March 9, 2020
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
Full Media Package is available (i.e. flyer, press release, photos, etc.)

Overview: Conference Website
Review Press Release: Conference Press Release
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DAIRY NEWS – The countdown has begun and it’s time to set your sights on a renewed focus for your business at the 2020 PDPW Business Conference, presented by Professional Dairy Producers®, dairy’s professional development organization. Dairy farmers and industry professionals will come together for two days of best-in-class education, professional development, and networking, Mar. 18-19, 2020, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
 
Packed with the latest in information, innovations and insights to help dairy farmers succeed, the two-day conference showcases 40 speakers, including leadership and management experts, business advisors, scientists and researchers, economists and entrepreneurs.
 
Attendees can select from 16 Specialty & Breakout Sessions and four top-notch keynote sessions, ranging in topics from animal care and safety, business and financial, human resources, the next generation and social licensing. These sessions will allow attendees to design a learning experience tailored to their needs and interests.
 
Attendees can also focus on higher levels of performance and profitability to take back to their dairy during 15 practical Learning Lounge sessions that dive into science, communication and management.  The Preview Stage will showcase UW-Madison researchers and their master’s degree students sharing the latest dairy research results and their implications within the dairy industry.
 
The Hall of Ideas Equipment and Trade Show will feature nearly 200 of the leading companies and service providers in the dairy industry.  It is the perfect opportunity to check out leading-edge methods and strategies to implement as you focus on higher levels of success in your business. While in this area, take advantage of the complimentary offerings also available to focus on yourself – relax and chill with a professional massage, fuel your brain with a variety of flavored grilled cheese sandwiches and snack stations, or update your personal brand with a professional headshot.
 
New this year in the Hall of Ideas is PDPW talentCONNECT™ – linking student talent with opportunity. The idea is for attendees to connect with students from Wisconsin universities, technical colleges and more who are seeking positions on dairies and dairy-related occupations. As you stroll through talentCONNECT, you will be able to meet and greet with qualified students and view their displays to learn more about their skills and abilities that may accent your business.
 
The 2020 PDPW Business Conference is an accredited training and offers Dairy AdvanCE continuing education (CE) credits for dairy farmers and agribusiness. To learn more or secure credits, visit www.DairyAdvance.org. CEs to UW-School of Veterinary Medicine (UW-SVM), the American Registry of Professional Scientists (ARPAS) members, and the Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) members are also available.
 
“The two-day investment at this year’s Conference will provide dairy farmers, agribusiness leaders, and the allied industry the actionable ideas and resources to take right back to the farm. Fellow dairy farmers created this program with lasting impact to deliver the tools needed for a sharper focus within the dairy business, while also incorporating peer-to-peer collaboration,” said Shelly Mayer, Executive Director of PDPW and dairy farmer, Slinger, Wis.
 
Don’t forget to download the conference app, which allows you to talk to other attendees, read speaker biographies, browse proceedings and more. Get the PDPW app on Google Play and the App store by searching “PDPW.”
 
To learn more or register online for the 2020 PDPW Business Conference, visit www.PDPW.org or contact PDPW at 800-947-7379. Online registration will be available till March 13, 2020, and walk-ins are welcome both days of the Conference.  Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #Focus2020 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
 
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) 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.
  ---
February 11, 2020
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
Full Media Package is available (i.e. flyer, press release, photos, etc.)

Overview: Conference Website
Review Press Release: Conference Press Release
Photos/Logos: Conference Photos/Logos  
DAIRY NEWS – It takes “focus” and a clear vision to stay on course in any business. Access to leading-edge information and the latest in dairy farming education, innovations and research will help keep dairy producers, agribusiness and other key thought leaders profitable and on track. The tools to help sharpen one’s focus in dairying have been assembled at one venue over two days during the Professional Dairy Producers – PDPW Business Conference.  The annual Conference is held March 18-19, 2020, beginning each day at 8 a.m. from the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall in Madison, Wis.
 
