Vince Crary, Extension Educator, Otter Tail County

February 25, 2006

The Dairy Development and Profitability Enhancement Program (better know as the Minnesota Dairy Initiative Program) is available to all dairy producers in the State of Minnesota. The program is funded as mandated by State of Minnesota law and administered through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. David Weinand is the project consultant and administers the program. The Minnesota Milk Producers Association has organized the grant application required by the Department of Agriculture.

Is this program used by dairy producers in the State of Minnesota? How does the program work? Has it been successful? Who is involved? How can a dairy producer get in touch with the right people to participate in the Dairy Initiative Program? I have been involved with two area groups that work with the Minnesota Dairy Initiative Program, so this article will focus on the efforts in the Northwest and the West Central areas of Minnesota. The program's scope and purpose is similar in all areas of the state. However, I would suggest getting in touch with the coordinator in your area to find out more specific details about the program. The coordinators names and contact information is listed at the end of this article.

In the Northwest and West Central areas, the area program coordinator meets with the dairy producer and family to put together information about their dairy business. The area program coordinator also helps the dairy producer decide on members of the team to be involved. Members of the team may include any of the following: veterinarian, lender, farm business management instructor, feed consultant, extension educator, milk company field representative, the area program coordinator, and other resource people that can help to address specific areas on the farm that need to be examined. Each member of the team signs a confidentiality agreement to protect the privacy of the dairy producer. The team visits the dairy farm and helps the producer step back and look at their dairy business. They identify areas that, if changed, could help enhance the profitability of that farm.

Some of the areas addressed on dairies include somatic cell count problems, feed questions, rations, forage questions including quality issues, milking equipment, crop management, record keeping questions including DHIA and financial, and dairy animal housing. The "compost dairy barn" is a housing alternative that has often been discussed on recent visits. The teams have also helped farm families with other issues, such as how to get started on transitioning the farm from parents to children as well as agreements between father and children that allow each to have a separate business but work together on the same farm. Wills and farm safety are also often discussed. Nevertheless, the topics addressed are different on each farm and are driven by the needs identified by the dairy producer.

In addition to working in teams with individual farm families, the Dairy Initiative Program has also organized educational programs and tours for the benefit of area dairy producers.

Has this program been successful? Absolutely, yes! The program has worked successfully with a number of dairy producers in the North West and West Central areas of the state where I have been involved. The Dairy Initiative Program helps the producer to step back and look at their dairy operation with the help and support of team members. Together, they consider changes that would improve the profitability of the dairy business. However, each dairy producer is still the owner of the business and makes the final decision on all suggestions the program team offers.

I hope all dairy producers in the state will take advantage of this program offered and funded by the State of Minnesota to help dairy families focus on and improve their dairy business. More information can be found on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture web site at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/grants/grants/diagnostics.htm. To find out more about the Minnesota Dairy Initiative Program in your area, the following coordinators can provide more information or help you get started with a dairy team:

Central MN
Sarah Roerick
1242 Aardvark Rd
Burtrum, MN 56318
320-573-2872

DPEP
Jill Zieroth
11360 Hwy 212 W
Suite #5
Cologne, MN 55322
952-466-5310

Northwest
Danie Packard
1101 Highway One East
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
218-681-0795

Southeast
Jim Fountaine or Theresa Speltz
138 West Broadway
PO Box 624
Plainview, MN 55964
507-534-1213

Southwest
Merri Post
UM Ext Pipestone Co.
Municipal Bldg
119 SW 2nd Ave Ste 2
Pipestone, MN 56164-1684
507-825-6784

West Central
Charles Erickson
34115 Co Hwy 74
Battle Lake, MN 56515
218-495-3321

West Central
Rick Olson
30,000 17th Ave. So.
Lake Park, MN.56554
218-238-5594

Sustainable Farming Assn.
Mary Jo Forbord
29731 302 St.
Starbuck, MN 56381
320-760-8732

MN Department of Agriculture
David Weinand
Project Consultant - Dairy Diagnostics
625 North Robert St.
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-201-6646
651-260-2953 - cell