Dairy Farm Business Summary: New York Large Herd Farms, 300 Cows or Larger 2010

E.B. 2011-01Dairy farmers throughout New York State have been participating in Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm Business Summary and Analysis Programs since the early 1950’s. Managers of each participating farm business receive a comprehensive summary and analysis of the farm business. Larger farms employ different technologies and management systems, and thus, achieve different efficiencies than smaller farms. This makes comparisons of a large farm’s performance to the average of farms of all sizes not as meaningful as comparing to the average of similar sized farms. This report contains a summary and analysis of dairy farms with 300 or more cows. In addition, farms are sorted into three categories for many comparisons, 300 to 599 cows, 600 to 899 cows, and 900 and more cows per farm. Farm managers should determine their business performance and then compare it with that of other similar farms. In this manner, strengths and areas for improvement can be identified. A goal that many managers set is to strive to be in the top 20 percent of farms for many of the production and financial benchmarks. Each manager should select and then revise annually the goals which their business strives to achieve