11/04/2020
Co-owning equipment with neighboring farms often allows you to have access to automation and new technologies that make your business more efficient and profitable.
This undertaking does not have to be complicated. It is based upon the premise that many dairy farms just will not get sufficient man-hours out of an expenditure if they shoulder the entire purchase burden by themselves. Some creative thinking with respect to sharing the costs can put a lot more options within reach.
Many of these co-owning endeavors involve big equipment (i.e. Vertical tillage machines, forage equipment, a combine, etc).
You can also consider putting together some small analytical equipment (milk analyzer, somatic cell counter, etc). The cost there could be split much more easily. A time schedule for ‘sharing’ just needs to be drafted. Every farm would be responsible for their own test supplies. Tools for improved herd management will help everyone involved.
Many of The P&P analytical instruments are basically portable, so it would just mean dropping by for a cup of coffee and switching equipment around.
Read More Below!