Welcome to Chronologic Planning Tool(CPT)...

A highly endorsed, chronological approach to expansion, for ALL dairy farmers.

Expansion Seems Inevitable...

Today many dairy farmers are looking at what is happening in the industry, and on the land around them. Thirty years ago, the dairy herd of 90 cows was considered a large operation. Today it is a relatively small dairy. Many feel there is still good income potential in dairying, but for most operators, larger farms are inevitable. A widespread view is that if you want to stay in dairy farming to support yourself, your family and your employees, you will likely continue to grow. The challenge lies in successful risk reduction during the expansion process.

Growth means either a major expansion of your existing operation, or an entirely new dairy operation. With research, you can fi nd information resources to help you in many of the various steps of planning. But until now, there has not been a single comprehensive step-by-step guide for the dairy operator who is looking to expand. Today, that important tool is finally available in what DeLaval has named “Chronologic Planning Tool”.

DeLaval Has a Program to Help...

DeLaval has developed a planning program that includes resources to support you with addressing the complexities related to the expansion process. With this tool, the dairy farm operator can follow a chronological process from initial planning through an evaluation of the necessary resources, financial structuring, succession planning, facility design and engineering, construction planning, and project execution. We call this program CPT, in recognition that historically DeLaval offered extensive support in one primary area of the dairy farm - milking systems; an essential and complex topic, but a relatively small percentage of all things involved (10%) when planning a major expansion or building new. Typically, dairy farms were designed from the milking facility out to the manure system. Perhaps it makes mores sense to design from the nutrient management system (manure) back to the parlor. CPT offers support in the remainder of the process (90%). We know that if you can succeed in the startup or expansion process, DeLaval will benefit along with you.

Need to Make Decisions in the Right Order...

This kind of planning support is essential because the stages of a large dairy farm initiation or growth plan should be sequential and done in the right order to minimize cost and increase performance opportunities. Professionals involved in a successful dairy project include land use planners, regulators, bankers, insurance specialists, surveyors, realtors, engineers, fi nancial consultants, suppliers, veterinarians, contractors, human resource specialists - and of course YOU. There are right times and wrong times for each professional to become involved in your project. Chronologic Planning Tool materials help you identify and source these resources.

Understanding the Players...

As an example, as a very first step, the process recommends you step through the thought process that led you to consider dairy project growth. You should clearly understand the goals of all the stakeholders in the potential project. Make sure that you and your spouse, your partners, your families are all on the same wavelength.

Once you have confi rmed that dairy expansion is for you, we provide suggestions and steps to follow, resources to investigate, and critical decision points along the way. All along, the Chronologic Planning Tool resource tool gives you access to expert professional planners in many different fi elds, along with materials they have developed to make your planning task easier.

Hindsight Has Value...

It recommends following a detailed plan. It suggests we make the right decisions in the right sequence, and to interact with all the right people at the right time. This is the approach that can help prevent financial or interpersonal disaster. The program can be customized to meet your own local conditions, and is a plan that can lead to your success. As a dairy farmer, you are conscious of the need to balance your priorities, to maintain financial integrity, environmental responsibility, and personal fulfillment. DeLaval and Chronologic Planning Tool can help.

Let's Get Started...

To get started on the road to reduced risk expansion, we urge you to communicate with your DeLaval dealer and explain that you want more information on Chronologic Planning Tool. We want to help you stay on the road of sustainable dairy farming.

To access: Register for CPT