Transition My Dairy
The Center wants to help you transition your dairy operation so that it remains in dairy. The Center’s Dairy Incubator (link to Dairy Incubator fact sheet PDF) project was established to provide opportunities for beginning dairy producers to lease existing dairy facilities and build their equity before purchasing their own dairy farms. If you are a beginning dairy producer and would like help in finding an existing dairy facility to lease in Pennsylvania, click here. If you have a dairy facility that is currently not being utilized and would like to make it available for a young producer to lease, click here.
Succession Planning Teams
The Center for Farm Transitions and the Center for Dairy Excellence have collaborated to establish Succession Planning Teams for farms transitioning their business in the next 5 - 10 years. Funding and support is available. Click here for more details.
Capital Dairy
“Capital Dairy” in Harrisburg, Pa., is one shining example of how the Dairy Incubator project is working. The facility, originally a state hospital farm located in Susquehanna Township, is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The facility was renovated in 2006 to include the latest in cow comfort and milking equipment. By updating the barn and facilities, PDA, with the assistance of the Center, gave an opportunity for an eager young dairy farm family to get started in the dairy business.
The barn was built in the early 1930s and has 76 head-to-head stalls with gutter grates and three maternity pens. The facility has housing for dry cows and heifer calves until they are weaned at two months of age.
Andrew Laudenklos, a dairy producer, and his wife Mary Rose, with their two sons, have 76 head of registered Holsteins and one crossbred at the “Capital Dairy” facility. They will rent the barn from PDA for the next three to five years to build equity and establish their herd and business, with the hopes of one day being able to move into their own operation. Andy has worked on dairies in California, Wisconsin, Maryland and Pennsylvania before operating his own dairy.
Other Resources:
The Center for Farm Transitions was initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to provide a one-stop source of information and services to dairy farmers who are in a transition. Through the Center for Farm Transitions, each farmer will receive information, referrals and consultations regarding his or her distinct situation.
Pennsylvania Farm Link is a non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of "creating farming opportunities for the next generation.” Their web site provides documents and information to aid in transitioning farms to the next generation or getting started into farming.