April 2026 Vol. 4

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

The Dairy Signal®

Check out what's coming this week on The Dairy Signal!

April 28 - Pasture Inventory for Smarter Grazing Timing

A spring pasture inventory is key to making the most of grazing season. Learn how to take a forage inventory and use it to decide when to start grazing and manage pastures through the spring flush.

  • Michael Geissinger, grazing and nutrient management outreach specialist, UW-Extension

April 30 - Rethinking Corn Silage

Take a fresh look at one of your largest input costs: feed. In this discussion originally presented at 2026 PDP Business Conference, explore strategies to optimize seed selection, agronomic decisions and other key inputs for corn silage production. Grain practical insights to improve silage quality, support cow performance and get more value from every dollar spent on feed.

  • Dr. John Goeser, PhD, dairy nutrition and management consultant, Progressive Dairy Solutions
  • Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, PhD, associate professor and ruminant nutrition extension specialist, UW-Madison

Thank you to DLF for sponsoring The Dairy Signal in April. Success starts with the seed. That’s why farmers trust DLF, the world’s forage seed leader. Backed by cutting-edge research, DLF delivers high-yielding forage products with the traits you need to drive profit on your farm. Ask your retailer about high-performance alfalfa brands like Forage First, 5 Series and Alforex Seeds. Learn more at lacrosseseed.com


Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday live from noon to 1 p.m. CT, or catch previous episodes on demand here.

Previously on The Dairy Signal

April 21

Winter weather can leave lasting effects on forage crops. As spring approaches, tune in for tips on evaluating fields for winter injury, stand thinning, and overall plant health to identify potential yield challenges and make timely management decisions.

  • Bob Wilms, Northeast Wisconsin District Sales Manager, Renk Seed 


April 23

Join an interactive conversation on agricultural and dairy markets, including the potential impacts that weather, exports, international policy and more could have on the industry and your business.

  • Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

Opportunities to Learn

PDP ACCELERATE™

July 28, 2026

Madison, Wis.


IS IT ON YOUR INTERN'S CALENDAR? As the spring semester winds down and students get ready for summer internships, register them for the 2026 Accelerate workshop. Enhance your organization's program with a one-day event to strengthen their skills and build confidence for their internship, job interviews and career. Learn more.

For Your Business Mind

SUCCESS ISN’T JUST ABOUT STRATEGY, it’s also about mindset. A SmartBrief article outlines how self-sabotage shows up through habits like comparison, all-or-nothing thinking and staying in your comfort zone. These patterns can limit progress by fueling doubt or preventing action altogether. By identifying these traps and challenging assumptions, we can replace limiting thoughts with forward movement and turn everyday decisions into opportunities for growth. Read more.

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE THE CENTER OF YOUR SUCCESS. In a recent episode of The Dairy Signal, Michael Hoffman shared practical tips for engaging team members and building a positive team culture. By providing employees with clear expectations, the tools and skillset to do their jobs, establishing milestones and overcommunicating, you can set your team and business up for success. Watch the full episode for insights on how to make people feel included, asking for their ideas and creating a culture of ownership.    

WEBINAR: MAXIMIZING INTERNSHIPS IN DAIRY AND AGRICULTURE. National Dairy Shrine Young Professionals is hosting a webinar on May 13 featuring dairy executives, young professionals and interns with insights on making the most of internship opportunities. Learn more and register here.  

Your Farm - Your Footprint®

YOUR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS MATTER

With Your Farm - Your Footprint (YFYF), you can measure the impact of your sustainability efforts, without having to share your data with anyone.


"Having our carbon score puts us ahead of the game. Now that we have this information, we can act on it — and that gives us a new data point to enhance our business."

David Trimner, Miltrim Farms, Inc.


Learn more and sign up today at www.pdpw.org/your-farm-your-footprint/.

For Your Dairy

FREQUENCY AND TIMING are the keys to success in effective feed push-up management for dairy cows. An article from Miner Institute highlights research that pushing feed 4–6 times daily, with greater frequency in crowded pens, helps keep feed within reach and supports steady intake patterns. Critical timing includes the first 2–4 hours after feeding, when displacement is greatest, plus midday and evening to maintain overnight access. Learn more.

INTERACTIVE CALCULATORS FOR VENTILATION DESIGN from UW-Extension are available to help dairy producers determine airflow needs, fan capacity and inlet requirements. They also allow comparisons of fan efficiency and projected energy costs, highlighting long-term value over upfront price. Using these tools, dairy operations can fine-tune ventilation strategies, improve air quality and create more consistent, comfortable barn environments year-round. Read more.

Book Review

YOUR NEXT FIVE MOVES: MASTER THE ART OF BUSINESS STRATEGY. What do successful entrepreneurs and chess grandmasters have in common? They both need the vision to look at the pieces in front of them and anticipate their next five moves. Author Patrick Bet-David translates this skill into a valuable methodology that applies to high performers at all levels of business. The book will help provide clarity, strategy, growth tactics, skills and insights for your business and career. Learn more.

Inspiration

“The culture you have in your organization is the sum of all the wanted behaviors that you celebrate minus all the unwanted behaviors that you tolerate.”

— Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack

Save the Dates

PDP Accelerate

July 28, 2026


2027 PDP Business Conference

March 16-17, 2027

Thank You, National Partners

Thank You, Legacy Partner

Professional Dairy Producers
820 North Main St.
Juneau, WI 53039
800-947-7379
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