Milk Money was a voluntary extension program for Wisconsin dairy farms that had participation of more than 500 dairy farms between 2001 and 2007. It was developed and led by Dr. Pamela L. Ruegg of the Dept. of Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin. The program was based on motivating and empowering farmers and their local dairy advisors to work together to improve milk quality and farm profitability. Farmers developed personalized milk quality plans for their individual farm to achieve self-defined milk quality goals. Now Milk Money resources are still available for you to download and apply to your operation.
program information
Milk Money is the team-based approach to help you improve milk quality on your dairy. The most successful teams typically include you (the farm owner), your veterinarian, a representative from your milk plant and, frequently, county agents.
Establish a team leader to help coordinate meetings and handle some of the paperwork. The program is designed to last for four months allowing you the time it takes to make adjustments and see results. Most importantly, you set your goals and your priorities according to what your dairy needs.