A 50-cent diesel move costs a 19,000-cow dairy $427,500 a year. McCarty Family Farms books roughly 90% of next year's diesel before January 1 — and the playbook scales to 500 cows.

With U.S. retail diesel at $5.64/gallon as of May 12, 2026 — up 61% year-over-year — fuel risk is now a lender conversation, not just a line item. This episode breaks down McCarty's three-pillar hedging system: proactive layering, historical benchmarking, and mitigation over speculation. We walk through the barn math on a 50-cent move ($11,250 on 500 cows, $112,500 on 5,000 cows), the hidden exposures a hedge doesn't cover, and the 30-day on-ramp you can start today with no working capital required.

What You'll Learn:

• How a 50-cent diesel move translates to $0.09/cwt on a 200-cow herd — and why that tips marginal lenders from gre ...