Dairy Feed: A New Cash Crop
2006
- UW-Extension
Project Media
Cash grain producers generally sell their grown commodities through traditional marketing outlets that set a price for delivery or allow the grower to take advantage of various price risk marketing tools (forward contracts, options, etc.). Occasionally, a neighboring dairy producer may be in need of additional feed because of a less than optimum growing season. This has often resulted in a transaction between farms for high moisture corn or corn silage. It’s the classic example of neighbor helping neighbor and has been a long tradition among Wisconsin farmers. So in one sense the thought of selling crops to provide feed for a nearby dairy farm is nothing new. What is relatively new, and becoming more commonplace, is a long-term arrangement between farms to supply feed (generally forage as corn silage and/or alfalfa).