CORNERSTONE DAIRY ACADEMY™ will be held in conjunction with the 2014 Business Conference, focusing on the training and development needs of early career professionals, students pursuing dairy related careers in college and technical college programs, and individuals wanting to retool because they are at a crossroads in their dairy career.

Over two days, Cornerstone Dairy Academy™ will help develop the "soft skills" in business that complement technical skills.

• Day One is Tuesday, March 11 and offers training on teamwork skills, communicating with different personality and leadership styles, workplace habits, business etiquette and professionalism.
• Day Two incorporates sessions at the PDPW Business Conference, using the professional and networking skills developed on Day One.

Cornerstone Dairy's Academy is a product of PDPW and underwritten by Professional Dairy Producers Foundation.

Should you have additional questions, please contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or mail@pdpw.org.

Online registration is closed.  Walk-ins are welcome!

The Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) announces the 2014 PDPW Business Conference theme: Exceeding Excellence, March 12-13, 2014 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI.

The PDPW Business Conference has seen exceptional growth and overall attendance, year after year, for this two-day conference. PDPW unites leaders who are passionate and engaged in the dairy industry – farmers, dairy suppliers, veterinarians, academia, future dairy leaders, and many more.

In addition to the educational breakout sessions, world-class keynote speakers and the popular Hall of Ideas trade show, PDPW has extended the energy and quality of the event with the addition of a large Equipment Show. This new experience will showcase a variety of large dairy equipment for participants to further explore the latest and most impressive innovation the dairy industry has to offer.

Register today for the 2014 PDPW Business Conference on March 12 -13, 2014 and learn how to Exceed Excellence.

For additional details to secure your Exhibit space Trade Show contract see the "Hall of Ideas & Large Equipment Show program and event "Show Details".

Have you secured your exhibit booth?  Exhibitors, join PDPW during your premier national dairy event: 2014 PDPW Business Conference at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. on March 12-13, 2014.

Why PDPW?

• Access to pre-qualified, progressive, active dairy farmers 

• Attendance anticipated at 1,400+, with 60% dairy farmer representation

• Expanded exhibitor hall to increase engagement and more time with dairy farmers

• Develop your knowledge during keynotes and educational sessions, elbow-to-elbow with your target audience - farmers!

• Complimentary year-round access to PDPW Virtual Trade Show portal - update your newest product-line and services throughout the year!

We did it! PDPW "exceeded excellence" with more booths and exhibitors at this year's conference!  Producers are going to have ever-more reason to attend this year's conference!!!

Conference Overview

• Conference Theme: Exceeding Excellence

• The 2014 PDPW Business Conference is on Wednesday and Thursday this year. 

• The Hall of Ideas and Large Equipment Show will be held in Hall A, B & C of the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center.  

• As you plan, be creative! The PDPW Hall of Ideas has expanded space for you to demonstrate your products, showcase your solutions and meet with prospects. Think about how you can engage people and create interaction with our members.

Booth Set Up and Tear Down

• Move-In and Set-Up:

  • Tuesday, March 11: 12:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m.

  • Wednesday, March 12: 6-9:00 a.m.

• Exhibits must be completely set up by 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

• Tear down begins at 4:00 p.m. after Jordy Nelson keynote and closing remarks

Exhibit Details

• Exhibit area includes 8’ back drape, 3’ side drapes, 1 skirted 6' or 8’ table (whatever size you selected on your contract) and 2 chairs. The drapes will be black and white and the Hall of Ideas will be covered in black carpeting---including the exhibit areas!

• Electrical and other equipment needs must be ordered directly through The Alliant Energy Center at http://service.alliantenergycenter.com/Default.aspx. 

• Complimentary wifi is a maximum speed of 256k, which is good for light internet surfing and checking emails.  Exhibitors can order high speed internet connections online at www.alliantenergycenter.com if they want a stable internet connection.  

