By Mark Parker
Operating in Volatile Times
Matt Lamb
Dairying is a lot easier today than it was in
1971 when Matt Lamb’s parents moved from
New York to the farm he operates today near
Seymour.
And, it’s a lot harder.
“Physically, dairying is easier than
it used to be but mentally, it’s a lot more
difficult,” he explains. “It’s an extremely
volatile marketplace. Dealing with a price
drop from $26 to $14 per hundredweight in
a matter of months makes it pretty tough to
plan.”
In partnership with his mother,
Helen, he milks about 100 Holsteins in a
semi-confinement setting with a double-six
herringbone parlor. Lamb gets help from his
niece, Alyssa Mackey, who is a recent Missouri
State University animal science graduate, and
an Amish neighbor and farmer who handles most of the milking.
That leaves plenty to do for Lamb, though. He raises all the feed for the cows and sells a little alfalfa silage and corn
silage and does some custom baling for neighboring Amish farmers. Soybeans are grown as a rotation and cash crop. All the
manure from the dairy goes on the crop ground.
Male calves are grown up to 800-900 pounds and sold. Heifers are kept as potential dairy herd replacements. Lamb
uses artificial insemination to infuse the best genetics but a lifetime in the dairy business has taught him that it’s about more
than just putting the milkers on good cows.
“We pay a lot of attention to butterfat and longevity traits when we choose a sire but once you’ve developed a good herd,
it really comes down to getting your nutrition right and keeping the cows comfortable,” he says.
In an effort to iron out some of the price volatility he faces, Lamb is involved with Dairymen’s Marketing Cooperative
(DMCI) based in Mountain Grove. The co-op is getting ready to process milk, and Lamb believes it will help stabilize his
marketing position.
For the credit side of the business, Lamb has been relying on FCS Financial for all his professional life.
“If I need something, I call Roger Ash (vice president in Lebanon office),” Lamb says. “He’s great to work with and he
understands the business. Limiting debt is part of my business plan but having access to dependable credit is important,
especially in this volatile market place.”
Having people, and a financial organization, who understand the nature of milking cows for a living in today’s dairy
industry, is an integral part of a business plan, Lamb concludes.