Dairy
Dairy Skills: Calf and Heifer Health
Featured Articles
Optimize Your Business
This all-in-one dairy knowledge hub offers comprehensive resources on dairy farming and operations from Penn State Extension experts. Find our practical advice and insights on dairy cattle nutrition, breeding, herd management, and quality milk production. Find tools for dairy business management, marketing, and more.
The Dairy Industry
Pennsylvania ranks 7th nationally in total milk production, with nearly 520,000 cows producing more than 10.6 billion pounds of milk annually. The industry supports 52,000 jobs and contributes $14.7 billion to the state's economy, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
The state has the second largest number of dairy farms nationally, with more dairy farms than every other state except Wisconsin. And yet, the number of Pennsylvania dairy farms is declining, due to challenging market conditions. Implementing best management practices and modernization are key for sustaining dairy production and profitability.
Make the best of use Penn State Extension expertise and resources to optimize your dairy operations and efficiency. Here you will find information, tools, and resources on all aspects of dairy production – from planning and business management, to dairy herd health, nutrition, and reproduction management.
We are regularly publishing Dairy Outlook information to help dairy producers keep up with current market trends. The Dairy Sense series is also a useful resource for various business management topics.
Dairy Farming and Operations
Dairy sustainability depends on the producers’ ability to manage and combine farm profitability factors with their responsibility of protecting human health, animal health and welfare, and the environment. Access to knowledge and tools helps dairy farmers make better decisions on what to feed their cattle for milk production, how to keep their livestock healthy and comfortable, and what herd management and cattle breeding methods to implement.
Use Penn State Extension’s best practices and information on Best Milking Practices, On-Farm Milk Culturing for Mastitis Control, Dairy Cattle Nutrition, and Dairy Health and Biosecurity Manual.
The resources in this section are provided to help dairy business owners improve their product, increase their efficiency, and maximize their profits. You will find information and tools to utilize in your daily business management as well as opportunities to connect with other professionals and dairy experts.
Starting a Dairy Farm
If you are new to dairy operation, you’ll also find useful insights in this section. Look up our dairy farm starting guide and begin working on your business plan. Explore resources on dairy rental and sharemilk agreements, value-added dairy products, or this dairy job description generator.
For more information on business tools for profitability, calculating feed prices and income, understanding the farm bill, and marketing in the milk industry, see the Dairy Farm Business Management section.
Penn State Extension Dairy Team is helping producers make informed decisions and implement solutions to improve milk quality, dairy farm profitability, and operational efficiency. They provide support for dairy farmers across the state of Pennsylvania and beyond.