Pioneering partnersin US dairy farming

The Lely agricultural company has been making farmers’ lives easier for over 65 years. Thanks to DLL’s grasp of farmers’ financial needs, Lely is giving US dairy farmers exactly what they need: an affordable way to upgrade production facilities and improve their lives.

Inspiring innovation
Companies in the Lely Group provide a range of innovative and durable products that are well matched to the needs of the modern cattle farmer. Their mission is to inspire people to create innovative solutions that help customers excel in sustainable milk production, forage harvesting and energy sourcing. With deep roots in agriculture finance, DLL was the ideal partner to help bring these innovations to Lely’s customers. 

 A unique agriculture finance agreement

"Introducing new milking technology to dairy farmers has its challenges," says Chad Huyser, Lely’s Director of North American Operations. "Not many of them have pockets deep enough to pay outright for an upgrade of their facilities. And local lenders are often so unfamiliar with the technology that they are uncomfortable accepting the financial risk. However, DLL understands the assistance that family-run farms in particular need, and created a lending agreement that enabled farmers to improve their production, giving Lely a unique position in the marketplace.”

Finance solution for the bigger picture
The South Dakota farm run by Gary and Amy Blasé typifies how Lely and DLL have enabled dairy farmers to transform their production facilities. Facing personal health issues and problems with finding dependable hired help, the Blasés needed to make the leap from a traditional milking parlor to a more efficient long-term system. Huyser: "With DLL as our financing partner, we could provide a finance solution that dealt with this bigger picture, something local providers could not have done.”

A partnership they could trust
The Blasés met one of Lely’s local dealers at a trade show, where they were introduced to the idea of robotic milking. “They were looking for a partnership they could trust,” says Huyser. “It was a huge investment for them, so they needed to have a face and a name behind their financing solution.”

Breathing space to get up and running
Brent Ver Ploeg, DLL’s man on the ground for Lely, helped the Blasés overcome two main concerns: adopting advanced systems and the substantial financial commitment needed to install them. “DLL understood the technology, so there was no need for a rebuild on the farm, and their appreciation of the level of risk allowed them to waive payments for the first six months, giving the Blasés critical breathing space to get their new facilities up and running. It was something no other lender could provide,” Huyser explains.

More time to manage operations
The Blasés milk production has increased significantly, they have a happier herd and, as Amy Blasé says, they have more time to manage their operations. "We used to be too busy with the labor end of things. Now we’re looking forward to traveling more and spending time with our grandchildren."