Speakers at the Dairy Alliance accounting workshop included, seated, from left, Mathew
Hilton, Redwing Business Systems, Inc.; Julie Strain, Redwing Business Systems, inc.; and
Judy Kemeny, private consultant. In back from left are Michael Peachey, Miller and Miller
CPAs, and Brad Hilty, Penn State Dairy Alliance.
Workshop Helps Managers
Understand Best Accounting Practices
ANDY ANDREWS
Editor
MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin Co.) Accurate fi
nancial analysis for dairying or any other business
begins with sound accounting.
And there are methods overlooked by dairy farm
managers that can not only streamline accounting,
but also improve the bottom line.
Those were some of the messages that more than
two dozen farm owners and accounting managers
took home earlier this month during a special Penn
State Dairy Alliance Seminar, “Accounting Meth
ods For Progressive Dairies,” conducted Nov. 4-5 at
the Penn State Harrisburg Campus
Dairy farmers have to keep up with the times
and they are changing.
“Many farmers are operating with the same busi
ness models my father and grandfather used 50
years ago,” said Brad Hilty, Penn State Dairy Alli
ance. “We have a business information overload.
We are data rich and info poor.”
Making correct use of the data and knowing
how to keep the accounting principles “in balance”
can mean many-fold improvements in profitabil
ity, according to accountants who spoke.
(Turn to Page 40)