We profile another keynote speaker whose presentations and workshops
will be eagerly anticipated by delegates, keen to learn how to improve their
business efficiency, at November’s TotalDairy Conference.
Profitability requires a broad-spectrum approach, but running a successful business that can achieve this comes down to data. So says US-based dairy consultant turned dairy business CEO Greg Bethard, who will feature as a keynote speaker at this year’s TotalDairy Conference.
“Business characteristics – the cows, the system, the quality of husbandry and the attitude of the people managing the unit – are wide and varied both in the UK and around the world. Yet different systems and setups can all be profitable and sustainable, if producers have access to good financial figures and know how to use them to improve economic performance,” he explains.
Mr Bethard is a former dairy consultant turned producer and is now managing partner and CEO of a large US-based dairy unit – High Plains Ponderosa Dairy, in Kansas.
“I enjoyed my consultancy work – it was good to visit other dairy units and help producers to ‘trouble-shoot’ and improve their businesses. It was also interesting for me to see how other units, regardless of size or system, could thrive with the correct management in place,” says Mr Bethard.
Time out
“But I gave up much of that in 2019 – there was simply too much to do on our own unit. But I still take time out to visit other units. It’s important to stay in touch with what’s going on away from your own herd and business. I enjoy learning, and speaking at conferences and events not only allows me to support and interact with other producers and dairy businesses – in the US and abroad – but it keeps me grounded and ‘fresh’ too.”
Mr Bethard will hold two workshops at TotalDairy Conference 2024 and he says that these will be ‘a deeper dive into his subject compared with his usual, more formal, presentations.
Deep dive: presentations and workshops offer opportunities for discussion
“I’m looking forward to these sessions. The workshops are smaller than the more formal presentations – and more interactive. We share our thoughts and experiences, and we learn a lot from each other.”
He certainly has a passion for dairying, which is visible in the success of his own business, but it is also reflected in his commitment to the other herds he’s worked with during the past few decades. So what’s the key to long-term sustainability and dairy-business success? “Information,” he says. “Information is king.”
It’s all down to knowing what’s behind the cost per litre. “Looking at the business on a cost-per-litre-of-milk-sold basis really opens things up. It cuts through the distractions and perceived barriers that some producers and businesses put up, albeit subconsciously.”
And, he’s keen to stress, that it’s not about size. “Yes, we have a large herd in Kansas, but there’s a lot of land here. And we run a business model that suits our climate and cows, and a system that is geared to meet our objectives. Every dairy herd and business is different, but the cornerstones for success remain the same.
Good figures
“It’s important to work with the resources available. Setting up and managing a dairy business like ours on a grazingbased unit in Wales simply wouldn’t work. And vice versa. But both can be just as viable, profitable and successful. “Every dairy – even those in the same county or literally just a few miles away from each other – will be different.
“Yet there are thousands of profitable and sustainable dairying businesses being run successfully around the globe.” But they all need a good set of figures. “Many dairy businesses – even those running large herds – just don’t have decent financial information to hand. Without this, how is it possible to dig down into costs and look at where savings and efficiencies can be made? And how can a business look to maximise output and spread its costs. Maximising output, whatever the system, will reduce or ‘dilute’ fixed costs. “Also, without good figures, businesses have no way to gauge true performance and where improvements could and should be made,” he adds.
Using meaningful data to monitor improvements and see the effects of any changes works across all systems and setups – wherever they are in the world. “I’ve visited and consulted on units in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US. And the same applies. Producers have to figure out what works well with the resources they have – and what doesn’t. Where does their comparative advantage lie and how can they exploit this?”
Different systems
The low-cost grazing systems adopted in New Zealand and Ireland are an extreme example. It’s perfect for a temperate grass-growing environment, but if imported to the US, then it would fail. “It’s not a case of one size fits all, which is why, even after all my years working in the industry, I still find it fascinating,” says Mr Bethard.
Always keen to learn more, he’s planning a trip to Ireland during his visit to the UK. “I’m taking in a couple of dairy units there, and three or four in England too. They’ll be very different to US businesses in terms of system type. But those that are surviving, thriving and economically sustainable are more alike than many realise. I’m hoping my presentations and workshops go some way to explaining why this is and opening delegates’ eyes to the opportunities that they’ve yet to exploit.”
Speaker biography
Greg Bethard studied at Virginia Tech, graduating with degrees in dairy nutrition and management. He has spent his entire career in the industry.
Greg has served at New Mexico State University and North Carolina State University, and has worked as a technical services specialist for Monsanto Dairy Business. Between 2000 to 2014, Greg and his wife Rachel operated G&R Dairy Consulting, an international business. Greg consulted with dairy producers and allied industries throughout the US and around the globe, working in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
He spent a few years in Wisconsin, serving as CFO for the Pagel Family Businesses in Kewaunee, WI from 2014 to 2016. In 2017 Greg moved to Kansas and realised his lifelong dream of becoming a dairyman. Since 2017 he has been managing partner in High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Kansas.
Greg Bethard’s sessions
Presentations (followed by Q&A sessions)
● Future-proofing farm profits
● Making herd data pay
Workshops (interactive sessions with questions throughout)
● Making variable costs add up
● Plotting a path to profitability
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www. totaldairy.com/tickets. Keep an eye on social media and TotalDairy Conference’s website for more speaker announcements, or sign up to the event’s mailing list to stay up to date with the latest conference news. For more information visit: www.totaldairy.com
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