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WHO WE ARE

Your Strongest Supporter

Leadership has no age limits; it never expires and it starts young. When incoming generations are after a dairy career, we're here to help them succeed.
Mission
To share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
Vision
To lead the success of the dairy industry through education.
How It Works

It all starts with the dairy farmer – our members are a passionate and bright group of forward-thinking servant leaders. They work diligently to learn, engage and collaborate on key issues that directly affect our industry's future.

Our dairy farm members tell us what they need, and we work to connect with the world's renowned experts. Together, we create best-in-class programs that train and develop dairy producers, stakeholders, consumers and other industry influencers.

What's with the W?

Founded a quarter century ago as Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, our membership has outgrown our name as we represent dozens of states. To honor our heritage, the "W" in our logo remains, but our future is focused on impacting members' lives coast to coast and country to country. Today, our friends call us PDP. We also go by Professional Dairy Producers®.

Meet Our Leaders

PDP's nine-member Board of Directors are elected by active PDP dairy farm members. Each director – also an active dairy producer - can serve two three-year terms. Equipped with the leadership skills and vision to serve, PDP board members actively shape PDP's educational calendar, create the organization's plan of work and serve on other industry action committees throughout the dairy sector and beyond.

Board of Directors
John Haag, President
Haag Dairy, LLC, Dane, Wis.,
Phone: 608-576-0812
John Haag owns and operates Haag Dairy, LLC, in Dane, Wis., with his son Josh. Haag Dairy raises all their replacements on the 150-cow dairy in addition to selling approximately 50 cows a year to other farmers for their replacements. In August of 2018, they began using two DeLaval robots in their milking routine. In 2011, they hosted the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm; since then John has been involved with the Dane County Promotion Committee, serving as a director-at-large for the past 4 years. He’s also been Lodi FFA alumni president for 12 years and an East Central/Select Sires delegate for 7 years.
Paul Lippert, Vice President
Grass Ridge Farm, LLC, Pittsville, WI
Phone: 715-459-4735
Paul Lippert of Pittsville, Wis. owns Grass Ridge Farm, LLC, with his father, Matt, and brother, Carl. The dairy is home to 700 registered Holsteins and Jerseys as well as 600 young stock. Paul is the herdsman and human resources manager. He graduated from UW-River Falls with a Dairy Science degree. Grass Ridge Farm hosted the Pittsville FFA Dairy Breakfast in 2018. Paul believes strongly in PDPW’s educational focus, attending many events himself. He currently serves as president for the Wood Area Holstein Breeders and Chair of the Purple Ribbon Classic Sale.
Corey Hodorff, Secretary
Second-Look Holsteins, LLC, Eden, Wis.
Phone: 920-602-6449
Corey Hodorff is part of the fourth generation to own and operate his family’s century farm with his wife Tammy, brother Clint and father Doug. They milk 1,000 cows and crop 1,200 acres at Second Look Holsteins, LLC, in Eden. In addition to the dairy entity, the family business structure also includes Peniel Acres, Ltd. and Hodorff Seeds and Agronomy. On the farm Corey oversees the team members and management of dairy operations. He has served as 4-H leader, Fond du Lac County Dairy committee member, Fond du Lac County Junior Holstein advisor, and Fond du Lac County Holstein Association director.
Brady Weiland, Treasurer
Weiland Dairy LLC, Columbus, WI
Phone: 920-285-7362
Brady Weiland of Columbus, Wis., is the fifth generation to own and operate Weiland Dairy LLC, with his parents, brother, and eight employees. Brady and his brother also own and operate High Gear Holsteins LLC and employ an additional nine employees. As dairy manager, Brady oversees the two 600-cow herds. He graduated from Madison Area Technical College and furthered his education at the UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course. Brady believes strongly in PDP’s educational focus and regularly attends PDP events. He is a member of the Wisconsin Beef Council, a volunteer firefighter, and has served as church treasurer and council member.
Patty Dolph
Dolph Dairy LLC, Lake Mills, Wis.
Phone: 920-988-2425

Patty Dolph farms with her husband, Chet, and in-laws, Pat and Don Dolph. The farm milks 500 dairy cows and crops 1,000 acres of land. Patty’s role is the manager of the milking operation which includes the dairy herd, young stock and employees.  She attended UW-Madison and earned an Animal Science degree. The farm focuses on cow comfort and animal health and has earned many milk quality awards.  She would bring a hands-on perspective of the dairy business. 

