Mega Dairies

Friday, January 26, 2007
Contributed by: Alan Rhodes

The 5 to 10 inch snow most of the Texas Panhandle received on January 20 and 21, was this winter's fourth storm. As a crop farmer, the snow came without any wind and will be a great help for our moisture profile for the 2007 crop year. The dairy farmers in open lot facilities look on the cold and the moisture a little differently, no doubt.

The snow reminded me of November 2, 2004. On that day I struggled to make the trip from Amarillo to Lubbock because of a similar storm (although the November 2004 storm included a strong wind). My November 2004 drive was a "no choice" trip because of my presentation at a dairy lending seminar. The seminar was being hosted by the Farm Credit Bank of Texas.

As the normal Amarillo to Lubbock two-hour trip turned into a five-hour trip, I feared for cows that were to be delivered to a dairy near Hart, Texas on that day. It was a tough day for first milk.

If you're considering a dairy farm in the Texas Panhandle or Southwest Kansas, it's best to remember that Halloween snow storms are unusual, but possible. As for the 2004 seminar, I mentioned "mega-dairies" in my presentation and received many questions when I suggested that we'd have a number of 7,500 to 10,000 cow dairies. As of this writing, we are beginning to re-define "small facility." I guess 2,400 cows is now a small facility.

This column is published for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney client relationship. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author's law firm or its individual partners.