Join PDPW World Class Webinar, with expert Dr. David Kohl, President of AgriVisions, LLC and business coach and part owner of Homestead Creamery to get the latest news on global economics and trends in agriculture, and during the second webinar, learn quick economics and tips on how to stay in control of your business.

  - Wednesday, May 14, 2014  (register by May 7):  MANAGING THROUGH THE CYCLES: STAYING IN CONTROL OF YOUR BUSINESS

Dr. Dave Kohl will give a quick economic update before giving tips on how to stay in control of your business.  Extreme economic cycles play havoc with the financial bottom line, balance sheet, and cash flow management.  Internal business cycles including growth, transition, and evolution increase management and business acumen of owners and managers.  This session will present an economic update followed by the rules of the road concerning finance and management. Given the new economic environment, more emphasis will be placed on cash flow and profits, while there will be less focus on asset appreciation.  Do not miss this quick tune up on staying in control given the many external and internal variables facing your business.    

The webinars will be presented live from noon – 1:00 p.m. CDT.  If you have a date/time conflict, you can watch a fully recorded version at your leisure.  You must be registered to receive a recorded session link.

PDPW’s World Class Webinars are open to all who are interested.  For additional information regarding PDPW’s past or future webinar sessions, please contact us at mail@pdpw.org or by phone at 800-947-7379.

Dairy Producers Leading the Success of the Dairy Industry

When PDPW began more than 20 years ago, it happened to form in Wisconsin. It could have started anywhere, because the reason for coming together – education – was not dependent on state lines. Two decades later, we live in an even more borderless economy, where milk flows freely around the world and technology makes it possible to share ideas regardless of location.

A group called the National Dairy Leaders Coalition has been meeting to share ideas, resources and solutions that help dairy producers succeed in a borderless world. At these meetings, state lines melt away, and the dairy producer leaders are focused on protecting the brand we all share: milk.        

PDPW organized the first coalition meeting in 2012, and the group has met twice a year since then. At the 2014 PDPW Business Conference, producer leaders from 11 states attended: Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.

At recent meetings, main topics of discussion were meat and milk antibiotic residue avoidance, animal welfare, traceability and premise and animal ID tracking. One state may be further ahead on a particular issue than another state, enabling them to share success stories and watch-outs with others. Another state may see an issue coming down the road and seek help for creating action plans before the issue escalates. In this way, members of the Coalition learn from each other, and create consistency for dairy producer voices across the country.

The fall 2014 meeting is set for September 30.  Additional information will be provided as the fall nears.  Please check back to secure additional detail.

When dairy producers share resources that make us better at what we do, everyone wins: our animals, our communities, and consumers. For more information about the National Dairy Leaders Coalition, contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or mail@pdpw.org. 

Are you interested in making a difference for a student interested in pursuing a profession in the dairy and food industries?  Or, are you a student looking for that once in a life time opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge onto a dairy farm?  Now's the time!

The purpose of this program is to provide a platform and resource for collegiate-level students to partner with an active dairy producer in order to participate in an educational, hand-on, on-farm professional experience.  This program is limited to those interested in pursuing a profession in the dairy and food industries.

The internships are designed to be a win-win experience for both the host farm and student. This program tailors to all the needs of the student and mentor. Students should gain an array of experiences including: business management, special project and hand-on farm experience.

For additional information regarding the Enhanced Internship, or to learn more about PDPW, feel free to contact PDPW at mail@pdpw.org or by phone at 1-800-947-7379.

PDPW’s recent Dairy Quality Insight Conference was one of our favorite events of the year. It was really two experiences in one day - a combination classroom discussion and tour of the JBS Green Bay meat plant. Dr. Pam Ruegg helped attendees understand protocols for various pharmaceuticals that can safely be administered to animals: when to use them, when not to use them, and the importance of a valid VCPR – a Veterinarian-Client Patient Relationship.  The tour of JBS allowed you to follow the journey of a dairy cull cow and understand what inspectors and regulators are looking for to maintain high standards of meat quality.

Consumers have set high expectations for quality, and well they should. It’s up to us to understand the science, the regulations and the necessary protocols to serve our consumers. This program is part of the important educational work PDPW is doing in the area of milk and meat quality.

Check out the Initiatives Page to learn more about PDPW’s initiative called “What Matters: The Residue-Free Plan for Meat and Milk.”

PDPW recently offered a specialized training session to help dairy farmers create community relations plans and improve communications. Those who attended were so enthusiastic about the results that we are planning to offer another training again soon.

Participants learned how to define a farm’s communication objectives and draft a plan for ongoing community relations using common tools such as social media and events. The trainer for this session was Renea Heinrich, public relations counselor with MorganMyers, a communications firm specializing in food and agriculture.

Two special guests who have experience in both proactive and crisis communication situations also presented: Dairy Carrie shared her experiences communicating with audiences through her blog, “The Adventures of Dairy Carrie.” Ohio Dairy Farmer Gary Conklin also presented. The Conklin family experienced an undercover animal abuse video in May 2010, and Conklin shared his insights for being proactive and transparent during an on-farm crisis, as well as the value of planning before a crisis.

Attendees told us what they thought of the session:

• “I learned reasons and ways to build our farm’s brand.”
• “Great materials on paper and jump drive, with lots of examples.”
• “This workshop gives me information to take to our farm’s decision-makers, and tell them why we need to have a communications plan!”
• “It opened my eyes on what a crisis can do to your dairy operation.”
• “I loved the step-by-step guides for creating communication plans and crisis plans, plus time to do it. Loved the time to share ideas.”
• “I wasn’t aware of the absolute importance of having a plan in place.”

This workshop is part of PDPW’s Visible Voice^TM training series, which helps dairy producers enhance leadership skills through improved communication in their communities, with media and via social media. Organizations, companies or individuals interested in hosting one or more modules of Visible Voice can contact PDPW for more information: 800-947-7379 or mail@pdpw.org. 

PDPW is a grassroots organization, and as a result, our door is always open and our ears always ready to hear your ideas. We hold listening sessions each year, called “Barnstorming,” which allow us to get out and meet dairy producers.

This year we held ten sessions plus one teleconference. Dairy producers told us what resources and educational programming they need to be the best they can be. We listened, and now we intend to deliver. Our board, committees and staff are planning the 2014-15 educational calendar right now. We’ll release it this summer, so you can plan professional development for yourself and those who work with you.

As always, if you have any ideas or questions, please call our office at 800-947-7379, or email us at mail@pdpw.org. Our mission: To share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.