Ken Feltz
Feltz Family Farms, Inc. and Feltz's Dairy Store, Inc., Stevens Point, Wis.
Phone: 715-570-6390
Ken Feltz owns and operates Feltz Family Farms Inc. and Feltz’s Dairy Store Inc. with his wife Jackie and their family. Their Stevens Point, Wis., dairy consists of 570 cows that are milked in a double-12 parallel parlor with an additional 110 cows milked with 2 robots. The robotic barn is attached to the retail store where cheese, milk, ice cream, meat, chocolates and many other products are sold. The family operation employs 16 full-time people for work at the farm and dairy store. In 2015, the Feltz family received the Master Agriculturalist award; in 2014 they co-hosted Farm Technology Days. They’ve hosted Portage County’s June Dairy Breakfast twice.
Jake Hoeswisch
Phone: 920-810-5640
Jake Hoewisch of Waupaca County, Wis., is the fifth generation to own and operate Hoewisch Homestead Dairy, LLC, with his wife, Jennifer, parents and uncle. They milk 150 registered Holstein A2/A2 cows twice daily, with a focus on milk quality and low somatic cell count. In 2018, they diversified with a meat to table beef business, H&S Tasty Acres LLC, owned in partnership with another family. They also have a custom manure drag line and baling business. Hoewisch is running for the PDPW board because he wants to be a strong voice in the dairy industry and believes PDPW is the best place for that.
 
JJ Pagel
Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, Kewaunee, Wis.
Phone: 920-493-0879
JJ Pagel of Kewaunee, Wis., is a third-generation farmer who owns and operates Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy with his sister Jamie and brother Bryan.  JJ attended UW Madison Farm and Industry Short Course and Cornell Dairy Executive Program.  Today, the Pagel family milks just over 10,000 cows at 5 sites and farms 15,000 acres. They have on-site processing for farmstead cheeses that are sold at their retail store in nearby Luxemburg, Wis.  JJ and his wife Chase have four children and are active members of the Kewaunee County Dairy Promotions, coaching and community activities. 
Laura Raatz
Wagner Farms, Oconto Falls, Wis.
Phone: 715-853-8140
Laura Raatz of Oconto Falls, Wis., and her husband Tyler are part owners of Wagner Farms with her brother, Shawn, and parents Hank and Pam Wagner. She graduated from UW-Marinette with an associate degree and a passion to go back to the farm where she is now herd manager. In this role, she focuses on taking animal health and comfort to the next level. Wagner Farms has 950 cows and crops about 1,500 acres. Laura is involved in four other businesses including leadership training with her dad where they just authored their first book together.
Advisors
Andrew Bohnhoff
Prairie Estates Genetics

Dr. Andy Bohnhoff, DVM, has been in the dairy industry his entire life. He grew up on a family farm in Plymouth WI where his family milked 100 cows in a stall barn. He attended the University of Wisconsin Madison where he graduated with honors with a degree in Animal Science. He then attended University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine where he focused on production medicine and surgery. After graduation, he furthered his schooling by attended the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine where he completed an internship in Integrated Livestock Management/Food Animal Medicine and Surgery. He practiced veterinary medicine in Colorado for 3 years before returning to the Land of Beer and Cheese (Wisconsin) where he started focusing his efforts on Dairy Nutrition and Health Management. He currently works for Prairie Estates Genetics providing technical support for dairy farms and also provides nutrition consulting for dairies in Wisconsin and Colorado.

 
Curtis Gerrits
Compeer Financial
Curtis Gerrits is a Senior Dairy Lending Specialist at Compeer Financial where his primary role is to work closely with dairy clients providing dairy industry expertise in financing/lending, dairy expansion planning and general on-farm business management. Curtis has been a lending specialist for over 8 years working solely with dairy operations. He works with dairies throughout WI, MN, and has also worked with dairy operations throughout the United States. Curtis was born and raised on a dairy farm in Eastern Wisconsin. After attending St. Norbert College and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh he returned to his family's 3,000 cow dairy where he was the transition and calving manager. After moving to Eastern Minnesota in 2008 Curtis served as a project manager and designer in the agricultural construction industry primarily working with dairy expansion projects prior to becoming a dairy lender. Curtis now lives in Hastings, MN with his wife Cassie and 3 children. When Curtis is not on dairy farms you can find him coaching and cheering on his three hockey players at the ice arena.
Josh Mullins
Mullins Cheese
Josh Mullins is plant manager and co-owner of Mullins Cheese. Processing more than 7 million pounds of milk per day from more than 80,000 dairy cows, Mullins Cheese is the largest family-owned cheese manufacturing and whey processing facilities in the state of Wisconsin. The family business is dedicated to providing premier products to customers while being conscious of their environmental impact. A proud participant of the FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program, Mullins Cheese maintains a commitment to growth through innovation while striving for component optimization to minimize the operation's carbon footprint. 
A Legacy Well Served
The first 25 years of history, influence and legacy

When PDP celebrated 25 years as an organization in 2017, we were faced with the challenges of accurately and adequately documenting and presenting that history.

We can attempt to engrave the names of people and important dates and events on paper or digital "headstones," but with each step we are reminded again and again that PDP is a living, breathing thing.

So, while we may collect remnants of PDP's first quarter century from minutes of meetings, newspapers, notes on the backs of envelopes, photographs, videos and sometimes-frail memories, we've come to the realization that the interpretation, influence and legacy of the organization's history is more profoundly written and stored in the hearts and minds of the people who have and continue to live it.

For that reason, this story is less about PDP's chronology – although there is some of that – and more about the visionary actions, shared through words from the people who created the organization and direct it into a second quarter century and beyond.