Dairy’s premier educational Conference is open to the public and will offer something for every dairy professional.  The event offers nearly 40 educational sessions with four learning subjects held through keynotes, seminars, labs, research showcases, quick-set learning stages, and peer-to-peer learning from the floor of the Hall of Ideas and Large Equipment Trade Show.
 
As one of the most popular learning experiences, the Conference offers eight producer-panel sessions.  Attendees will hear real-life experience on a variety of timely topics, including adequate insurance coverage, restructuring debt, sourcing alternative feeds, strategic business management, and international experiences with big-brand food companies and beyond.
 
Featured producer panel and producer-led sessions include:
 

• Dairy farmers Marty Hallock, owner and operator of Mar-Bec Dairy and Jim Kroeplien and his daughter, Rachel, of Fly-By Acres, LLC will share what they learned about insurance policies and coach you through important sections to review in your farm policies so you won’t be under-insured when tragedy hits. The “Stuff happens…you covered?” morning session will be facilitated by Dave Becker, founding partner in Dairy Business Consulting Group, on Wed., Mar. 18.

 

• Mike McCloskey, dairy farm owner at Fair Oaks Farms and CEO of Select Milk Producers milk cooperative, will share insights on net zero and carbon trading to offset pollutions that could benefit the dairy farm in his morning specialty session, “Carbon Trading,” held Thur., Mar. 19.

 

• The father-son pair, Anton and Arjan Stokman are dairyman from the Netherlands and the chosen flagship farm for McDonald’s Europe.The two manage a free-choice system that enables the 280-cow dairy to operate with flexibility.Implementing waterbeds and robotic milking, they are focused on cow comfort and health.In their morning specialty session “McSustainability,” and afternoon Learning Lounge, “Dairying in the Netherlands,” both held Thur., Mar. 19., attendees will learn from their experiences in the Netherlands.

 

• Corey and Clint Hodorff, of Second Look Holsteins, LLC, Eden, and Brian Schaal, a third-generation dairy farmer in Racine County, will talk about sourcing alternative feeds and maintaining production and herd health while optimizing palatability in their afternoon session, “Time to get creative,” on Thur., Mar. 19. This session will be facilitated by Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions.

 

• Randy and Jennifer Gross, managers at Ash Grove Dairy, LLP and Ken Feltz, owner of Feltz Family Farms Inc. and Feltz’s Dairy Store Inc., are part of an afternoon producer panel that will share the tips, tricks and techniques that helped them chart their way through an obstacle course of adversity to build strength and enhance sustainability in their dairy enterprises. “The top 3: I wish I knew then what I know now,” will be held Thur., Mar. 19, and is facilitated by Kurt Petik, senior relationship manager for Rabo AgriFinance.

 

• In her morning deep-dive specialty session, "Managing Uncertainty," and quick-set afternoon Learning Lounge session, “Executing your why,” held Thur., Mar. 19, dairy farmer Liz Griffith of Rock Prairie Dairy, LLC will show how farmers can build well-managed and better dairy teams by putting systems and best practices in place that will lift the dairy team, even during illness, death, new or old partners, or expansion.  Highlighting enhanced communications with concise messages, Liz will dig into the farm’s “why,” which will lead to a positive team culture and with strengthened leadership as a result.

 
Attendees will also access three Hands-On Hub Labs, including genetic strategy, calf care and maternity pen pathogen mitigation, and a live animal handling demonstration.
 
Featured Hands-On Hub labs, repeating both days include:
 

• "Exploring genetic strategies," led by veterinarians from Lodi Veterinary Care Clinic.  In lab, attendees will calculate heifer-inventory needs, determining which genomic traits to emphasize, and the best options for semen type.  Participants will manipulate data, collect genomic samples and observe oocytes and embryos under microscope.

 

• Also led by veterinarians from Lodi Veterinary Care Clinic, attendees will explore what “clean” really means and test the efficacy of chlorinated alkaline detergent on common equipment during this hands-on lab “Calf equipment: keep it clean.”

