February 24, 2025
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
English-language flier
Spanish language flier
Program logo
 
 
“Dialing It In” for Financial Success in Today’s Dairy Industry
Sessions on business and financial aspects of dairy farming featured at 2025 PDP Business Conference
DAIRY NEWS – Understanding the financials and developing strategies to manage through volatile market and pricing conditions are critical in successful dairying. The 2025 Business Conference presented by the Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) will feature sessions on nearly every aspect of a farm’s business and financial strategy, from transition planning to tax strategies and milk pricing to managing electronic data. 
 
The 2025 Business Conference will be held March 12-13, 2025, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., with two days of learning opportunities and networking for forward-thinking dairy producers. Sessions will be translated simultaneously for attendees who prefer to learn in Spanish. There will also be two sessions for 15- to 18-year olds to build their leadership and communications skills.
 
Sessions with a business and financial focus include:
 

• “The hidden ally: turn interest rates into growth opportunities” is a panel discussion that will highlight strategies to spin market conditions into strategic assets that fuel business growth. Dr. Brady Brewer, PhD, associate professor, Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, will facilitate the panel including Elsa Condon, vice president, agricultural banking, Nicolet National Bank; Dan Kaufman, vice president of agribusiness lending, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, and Kurt Petik, senior relationship manager, Rabo AgriFinance. (Day 1, morning specialty session)
• Marissa Nehlsen, money and business strategist, certified speaker and coach, will present “Build bulletproof succession and transition plans” with a focus on the systems, strategies and tools to master succession planning while staying ahead of legal and tax challenges. (Day 1 morning specialty session)
• A panel of international dairy farmers will present “Global dairying: Insights from Ireland, France and the Netherlands,” to share how they are tackling challenges and positioning for success in a global market. Panelists include Thibaut Cordel, dairy producer from Ferme de l’Alliance, Lorraine, France; David Hyland, dairy producer from Ballacolla Couty, Laois, Ireland; and Anton Stokman, dairy producer from the Netherlands. (Day 1 afternoon breakout session)
• “Strategically plan your life, family and farm,” presented by Marissa Nehlsen, is a two-part series with an interactive SWOT analysis to help each participant identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats specific to their business. (Day 1 afternoon breakout session)
• Nehlsen will also present “Master your core with tax, legal and wealth strategies” to ensure producers have systems in place to protect wealth and reduce tax liability while prepare for future generations. (Day 2 breakfast breakout session)
• David Hyland will provide a behind-the-scenes look at Irish dairy farming in “Farming in Ireland: A global perspective.” He will share how he tackles labor, markets and the future. (Day 1 Blue Learning Lounge)
• “Do farmers actually own and control electronic data provided to suppliers through smart devices?” will explore who technically owns and controls on-farm electronic data. This session will be presented by Bill Oemichen, JD, professor of practice law and local government law educator at University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. (Day 2 Blue Learning Lounge)

 
The 2025 Preview Stage will have three sessions with a focus on financial analysis and on-farm profitability:

• “Modeling a path forward for expanding U.S. dairy farms” presented by Lynn Oltof, PhD student in dairy management at Michigan State University, will review research paired with an innovative extension tool, that guides farmers on profitable, efficient and low-risk expansion strategies. (10:10 a.m., Day 1)
• “Profitability of automated milking systems and labor implications for Wisconsin dairy farms,” presented by Dr. Chuck Nicholson, PhD, associate professor, animal and dairy sciences and agricultural and applied economics, UW-Madison, and Jalyssa Beaudry, graduate student in agriculture and applied economics at UW-River Falls, will review a study that evaluates the feasibility of automated milking systems, focusing on financial impacts and operational efficiencies. (10:50 a.m., Day Two)
• “Analytical tools for assessing changes to milk pricing under FMMOs,” presented by Dr. Chuck Nicholson, PhD, and Jack Myers, PhD student in animal and dairy sciences at UW-Madison, reviews a project that created a dynamic modeling framework to evaluate the impact of FMMO modifications, including impacts on farm milk prices, producer incomes and the dairy supply chain. (11:40 a.m., Day 2)

 
In addition, five companies will showcase their cutting-edge technologies each day of the conference on the Nexus® Stage. Nexus combines the energy of Shark Tank with the inspiration of TED Talks, bringing producers access to the newest ideas and innovations to transform the industry and their operations.
 
The five companies from a competitive pool of applicants to spotlight their products and services  include:

• Digital Finance Platform from Bankbarn
• CowManager Sort Gate from CowManager
• Essential Water Solutions from Dairy Nutrient Reclamation
• Lipidol Protect from Pathway Intermediates
• Pedi View by Hoofcount from Quadra Step Hoof Care

 
Register today by visiting the 2025 Business Conference website.  Also available are the English language flier, Spanish language flier, information on exhibiting at the event, and details on lodging with discounted rates at several Madison area hotels if booked by February deadlines.
 
The 2025 PDP Business Conference offers accredited training through such providers as Dairy AdvanCE (DACE), American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS), Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL).
 
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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