It's difficult but I'm not sure what the alternatives might be. The largest dairy farms can cut costs in ways which would not be practical for small farms becau

It's difficult but I'm not sure what the alternatives might be. The largest dairy farms can cut costs in ways which would not be practical for small farms because the capital expenditure (robotised milking parlours for example) or the market power (being able to negotiate on feed prices). The mega lots with thousands of cows can sell milk for less than it costs a small farm to produce it. The only available option is specialisation. Build a brand around products manufactured on site, cheeses and butters for example. Diversification, I've been on two ex-dairy farms, one now produces mostly beer and the other is an ice cream based tourist attraction.