# Episode Notes: LAND WARS - How Savvy Dairy Rebels Are Beating Big Money at Its Own Game

## Episode Overview

In this eye-opening episode, hosts Bella and Douglas dive deep into the crisis of skyrocketing farmland prices and explore how innovative dairy farmers are finding creative solutions to stay competitive.

## Key Topics Covered

1. Current farmland prices across the Midwest

2. The threat high land prices pose to traditional dairy operations

3. Innovative land access strategies employed by "dairy rebels"

4. International models for land management in dairy farming

5. The role of solar energy in modern dairy operations

6. Rethinking vertical integration in dairy farming

7. Practical steps for dairy farmers to adapt to the changing land market

## Highlighted Strategies

- Guerrilla leasing tactics

- Profit-sharing lease arrangements

- Collaborative land ownership models

- Solar grazing and agrivoltaics

- Strategic feed partnerships

## Notable Quotes

- "When land costs $14,000 an acre, that's over $950 per cow just in land investment for a grazing operation." - Tom Wilson, Wisconsin dairy producer

- "The future belongs to dairy specialists, not agricultural generalists." - Innovative producer (unnamed)

- "High land prices aren't the end of dairy farming—they're the end of conventional dairy farming." - Douglas

## Key Statistics

- Minnesota farmland average: $8,364/acre

- Missouri farmland average: $15,171/acre

- Premium Wisconsin farmland: up to $21,500/acre

- Solar leases typically pay: $900-$1,200/acre annually

## Action Items for Listeners

1. Conduct a land efficiency audit

2. Initiate conversations with neighboring landowners

3. Identify potential coalition partners

4. Explore solar integration opportunities

5. Reassess business structure for succession planning

## Further Reading

- University of Minnesota research on agrivoltaics

- Dutch cooperative land ownership models

- New Zealand's sharemilking system

https://www.thebullvine.com/management/financial-managment/land-wars-how-savvy-dairy-farmers-are-beating-big-money-at-its-own-21500-acre-game/