EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND JOB SATISFACTION ON DAIRY FARMS IN THE NORTHEAST

Economies of size have translated into much larger herd sizes and, therefore, employee bases on dairy farms throughout the Northeast. These non-family employees present managerial issues many farm managers are not accustomed to. This research quantifies and illustrates the internal pay structure and enumerates that current employee satisfaction levels present on the farms of members of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA).Human Resource Management, Compensation, Satisfaction, Labor and Human Capital,

Dairy Farm Management Business Summary New York State 2015

R.B. 2016-01Business and financial records for 2015 from 168 New York dairy farm businesses are summarized and analyzed. This analysis uses cash accounting with accrual adjustments to measure farm profitability, financial performance, and costs of producing milk. Traditional methods of analyzing dairy farm businesses are combined with evaluation techniques that show the relationship between good management performance and financial success. The farms in the project averaged 761 cows per farm and 25,461 pounds of milk sold per cow, which represent above average size and cow productivity for New York dairy farms. An average New York dairy has a herd size per farm of 128 according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. The New York Agricultural Statistics Service reports 22,816 pounds of milk production per cow for New York. Net farm income excluding appreciation, which is the return to the operator's labor, management, capital, and other unpaid family labor, averaged $179,118 per farm. The rate of return to all capital invested in the farm business including appreciation averaged 3.85 percent. Differences in profitability between farms continue to widen. Average net farm income excluding appreciation of the top 10 percent of farms was$764,219, while the lowest 10 percent was $-140,931. Rates of return on equity with appreciation ranged from positive 11 percent to negative 6 percent for the highest decile and the lowest decile of farms, respectively. Large freestall farms averaged the highest milk output per cow and per worker, and the lowest total cost of production. In 2015 the mid sized farms, ranging from 201 to 500 cows, averaged the highest returns to labor, management and capital. Farms milking three times a day (3X) were larger, produced more milk per cow and had higher net farm incomes in 2015 than herds milking two times per day (2X). Operating costs per hundredweight of milk were$0.32 per hundredweight lower for 3X than 2X milking herds, while output per cow was 4,809 pounds higher. Farms adopting intensive grazing generally produced less milk per cow than non-grazing farms; in 2015 however they averaged higher labor and management incomes per operator than similar sized non-grazing farms. One should not conclude that adoption of these technologies alone were responsible for differences in performance

Constraining Phosphorus in Surface Waters of the New York City Watershed: Dairy Farm Resource Use and Profitability

The New York City Watershed Agricultural Program seeks to reduce the potential for phosphorus movement from farms to surface waters. A "phosphorus index for site evaluation" (P-index) provides planners in the New York City Watershed Agricultural Program with a tool for identifying individual farm business, phosphorus related problems, and evaluating solutions. A linear programming model is employed to examine dairy farm resource use and profitability, with the P-index used to impose phosphorus movement constraints. Results indicate dramatic differences in farm resource use and farm business profitability depending on the level of the P-index. Small changes in the target index level result in large shifts in optimal resource use and business profitability. These differences illustrate that restrictions on phosphorus movement from land to surface waters potentially have major impacts on resource use and farm profitability in the New York City Watershed

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A Guide to Processing Dairy Farm Business Summaries in County and Regional Extension Offices

E.B. 97-02This publication is a guide to using the Microcomputer Dairy Farm Business Summary (Micro DFBS) computer program for analyzing the financial and production performance of individual dairy farm businesses. County Cooperative Extension agents and regional specialists are the intended audience, however, college faculty in other states may also find this publication of value. Farm business summary and analysis projects have long been a basic part of the agricultural Extension program in New York State. Records submitted by New York State dairy farmers provide. the basis for many Extension educational programs and the data for applied research studies and classroom teaching

A Guide to Processing Dairy Farm Business Summaries in County and Regional Extension Offices

E.B. 97-02This publication is a guide to using the Microcomputer Dairy Farm Business Summary (Micro DFBS) computer program for analyzing the financial and production performance of individual dairy farm businesses. County Cooperative Extension agents and regional specialists are the intended audience, however, college faculty in other states may also find this publication of value. Farm business summary and analysis projects have long been a basic part of the agricultural Extension program in New York State. Records submitted by New York State dairy farmers provide. the basis for many Extension educational programs and the data for applied research studies and classroom teaching

Dairy Farm Business Summary: Central New York and Central Plain Regions 1992

A.E. Ext. 93-08Dairy farmers throughout New York State have been participating in Cornell Cooperative Extension's farm business summary and analysis program since the early 1950's. Managers of each participating farm business receive a comprehensive summary and analysis of the farm business. The information in this report represents an average of the data submitted from dairy farms in the Central New York and Central Plain Regions for 1992

Dairy Farm Business Summary: Western and Central Plateau Region 1997

E.B. 98-09Dairy farm managers throughout New York State have been participating in Cornell Cooperative Extension's farm business summary and analysis program since the early 1950's. Managers of each participating farm business receive a comprehensive summary and analysis of their farm business. The information in this report represents averages of the data submitted from dairy farms in the Western and Central Plateau Region for 1997

Dairy Farm Business Summary: Western and Central Plain Region 1995

E.B. 96-06Dairy farmers throughout New York State have been participating in Cornell Cooperative Extension's farm business summary and analysis program since the early 1950's. Managers of each participating farm business receive a comprehensive summary and analysis of the farm business. The information in this report represents an average of the data submitted from dairy farms in the Western and Central Plain Region for 1995

Dairy Farm Business Summary: Central Valleys Region 1997

E.B. 98-12Dairy farm managers throughout New York State have been participating in Cornell Cooperative Extension's farm business summary and analysis program since the early 1950's. Managers of each participating farm business receive a comprehensive summary and analysis of their farm business. The information in this report represents averages of the data submitted from dairy farms in the Central Valleys Region for 1997