 

• Dr. Don Höglund, DVM, who teaches Dairy Applied Behavior classes for the University of Pennsylvania-School of Veterinary Science, will address handling dairy cattle correctly to save time, prevent injury and promote optimal animal wellbeing. During this hands-on lab, “Live animal demonstration: understand how cattle learn,” attendees will hear how knowing the cows and their reactions can maximize the herd’s potential.

 
To see the full line-up of educational sessions and speakers, visit https://pdpw.org/businessconference/.
 
The annual Business Conference has become dairy’s premier educational event and gathering place for continuous improvement. Driven by the PDPW mission to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed, fellow dairy farmers came together to build the best-in-class education and peer-to-peer networking that farmers have come to appreciate and expect.
 
“Business Conference is a unique educational opportunity that is developed by producers to provide a high quality educational event that has something for every dairy producer,” said Corey Hodorff, dairy producer and board member from Eden, Wis. “Producers need to be able to support each other and share ideas with one another in order to help us all succeed. That is why I decided to be a part of a producer panel this year.”
 
The 2020 PDPW Business Conference is an accredited training and offers up to 12.75 Dairy AdvanCE continuing education (CE) credits for dairy farmers and agribusiness. To learn more or secure credits, visit www.DairyAdvance.org. Also offering up to 12.9 CEs to UW-School of Veterinary Medicine (UW-SVM), up to 9 CEs to the American Registry of Professional Scientists (ARPAS) members, and up to 9.5 CEs to Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) members.
 
To learn more or register online for the 2020 PDPW Business Conference, visit PDPW.org/BusinessConference/ or call 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #Focus2020 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
 
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) 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.
 
January 29, 2020
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
Full Media Package is available (i.e. flyer, press release, photos, etc.)

Overview: Conference Website
Review Press Release: Conference Press Release
Photos/Logos: Conference Photos/Logos
   
DAIRY NEWS – It’s imperative for farmers to maximize time off the farm when operating dynamic, fast-paced businesses. Fortunately, the personal and professional development needed to sharpen one’s leadership and management skill in the dairy industry have been assembled at one venue over just two days.
 
Presented by dairy’s professional development organization – Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW), the 2020 PDPW Business Conference is held March 18-19 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. The two-day program will bring together dairy farmers, agribusiness and allied industries throughout the value chain.
 
As a farmer-led group, PDPW delivers the quality and quantity of best-in-class education, solution-oriented ideas, and collaborative networking that farmers request. The annual Conference has become dairy’s premier educational event and gathering place for continuous improvement.
 
Showcasing over 40 speakers, including leadership and management experts, business advisors, scientists and researchers, economist and entrepreneurs, attendees will access a variety of timely, cutting-edge educational experiences. The newly learned information and skill can be implemented back on the dairy immediately and is relevant to farms of all size, number of employees, and farming methods.
 
Open to the public, there is something for every farm and every position held, from owners to financial managers, herdspersons to cow/calf specialists, crop managers to feeders, and milkers and other support teams responsible for the day-to-day needs of the dairy.
 
In addition to four big-stage Keynote sessions, attendees can select from 16 Specialty & Breakout Sessions offered over the course of two days, allowing for a deep-dive into the subject area. The format also lends itself to interactive surveying, in-class activities, producer-panels, and Q&A sessions to further explore the content.
 
The Hands-On Hub labs are consistently ranked among the favorite sessions by attendees. Led by trained veterinarians, attendees will explore three repeating sessions, including genetic strategy, calf care and maternity pen pathogen mitigation, and a live animal demonstration to focus on animal handling techniques.
 
The Learning Lounges offer 15 quick and practical 30-minute sessions, offering ideas and advancements in science, communication and management. Attendees can implement the insights immediately back on the dairy, as they focus on higher levels of performance and profitability.
 
Celebrating the heartland of dairy research, the Preview Stage will again showcase UW-Madison researchers and their Master’s degree students. Together, they will connect the dots between research results and the implications to the dairy industry. Attendees can view the student’s research boards and listen to the live presentations underlining the research methods, findings, and conclusions, and follow up with brief Q&A.
 
