Dairy Farm Business Summary: Intensive Grazing Farms New York 1996

Abstract

Dairy farm managers throughout New York State have been participating in Cornell Cooperative Extension's farm business summary and analysIs program since the early 1950's. Managers of each participating farm business receive a comprehensive summary and analysis of the farm business. The farms induded in the study are a subset of New York State farms participating in the Dairy Farm Business Summary (DFBS) Seventy-six farms indicated that they grazed dairy cows at least three months and moved to a fresh paddock at least every three days. Operators of these 76 farms were asked to complete a grazing practices survey. Forty-three of the farms did complete it The investigators chose to eliminate from the study those farms which owned no real estate and farms where less than 30 percent of the forage consumed by the cows during the grazing season was from grazrng. Of the 59 remaining farms, surveys were obtained from 41. The investigators had special interest in practices used on farms with above average profitability. Therefore the study centered on 30 farms which were not first year grazers and on which at least 40 percent of forage consumed during the grazing season was grazed. These 30 farms were divided on the basis of net farm income (without apprecIation) per cow above and below $390 which was the average for all farms partiCipating in DFBS. Twenty-one farms with net farm income per cow above $390 are in tIle "More Profitable" group and nine farms with net farm income per cow below $390 comprise the "Less Profitable" group. The primary objective of the dairy farm business summary, DFBS, is to help farm managers improve the business and financial management of their business through appropriate use of historical farm data and the application of modern farm business analysis techniques. This information can also be used to establish goals that will enable the business to better meet its objectives, In short, DFBS provides business and financial information needed in identifying and evaluating strengths and weaknesses of the farm business.