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Wisconsin farmer questions why he’s still dairying

A Wisconsin dairy farmer is beginning to question why he continues to farm.

Dan Holub milks about 200 cows in Chippewa County.

“We’re going on four years or better of this, and we’re losing equity every day. A lot of times I just wonder why we’re doing it. There’s gotta be something better.”

The Holub’s have cut costs, but he tells Brownfield there’s a limit to how deep you can go.

“We’re pretty basic on the rations, minerals and soybean meal is about it. I don’t have enough land of my own anyway, so we’ve been buying alfalfa from some of the western states. But that doesn’t come free, of course.”

Holub hopes the new risk management tools will help.  But calling those band-aids, he says what dairy farmers really need are better prices.