The educational offerings noted above are divided into four learning subjects, including
 

1. Animal care & food safety
2. Business & financial
3. Human resources, management, and next generation
4. Social license - consumer trust, environment & policy

 
The diversified learning subjects offer a variety of resources and solutions to benefit the learning style of the attendee, whether best absorbed through lecture, collaboration, or hands-on interactive experience. Featured sessions in the four learning subjects include:
 
Animal Care & Food Safety:
 

• Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, Assistant Professor, Livestock Nutrition at the University of Florida, will outline available options to deal with feed shortages and poor-quality feed, during his repeating afternoon Breakout Session “What are we going to do with this feed?!,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 

• Dr. Don Höglund, DVMa lecturer, trainer, and leader of workshops internationally and teaches dairy applied behavior classes, will show how dairy animals interpret and respond to their surroundings, during his repeating Hands-On Hub lab “Live animal demonstration: understand how cattle learn,” Wed. and Thur., Mar. 18-19.

 

• Serving as Director of the Dairy Innovation Hub, Dr. Heather White will share updates on dairy’s most critical investment in research and shed light on how it will impact dairy farmers’ future, in her afternoon Learning Lounge Session “Dairy Innovation Hub Updates,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 
Business & Financial:
 

• Dr. Mike Overton, DVM, a dairy analytics advisor with Elanco Animal Health, will walk through multiple scenarios to help determine how many replacement heifers a dairy should raise, in his morning Specialty Session “Putting numbers to the heifers,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 

• Dr. Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will break down what the term “antibiotic resistance” means, how it applies to the farm, and how to protect animal health through antimicrobial stewardship, during his repeating afternoon Breakout Session “Impacts of antibiotic resistance,” Thur., Mar. 19.

 

• Jeremy Cherny, an IT cybersecurity and business-solutions expert, will share misconceptions and solutions to protect the dairy business, financial and employee data that lives in and out of the “cloud,” in his morning Learning Lounge Session “3-2-1 Backup: best practices to protect your cloud data,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 
Human Resources, Management & Next Generation:
 

• Dave Saunders, CEO of Palo Alto Venture Architects, a Silicon-Valley firm, will share the hottest technology tools available and outline new ways their existing tools match up with the ag sector’s most critical needs. Partnering with Saunders, Walt Cooley, editor-in-chief of Progressive Dairy magazine, will ask the tough questions about what the biggest breakthroughs will be for dairying, during their morning Specialty Session “Tech talk: Blockchain, 5G, machine learning,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 

• Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance Inc., a highly sought-after sales, customer loyalty, and leadership expert, will share the good news that work culture and mindset change is possible, during his morning Specialty Session “Ignite Performance,” Thur., Mar. 19.

 

• Holly Green, CEO of The Human Factor and behavioral scientist, will shed light on the complexities of the brain and the practical tools need to help make effective choices and focus, during her repeating afternoon Breakout Session “Unharnessing your brain’s potential,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 
Social License – Consumer Trust, Environment & Policy:
 

• Mike McCloskey, CEO of Select Milk Producers, will address net zero and carbon trading to showcase how dairy could be leagues ahead in partnering and trading with other industries to offset pollutions and benefit the dairy farm, during his morning Specialty Session “Carbon trading,” Thur., Mar. 19.

 

• Damon Smith, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at UW-Madison will teach how to plan and manage a successful silage corn crop in an increasingly challenging growing seasons, during his afternoon Learning Lounge Session “Growing forward,” Wed., Mar. 18.

 

• Francisco Arriaga, Associate Professor and Extension Soil Specialist at UW-Madison will share insights to manage saturated and compact soils post 2019’s growing season, in his afternoon Learning Lounge Session ”Solutions for Soggy Soils,” Thur., Mar. 19.