Extend your Visibility - Virtual Hall of Ideas 

• To view the site go to www.pdpw.org and click on the Virtual Hall of Ideas. The 2014 Hall of Ideas Virtual Trade Show will remain on the site until September 1, 2014, so producers can check out your products and service long after the conference concludes --- this is an added benefit to you – dairy’s preferred supplier.  You can even update your information throughout the year!

Exceed Excellence - register your exhibitor space today!  Complete and submit your Hall of Ideas Trade Show Contract (see Trade Show tab) and email to mail@pdpw.org. Feel free to call with any questions at 800-947-7379.

PDPW Board of Director Candidates

Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin is a dairy producer-led organization—founded by producers,
led by producers and serving producers.

PDPW bylaws allow one vote per dairy membership. PDPW’s Board of Directors has three available positions, and each PDPW dairy producer member may vote for up to three individuals.

You can cast your ballot in one of two manners:

1. Attend and submit at PDPW’s Business Conference, March 12-13, in Madison, Wis.
2. Mail your marked ballot to PDPW. Must be postmarked by Monday, March 3, 2014. Mailing address: PDPW, 820 N. Main, Suite D, Juneau, WI 53039

All votes will be kept confidential and will be counted by the PDPW ballot clerks at the 2014 Business
Conference. Ballots will also be available at the Business Conference. All votes must be cast by 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 13.

If you have questions about the process, candidates or your ballot, please call PDPW at 800-947-7379.

Join PDPW and expert Deb Houden, Executive Director at the UW Family Business Center to learn about transitioning your family farm to the next generation. The three individual webinars include:

Presented By: Deb Houden on March 19: Managing your Emotions in Smelly Situations. 

The webinars will be presented live from noon – 1:00 p.m. CST.  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.

The most significant time in a dairy cow’s milk production cycle is the weeks leading up to, and following, the birth of a calf. PDPW will offer two, one-day workshops on helping cows in this important transitional period.

“Challenges and Solutions for the Transition Cow” will be held in two locations:

• Tuesday, March 25, 9:30a.m. - 4:15 p.m. at the Iowa Dairy Center, 1527 Hwy. 150 S. in Calmar, Iowa. This program is being held collaboratively with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation.
• The workshop will be repeated on Wednesday, March 26, 9:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. at the Arlington Research Station, N695 Hopkins Road, Arlington, Wis. 

This program is geared for the serious cow geeks (and their dairy veterinarians who get CEU credits for attending!)  The ones that focus on getting everything right, always seeking new information on how to get cows gracefully through the transition phase and into the high performance phase. 

The 3 weeks prepartum until 2 to 3 weeks postpartum is a significant turning point in the productive cycle of your cows from one lactation to the next. The tremendous physiological, metabolic and nutritional changes your cows undergo the manner in which these changes occur and how they are managed are closely linked to performance,clinical and subclinical postpartum diseases and reproductive performance.

In both locations, registration begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by five presentations featuring today’s leading dairy scientists who will address the physiological, metabolic and nutritional challenges faced by transition cows. The speakers include:

1. “Reducing Transition Cow Mortality,” presented by Dr. Frank Garry, professor at Colorado State University, Department of Clinical Sciences. 
2. “Pen Movement during the Transition Period” presented by Dr. Ric Grummer, Emeritus Professor, Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and also Ruminant Technical Director for Balchem. 
3. “Postpartum: The Crucial Three Weeks,” also be presented by Dr. Ric Grummer. 
4. “Moving Down Cows,” presented by Dr. Robert Leder, a practicing veterinarian in Bear Creek and Clintonville, Wis. 
5. “Keeping Transition Cows Cool,” with Dr. Ric Grummer. 

These interactive workshops will include question-and-answer sessions with the speakers. Lunch is also included.

Dairy science and veterinary professionals attending PDPW’s Transition Cow Workshops can receive continuing education credits through the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, as well as through ARPAS, the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. 

Dairy Quality Insight Workshop focuses on “Milk, Meat & Margin” on Thursday, April 10 at the Hyatt on Main, 333 Main St., Green Bay, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This event for dairy owners, herd managers and other industry professionals combines classroom training on dairy milk and meat quality with a comprehensive tour of a meat processing plant: JBS Green Bay. JBS Green Bay employs 1,250 people and processes 2,200 head of cows and steers per day.

