I was going to bump this
thread but since it's in the archives I'll start a new one.
Anyway, I've made it 9 years milking cows since that thread describing my economic plight. But this year is different. I've pretty much decided on selling all the cows. That's over 1000 living and breathing animals I'm going to be looking to find new homes. Thankfully, I have two friends that are adding capacity and are looking to buy a good chunk of what I have. I know my girls will do just great for these guys.
Why, you ask? It's pretty simple. The dairy farm model I've been working with is very quickly becoming unsustainable and not competitive. I'm staring at some absolutely massive losses this year. Everybody out there is. But when I look at the future, I just don't see the way I'm operating now as being efficient enough to survive.
So what next? I'm looking forward to taking a breather. This isn't bankruptcy. It's a choice where I'm reading the tea leaves and getting out while I still have the shirt on my back. I don't think I'm completely done with milking cows. I plan on investigating putting up a robotic milking facility and starting back up in a year or two. As much as I value my 13 employees, the fact is that when performing a tedious task like milking a cow that still requires precision and diligence, humans suck. Automation is the future. With robotic milkers, I could probably run a farm my size with five people compared to the 13 I currently have.
Of course if I can't come up with a budget that makes robots work, it'll be time for me to find a new career. Anybody else reinvented themselves in their mid 30s?