Teamwork makes the dream work. This common phrase serves as a core value of dairy operations worldwide.
Like other farms, JNM Dairy in Modesto, CA, values its team. Several years ago, Nicole Morris, a founding member of the operation, added Ever.Ag to the crew.
Morris developed her driving passion for dairy while growing up on her fourth-generation family farm. For the past 11 years, she and her husband have owned and operated JNM Dairy. Currently, the dairy milks 650 head of Holstein and Jersey cows. Aside from the dairy, the Morris’ farm 1,000 acres of winter forage, corn and alfalfa.
“Dairy farming it the best job I could ever have,” said Nicole Morris. ‘That’s the greatest title; we get to provide for consumers, be stewards of the land, and care for cattle.”
Listen to Nicole Morris, JNM Dairy, describe her experience in the dairy industry as a dairy producer.
Advocating for Agriculture
Though she wears many hats on the farm, her favorite role is to advocate for agriculture. As a professor at Modesto Junior College, she instructs students on dairy husbandry, animal science, and agribusiness. Morris also serves as the coach of the dairy cattle judging team.
“That part of my life really allows me to share my passion for the future of agriculture with youth,” Morris said. “If we are going to keep agriculture alive and well, we have to prepare the next generation.”
Morris is a prominent figure on social media. She works with the California Milk Advisory Board as a social media team member. Her personal platform, fittingly called The Milk Diva, is filled with pictures, stories, and recipes from her farm.
“I want to be a big myth buster,” Morris said. “We know consumers’ misconceptions are what hurts the dairy industry. I feel like it is my job to promote agriculture, and I find that I can do just that on my page.”
Navigating the Challenges of the Dairy Industry
Rising grain prices and a low milk price present a set of challenges that is not unique to JNM Dairy. Three years ago, Morris’ nutritionist shared Ever.Ag Vice President/Risk Management Tiffany LaMendola’s information with her. That’s when her partnership with Ever.Ag began.
Reaching out to Ever.Ag for help with the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) program was a big step for Morris, but she knew LaMendola would help every step of the way.
“After that phone call, I felt safe,” Morris said. “Her best interest is to protect me as a dairy farmer.”
Since dairy farmers face challenging milk prices, Morris believes that DRP is, in her own words, “a no brainer.”
“Working with Ever.Ag has made our lives easier. It has given us a security net – something I know we can always fall back on. I can secure milk price floors up to five quarters in advance. If I know my breakeven, I can target that level and make sure I’m covering all my costs.”
Celebrating June Dairy Month
Morris and her family have celebrated June Dairy Month in many ways. Their most impactful activity is their annual milk drive, which started due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“Consumers were not getting to the grocery store,” Morris said. “Besides that, milk is food banks’ number one requested item.”
Last year, 800 gallons of milk were delivered to homeless shelters in Morris’ area because of her virtual fundraising on social media.
“I think it’s very important as a dairy farmer that we’re giving back to our community,” Morris said. “What better way than with fresh milk?”
Partnering with Ever.Ag
What makes Ever.Ag a valuable part of a dairy’s team? According to Morris, Ever.Ag protects her passion.
“As a dairy science teacher, I always talk about the importance of a team on a dairy farm,” she said. “Of course, you have the nutritionist, veterinarian, herdsmen, and owners. In this generation, we are bringing Ever.Ag to the table. They are a part of our team – we would not be successful without them.”
Dairy Solutions with Ever.Ag
From sunup to sundown, you always have your finger on the pulse of your dairy farm. We are here to help you make your operations more efficient and profitable with products that help your team proactively identify herd and health issues, protect your milk income stream, and even help manage critical input costs. Ultimately, we want you to be able to focus more on producing the milk that will feed a growing world, and less on logistics and risk mitigation.
Learn More About DRP
If you are interested in learning more about Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy (LGM-Dairy) or developing strategies to manage risk for your dairy business, please contact us.