Classroom training will be led by Dr. Pam Ruegg, DVM, MPVM, professor and extension milk quality specialist in the Department of Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Ruegg was the 2005 Wisconsin Veterinarian of the Year and is one of the industry’s top experts in milk quality. Her specialty is bridging the gap between research and practical applications on dairy farms.

The combination tour and training will share important information for those in the dairy industry, including:

• A review of why the milk and meat production practices on our farms matter.
• How the USDA inspection process keeps the food supply safe and wholesome.
• The expectations and needs of today’s end user – the consumer.
• How to minimize the risk of drug residues in milk and market animals.
• Allowable drug usage while caring for animals, and what is not allowed.

Veterinary professionals attending PDPW’s Dairy Quality Insight Workshop can receive continuing education credits through the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

Join PDPW on April 10 from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. in Juneau, Wis. to learn how to define your farm's communications objectives, discuss actions necessary to accomplish your goals, draft a proactive communication plan for ongoing community relations, all while infusing social media communications and engagement activities targeting public support and trust.

Dairy's Visible Voice will be led by expert trainer Renea Heinrich of MorganMyers.  Renea will walk us through "Building a Proactive Communication Plan for Your Farm" and "Social Media Basics" training tracks. Building a proactive communication plan for your farm will help build the public’s confidence in what you do every day.

To enhance the training you will hear from two special guests.  Dairy Carrie, one of agriculture's most recognized "agvocates" and PDPW farmer member will share her experience.  We will hear her life-story from a young city kid and through to her new experiences as a key-influencer of our customers understanding of dairy farming by way of her blog "The Adventures of Dairy Carrie" and her family farm's presence on Facebook.  Carrie is a farmer on a 100-cow dairy in Lake Mills, Wis. and also works for Udder Comfort in sales and training and is a columnist for DairyBusiness Communications. 

Also joining the training will be Gary Conklin, dairy farmer and owner of Conklin Dairy in Plain City, Ohio.  Gary and his family was the target of an undercover animal abuse video in May 2010.  We will hear his experience and insight to being proactive and transparent during an on-farm crisis.  In addition, Gary will be able to reinforce the importance of building a business communications plan that will assist in sharing your story before, during and following a crisis.

You'll leave this session armed with a proactive communication plan for your dairy. The audiences, messages, activities, timing and expenses necessary to execute a plan and the metrics to evaluate your activities will all be in your notebook.

This training will be held April 10, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. in Juneau, Wis.

The popular Dairy's Visible Voice™ - Leadership development through effective communication is a five module program. The individual tracks are stand-alone tracks and can be taken in any order. The communications training is designed to enhance one's leadership skills in the dairy industry through improved communication.  For additional information on this training, or Dairy's Visible Voice™ training, please contact us at 1-800-947-7379 or email abonomie@pdpw.org.

Due to limited space, pre-registration is required.  Those interested can sign up online at www.pdpw.org. The training cost is $129/person for PDPW members and $179/person for non-PDPW members.

The registration fee covers expert training, classroom materials, lunch and refreshments throughout the training.

Join PDPW World Class Webinar, two-part series 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.

Webinar Series

     - April 23, 2014  (register by April 16):  ECONOMICS & DAIRY DASHBOARD DIAGNOSTICS

Dr. Dave Kohl will give you the latest news on global economics and trends in agriculture. Now that the cycle is in transition, what do dairy producers need to observe?  Participants will find out the ten characteristics of a CFO dairy producer.  Dr. Kohl will present a dashboard scorecard checkup featuring ratios that producers need to know how to calculate on their operations, along with a financial and benchmarking worksheet.  He will also answer a few of the top questions from his travels on the road.  Dr. Kohl’s personal experience with the dairy industry and involvement with a creamery provide practical and innovative information for this presentation.  

     - 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. CST.  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.

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.