In order to help them tailor their production to the needs of the marketplace, most farmers have a provincial marketing board which determines the amount of milk required from each farm. Some dairy farmers belong to co-operatives which process the milk into dairy products. In the latter case, the profits from such a venture are returned to the farmer-owners. The principal concern of the dairy farmer is the health of animals. Each of these in turn require appropriate skills.
Weather plays an important role in farm management.
Farmers attempt to anticipate weather variations and adjust their work routines accordingly. Every dairy farm is a little different to the next. Different soil conditions with varying fertility, and appropriateness for specific types of crops, create needs for different types of machinery. The presence, or absence, of good drainage and the 'levelness' of the fields are factors a farmer must consider in his purchase of farm machinery. The size of his herd, and the physical shape and dimensions of his barn affects the decision to employ the proper milking machinery.