December 2025 Vol. 1

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization^®

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

December 2 - Shifting Dairy Margins: Key Market Drivers and Hedging Solutions

December 4 - Consumer Trends and Branding in Wisconsin Dairy

Previously on The Dairy Signal

November 25

Tune in for an interactive discussion and analysis of the news, exports, weather and trends impacting the dairy industry as we wrap up 2025 and look ahead to 2026.

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

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

For Your Dairy

UNDERSTANDING HOW FEEDING RED SEAWEED can cut the amount of methane produced by cows was the focus of researchers at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and the Innovative Genomics Institute. They found red seaweed from the genus Asparagopsis triggers gene-level changes in rumen microbes, suppressing methane-producing activity. Meanwhile, the bacterium Duodenibacillus captures the resulting hydrogen and converts it to a compound that eventually turns to protein. In experiments where cows received seaweed for two weeks, methane output dropped 60%, hydrogen spiked 367%, and feed efficiency rose by as much as 74%. Learn more.

DEVELOPING A “ONE-TON” COW that produces 2,000 pounds of milkfat and milk protein in a lactation, depends heavily on strategic nutrition management. An article from Ohio State Extension emphasizes three core areas: high-quality, highly digestible forages to support intake; properly balanced amino acids to drive efficient milk protein synthesis; and adequate, well-fermented carbohydrates to fuel rumen microbes and sustain butterfat production. Read more.

Your Farm - Your Footprint®

Dairy Currents

LOOKING FOR MICRO JOYS can help build the conditions for happiness, especially in our high-stress, fast-paced culture and during the busy holiday season. An article from Fast Company states that micro joy is made up of the small moments of happiness, presence, and mindfulness that we can find in the midst of challenge or difficulty. It is about embracing the power of little delights in the everyday. Create your own micro joy by:

1.     Taking action to adjust your thinking and habits

2.     Focusing on small wins

3.     Focusing on others

4.     Focusing on the present

Read the full article to learn more.

SERVING A “GREAT HOMEMADE FEAST” is a top priority for U.S. grocery shoppers this holiday season. The latest report from FMI – The Food Industry Association highlighted that nearly half of surveyed consumers this holiday season plan to allocate the largest portion of their holiday budget to food. Shoppers’ concern about grocery prices has fallen to its lowest level in the past three years, and though higher grocery spending and general economic uncertainty persist, worries about prices of holiday essentials rising have abated since the fall of 2024. Learn more.

MarBec Dairy in Gilmanton, Wisconsin, began in 1993 when Marty Hallock set out to build a farm grounded in leadership and education. Those values have shaped MarBec into what it is today, a thriving dairy home to 1,250 cows. Marty’s son, Jonathon, returned to the farm full-time in 2013 and became a partner in 2018. Now, he’s continuing that legacy alongside his father and adding his own vision for growth and teamwork.

For Jonathon, dairy farming is about more than milk. “I wanted to have a positive impact in the best way I could,” he says. That mindset guides how he approaches challenges and opportunities. “This dairy didn’t get where it is all by itself. We do take a lot of advice from people who are smarter than us.” Hallock believes success comes from surrounding yourself with people who push you forward. “One of the greatest things that you come to learn is that you surround yourself with people you hope are better than you because they’ll help you grow.”

Organizations like PDP have been a big part of that journey. “Some of the greatest organizations that have helped us do that are PDP,” Jonathon shares. “PDP has really helped this farm to grow. Whether we were at their meetings, at their conference, or in my case, they helped set me up with a peer group.” Those connections have given Jonathon and his team the tools and ideas to keep improving and stay focused on what matters most.

At MarBec Dairy, that focus is on people. “At the dairy, we like to say there are an order of tasks here and people are first,” Hallock explains. His goal is simple. “I want to make sure everybody gets home safely. Everybody’s had a good day, and everybody feels respected and that they’ve had a positive impact on this dairy at the end of the day.”

Want to see more of Jonathon’s story and life at MarBec Dairy? Check out the video here.

"The things we fear most in organizations - fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances - are the primary sources of creativity."

-Alfred North Whitehead

Financial Literacy for Dairy - Level 1

Dec. 3-4, 2025

Dairy Insights Summit

Dec. 11, 2025

Dairy Managers Institute

Dec. 16-17, 2025

Financial Literacy for Dairy - Level 2

Jan. 15-16, Feb. 4-5 and Feb. 18-19, 2026

Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals

Jan. 20-22, 2026

International Tour - New Zealand

Feb. 2-15, 2026

Cornerstone Dairy Academy

March 3-4, 2026

2026 PDP Business Conference

March 4-5, 2026