Learn more about the beginning, the vision, the mission and the people behind it all by viewing the "25 Years of Leadership" documentary.

Ben Brancel, former Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, recalls the mindset that would serve as the dawn of a new era: "In the early 1990s, members of the next generation were starting to hear about how many farms we'd lost, that there wasn't opportunity in dairying and that they had to find something else to do with their lives. And yet there were those people out there who were still positive, still saw a bright future, and really believed in the young people and the opportunities available to them."

In 1991, Terry Smith, director of University of Wisconsin-Extension Center for Dairy Profitability, established a subcommittee to explore the need for a dairy producer-led organization to address their professional development needs. The conclusion: the idea was worth pursuing, and it'd probably work best if dairy farmers addressed their challenges by working together.

"The organization needed to be a place where dairy businesses of all shapes and sizes across Wisconsin could benefit from interaction. For this to be successful and sustainable, it had to be grassroots … run by dairy producers. We believed it would not only benefit individual businesses, but more importantly, it would benefit the dairy industry's viability and sustainability."

PDP Timeline
Picture
1992

PDP founded by dairy farmers

1992
Movie
1993

First PDP Business Conference

First PDP Board of Directors elected

1993
Picture
1995

Released video recordings of speakers from in-person programs

1995
Location
1996

Formed Youth Educational committee

Launched PDP Mentor Program

Released Heifer Growers List

1996
Location
1997

Formed Public Policy ad hoc committee

Increased communication with state agencies

1997
Movie
1998

Held first "Committee Days" for dairy farmers to share ideas for programming

Took first political position to stop livestock ordinance prohibiting growth

1998
Movie
1999

Advocated for creation of UW Discovery Farm

Began meeting regularly with University of Wisconsin System leaders to position Wisconsin as a long-term global leader in dairy

Launched first Environmental Conference, named "Public Policy Summit"

Began Dairy's Bottom Line print publication

1999
Movie
2000

PDP Board issued first white paper: State of the Wisconsin Dairy Industry

Launched the Enhanced Internship Program

2000
Movie
2001

PDP Board hired first staff member, now Executive Director, Shelly Mayer

Formed Public Relations committee

Launched industry's first Effective Communications Training, now known as "Dairy's Visible Voice®"

2001
Movie
2002

Founded Professional Dairy Producers Foundation, serving as Dairy's Foundation

Provided 50 grants to dairy farms with first nutrient management plans

Charter member of the WLIC (Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium)

2002
Movie
2003

Placed international students from Mexico in Enhanced Internship Program

Founded Agricultural Community Engagement® (ACE), in partnership with Wisconsin Towns Association and Wisconsin Counties Associations

Introduced first Mission Sponsor, Badgerland Financial, now known as Compeer Financial

2003
Movie
2004

Launched dairy's first national executive training – Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals®

Presented first Youth Leadership Derby®

2004
Movie
2005

Developed and led the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative, developed principles and guidelines

Voted "Top 10 Companies/People Most Influential in Agriculture"

Leader in stakeholder workgroup for Livestock Siting (ATCP 51)

2005
Movie
2006

Charter member of Center for Food Integrity (CFI)

2006
Movie
2007

Developed Dairy Connect Speaker's Bureau

2007
Movie
2008

Founded the Wisconsin Dairy Industry Crisis Preparedness Plan (WDICPP), in partnership with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin

2008
Movie
2010

Held first ACE On-the-Farm Twilight Meeting

Launched World Class Webinars, online video training series with Dr. David Kohl as speaker

2010
Movie
2011

Launched food system initiative to connect food companies and allied industry professionals with modern farming practices

Developed Agricultural Professional Partnerships® (APPs) curriculum for non-farm professionals

2011
Movie
2012

Developed "What Matters" initiative with the WVMA (Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association), now called Food Armor®

Began providing continuing education (CE) credits (i.e. UW-SVM, ARPAS and CCA)

Launched the National Dairy Leaders Coalition

2012
Movie
2014

Launched international dairy leadership program, Cornerstone Dairy Academy

2014
Movie
2016

Held first International Dairy Tour, traveling to New Zealand

2016
Movie
2017

Launched DairyAdvanCE.org, first online one-stop shop for continuing education

Launched first Financial Literacy for Dairy curriculum

Celebrated 25th Anniversary

2017
Movie
2018

Advocacy of UW Dairy Innovation Hub

Leadership on Dairy Taskforce 2.0

2018
Movie
2019

Launched PDP Peer Groups

Unveiled 1st PDP Podcast

Developed PDP Dairy Managers Institute

2019
Movie
2020

Held first PDP Virtual Business Conference

Launched The Dairy Signal platform

2020
Movie
2023

Dairy Masterminds Executive Peer Group

2023

Dairy's Foundation

Professional Dairy Producers proudly established Dairy’s Foundation, formerly known as Professional Dairy Producers Foundation, in 2002. As a stand-alone charitable organization, their leadership serves the industry to raise funds and award grants for PDP and PDP-like educational and public trust initiatives.

Their reach serves all dairy stakeholders, from farm to consumer, throughout dairy communities in the United States.

Learn More