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Top dairy producer says focus on what you can control

The 2021 World Dairy Expo Dairy Producer of the Year says today’s tight dairy margins are harder for some regions than others.

Jim Ostrom is one of the partners with MilkSource.  He tells Brownfield the cost of production is up with higher commodity prices and lower milk prices, but some areas have it worse than others. “Those of us in the upper Midwest, we tend to farm more acres-per-cow than other parts of the country, so we have less feed inflation than some producers, and I know there are some parts in the southwest that are under a lot of stress.”

Ostrom says his team focuses on the things they can control. “Our focus is really on non-feed. It’s something we can control. What process, what gadget are we consuming to make milk and to take care of cows, and how can we streamline that to even save a penny per hundredweight.”

Jim Ostrom and partners John Vosters, and Todd Willer have dairies in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri plus a heifer operation in Kansas.