Compeer, led a breakout session explaining how benchmarking works and how farmers can use it to their advantage.
“Benchmarking can support and sharpen your management focus,” Moriarty said. “Benchmarking is all in the details. Be consistent where you are putting the costs each time, so you don’t place a certain cost one time in one category and the next time in another category.”
Reliable, consistent data is needed, and that performance needs to be measured the same way, whether it’s per cow, per hundredweight or for the whole enterprise.
“You definitely need to know the kind of information you’re looking at when you’re looking at the numbers,” Gerrits said.
Visitors to the La Crosse-based Kwik Trip convenience stores are familiar with the sign-off employees give customers, “See you next time.” While that sounds like a way to encourage customers to return, Kwik Trip PR specialist Ben Leibl said it is also a sign of showing compassion.
“Our employees don’t really know what the people they’re serving have been through that day. Those four words create a welcoming atmosphere and show compassion,” Leibl said during an afternoon keynote address on servant leadership.
Through a series of anecdotes, Leibl shared how sharing compassion and kindness can make a real difference in someone’s day and life.
“It’s not about how much money you make. It’s about the impact you’ve made and how you made them feel,” he said. “Servant leadership is the secret to leadership success. You’ll go from ‘I have to do this’ to ‘I get to do this’ and you’re really living life as a gift, not an obligation.”
Photos:
Kwik Trip’s Ben Leibl speaking at Dairy Strong
About DBA:
The Dairy Business Association is Wisconsin’s leading dairy advocacy group, championing smart and sensible regulations affecting the dairy community. The nonprofit organization is comprised of farmers, milk processors, vendors and other business partners who work collaboratively to ensure that dairy farms of all sizes have the support they need to keep America’s Dairyland strong. More information: www.dairyforward.com.
