FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
February 18, 2026
 
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
English-language flier
Spanish-language flier
Program logo
 
 
Herd Health, Animal Care in Focus at 2026 PDP Business Conference
New technologies, research, peer insights highlighted March 4-5 at dairy’s premier educational event
DAIRY NEWS – For dairy producers, caring for animals is a top priority. Several sessions at the upcoming PDP Business Conference will focus on the latest research, management practices and technologies designed to boost herd health and productivity. Presented by the Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), the conference is set for March 4-5 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis.
 
A few of the sessions focused on herd health and animal care include:
 

• “Small changes deliver big results” This panel discussion will feature experienced calf managers Jim Van Patter, Nehls Bros Dairy; Micah Halvorson, Busse’s Barron Acres and Halvorson Cattle; and Caleb Dressen, livestock business specialist at Vita Plus. They’ll share simple, low-cost adjustments to improve calf health, labor efficiency and long-term performance. Dr. Kendra Wells, DVM, Valley Veterinary Care, will facilitate.
• “Rethinking corn silage” will be presented by Dr. John Goeser, PhD, dairy nutrition and management consultant, Progressive Dairy Solutions, and Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, PhD, associate professor and ruminant nutrition extension specialist, UW-Madison. The session will explore strategies to optimize silage quality, support cow performance and garner more value from every dollar spent on feed.
• Inside the Hall of Ideas, the Preview Stage will feature professors and graduate students primarily from the University of Wisconsin system providing early access to the latest research. Among the sessions are those featuring results from a multi-year study on cover crops, corn silage and nitrogen; the effects of processing colostrum on calf health; as well as the link and long-term health outcomes between colostrum and human gut health.
• “Precision calf health: techniques that deliver” is a Hands-on Hub session that will be presented by Dr. Ryan Breuer, DVM, DACVIM-LAIM, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab diagnostic case and outreach coordinator and professor of large animal internal medicine, UW-Madison, and Dr. Theresa Ollivett, PhD, DVM, DACVIM-LAIM, associate professor, School of Veterinary Medicine, UW-Madison. The session will showcase tools and techniques for vaccinations, treatments and diagnostics that producers can practice on site.
• “Next-gen heifers” is a Learning Lounge session presented by Dr. JP Martins, DVM, MS, PhD, assistant professor, bovine reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, UW-Madison. In it, Martins will walk attendees through the latest research and practical strategies for heifer-breeding management.

 
The full list of educational sessions and speakers is available on the 2026 Business Conference website at www.pdpw.org/businessconference. All educational sessions will be simultaneously translated into Spanish.
 
In addition to more than 50 learning sessions, more than 40 speakers will lead sessions in several formats, including break-out, hands-on and learning lounge presentations, university research updates and Nexus® presentations.
 
Visit the 2026 Business Conference website for the conference flier, and information on exhibiting at the event. Details on lodging are available here.
 
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation's largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
 
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