Ferme des Étangs has seen a lot of changes in recent years, but dairy farmer Samuel Grégoire has managed to keep his herd’s performance highly consistent through it all. With the help of his Uniag Cooperative agri-advisor, Kim Lamoureux, he’s keeping his eyes on the prize: profitability and work‑life balance.

“Samuel runs a tight ship,” says Kim. “He stays in control, sees things coming, and is always prepared.”

Crossbred calves sell at such a high price that it can become sorely tempting to overproduce them. Here are some things to consider if you want to make the most profitable decisions for your dairy herd.

First and foremost, it’s important to know that US dairy production is in a unique situation right now:

• Cattle numbers in the US are at their lowest in over 70 years.

Dairy farmer Alexandre Bernier can’t say enough good things about Jessica Dallaire. He considers the Nutrinor Coopérative agronomist and ruminant agri-advisor part of the family, saying her support was one of the main reasons his farm was so successful in transitioning to robotic milking.

Diligence. That’s what drives the team at Ferme 7 Terres in Saint-Sévère, Mauricie. And as the dairy farm’s co-owner, Philippe Lacerte expects no less from Mathieu Champagne, his ruminant agri-advisor at Novago Coopérative.

“I come to this farm often, and every time, I see somebody cleaning!” Mathieu says with a laugh.

At Ferme Janoel, agri-advisor Samuel Pelletier and dairy farmer Keven Malenfant are working together to get the farm up to 2 kg of butterfat per cow per day—without adding stalls. They’re sure they can do it, and they know attention to detail is key.

Ferme Janoel is a tie-stall dairy farm in Saint-Arsène in the Bas-Saint-Laurent. Keven Malenfant took it over from his father in 2013, with a modest quota of 42 kg. Many investments later, he’s proud to let the numbers speak for themselves:

• 140 kg quota

Corn silage is a staple feed for most dairy herds, so it’s important to make sure it’s the best quality possible. Here are five questions to ask yourself when getting ready for your corn silage harvest, with technological tools and sustainable agriculture expert Élise Gagnon and sales support advisor Raoul Ruel.

Camille Beauchemin and Dany Courchesne have only been working together at Ferme N.C.L. for a few months, but they were teammates long before that—on a dek hockey team. Now, they’re aiming for a new kind of goal: top herd performance.

Dany took up the farming lifestyle in 2017, after his father, Normand, decided to hang up his skates—or at least slow down. Today, Dany owns 50% of the company’s shares and is in charge of dairy, while his father tends to the fields.

“What I like most about Marie‑Pier is that you can tell she’s working for us, for our farm.” That’s what farmer Alexandre Vermette has to say about Marie‑Pier Coulombe, his Agiska Coopérative crop agri‑advisor. What they’ve built is much more than a simple business relationship—it’s a real partnership.

With the recent news of the 1% quota allocation starting in September and the incentive days currently permitted, milk producers can earn additional income. Here are some best practices for filling them to make the most of this extra source of revenue for your farm.

“Incentive days are money on the table. You want to try not to leave it lying there,” says Nicolas Marquis, professional technologist and technical and financial expert at Sollio Agriculture.

Dairy farmers often face a dilemma when it comes  to increasing productivity or reducing GHG emissions. But there’s one thing you can do to help with both: work on your forage quality. And Sollio Agriculture’s agri-advisors, and livestock and crop production specialists are there to help you make it happen.