 
“2020 is all about focus – getting your hands around the wheel and strengthening your team, business and mind. The conference is filled with practical solutions and the latest in sound business strategy, culture-driven management, and cow-centric dairy research that provides a clear vision for dairying,” said Shelly Mayer, dairy producer and PDPW executive director.
 
Driven by the PDPW mission to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed, fellow dairy farmers created this program with lasting impact to deliver the tools needed for a sharper focus within the dairy business, while also incorporating peer-to-peer collaboration.
 
To learn more or register online for the 2020 PDPW Business Conference, visit www.PDPW.org or contact PDPW at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #Focus2020 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
 
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) 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.
  ---

January 16, 2020
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
Full Media Package is available (i.e. flyer, press release, photos, etc.)

Overview: Conference Website
Review Press Release: Conference Press Release
Photos/Logos: Conference Photos/Logos  
DAIRY NEWS – Presented by Professional Dairy Producers® – (PDPW) the 2020 PDPW Business Conference will be held March 18-19, 2020 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., The two-day professional development Conference will once again be a gathering place for dairy’s dairy producers and key thought leaders.
 
The 28^th annual Conference, themed “Focus 2020,” will bring together farmers, animal scientists, crop advisors, nutritionists, veterinarians, and other agribusiness leaders. Attendees can expect a positive and forward-thinking atmosphere, matched with best-in-class ideas, solutions, resources, and experiences that dairymen and women can take back to the farm immediately and affect the dairy’s bottom line.
 
The all-inclusive event is packed with educational sessions, hands-on wet labs, workshops, a world-class trade show, the Preview Stage showcasing cutting-edge research, and the newly launched talentCONNECT™, which will highlight dairy’s up-and-coming talent, and much more to round out the experience.
 
With over 40 speakers including dairy science experts, researchers, and dairy producer panelists, we are proud to bring 39 unique educational sessions to the event – there is something for everyone. Led by the Conference Emcee Bill Baker, a nationally syndicated radio broadcaster and host of Dairy Radio Now, attendees will hear from 5 keynote speakers, who will challenge our attendees to re-train their brain, innovate, create, and empower team members. They’ll also help attendees differentiate between what can be controlled and what cannot, and that controlling what they can is the place to start. 

Keynotes include:

• Doug Hall, founder and chairman of Eureka! Ranch International, was also named one of America’s top innovation experts by Inc. magazine. He’ll share that innovation and creativity is birthed from being pressed and pushed to the limits in his opening session keynote: “Dream. Adapt. Innovate.” on Wed., March 18 at 11:00 a.m.

 

• Greg Schwem, is a business humorist, corporate emcee, and nationally syndicated humor columnist for Tribune Content Agency and will help producers relax with friends and reflect on some of the silly ways we work, think and act in his evening keynote: “Laugh at yourself!,” on Wed., March 18 at 6:30 p.m.

 

• Eric Snodgrass, a principal atmospheric scientist, who provides frequent weather updates focused on the influence of high-impact weather events on global ag productivity, partnered with Dan Basse, well-known ag economist, will join forces and highlight the complexity and interrelated components of ag markets and the increasingly erratic weather patterns faced domestically and globally in their morning keynote: “When weather and markets collide,” on Thu., March 19 at 10:00 a.m.

 

• Mark Nutsch is an inspirational keynote and former commander of the first Green Beret unit that went into Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 bombing. His heroic story inspired the major motion picture “12 Strong” and continues to serve as an effective reminder that perspective plays a powerful role in day-to-day life. Mark will share his story in his closing keynote: “Freedom isn’t free” on Thu., March 19 at 3:30 p.m.

 “PDPW was built on the desire for continuous education,” Shelly Mayer, dairy producer and PDPW executive director said. “When producers come to the Business Conference, they’re not only saturated with educational resources, they’re also surrounded by people who understand the path they’re walking. Fellow dairy producers help sharpen their saw and fill up the tank. There’s nothing like being with those who are in step with you.”

To learn more or register for the 2020 PDPW Business Conference, visit https://pdpw.org/businessconference/ or contact PDPW at 1-800-947-7379.
 
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) 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.