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Farmer adjusts to COVID & commodity prices

A dairy farmer says the last year has been a series of new challenges for managing the farm. 

Patrick Maier with Maier Farms LLC is a third-generation dairy farmer working with his father and uncle to manage dairy cows near Waunakee, Wisconsin.  Maier says the COVID pandemic brought new employee precautions. “For the personnel out here, making sure our team is healthy and safe. That’s our utmost priority.”

Maier says the upward shift in both milk prices and feed costs has also made the family focus on remaining profitable. “Watching the markets, interest rates, prices of commodities. There’s a lot of things that are just changing so it’s something you really need to be dialed in.”

And Maier says part of the family’s success is because they follow their marketing plan. “It’s really hard not to let emotion play into it. You just have to stay consistent and you have a plan. Our team has put a good plan together so we just stick to it.”

Maier says his family is fortunate to be able to grow all of their own feed, which really helps keep feed costs manageable now, when commodities are selling higher than they have in years.