PDP Manager's Memo

August 2025 Vol. 1

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

The Dairy Signal^®

Check out what's coming this week on The Dairy Signal. Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday live from noon to 1 p.m. CT, or catch previous episodes on demand here.

August 5 - LRP Adds Coverage for Cross Calves and Cull Cows

The USDA's Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program has added new coverage options for dairy producers, specifically for beef-on-dairy crossbred calves and cull dairy cows. Learn about these new options to insure animals against price declines, providing a valuable risk management tool.

Will Babler, Principal, Pinion Risk Management LLC & Atten Babler Risk Management LLC

August 7 - Market Update

Tune in for an interactive discussion of the latest news and analysis on dairy and agricultural markets, news, exports and trends.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

Access Now

Thank you to Dairy Management Inc. for their sponsorship of The Dairy Signal. Funded by America’s dairy farm families and dairy importers, the checkoff works to grow sales and build trust in dairy. Your dairy checkoff works through restaurant, retail and foodservice partners; youth outreach, research and product development and more. Connect and learn how we’re making every drop count at d airycheckoff.com.

Previously on The Dairy Signal

July 29

Tune in for an interactive conversation about the latest research and strategies for tile drainage in conservation systems.

Laura Paletta, Agriculture Water Quality Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Extension
Izze McNamee, Agriculture Water Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Division of Extension

July 31

Compassion fatigue can have serious impacts on physical and mental health. Learn how to recognize signs in yourself and others, how to prevent and manage the condition.

Monica McConkey, Rural Mental Health Counselor, Eyes on the Horizon Consulting

Opportunities to Learn

NEW LEARNING, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES ARE AHEAD with the 2025-26 program calendar from PDP. Check out the full range of hands-on, focused programming to ensure that everyone on your dairy team is future ready. Learn more.

ACE® ON-THE-FARM TWILIGHT MEETINGS

August 25, 26, 27, 28

Durand, Tomah, Newton, Watertown, Wis.

ICE CREAM, DAIRY TOURS AND COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS!

Make plans to attend one of the Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE) Twilight Meetings this summer. The free events are designed for community leaders, elected officials, educators and dairy farmers to learn together and discuss important issues such as water, community development, resource management, changes in ag and rural communities, roads, bridges and transportation, and other critical subjects.

Each evening starts with a farm tour at 6:00 p.m.,followed by ice cream and open discussions, and will conclude at 8:30 p.m.

Mon., Aug. 25

Buffalo County

Lindstrom Valley Farms

Durand, Wis.

Tues., Aug. 26

Monroe County

Chapman Farms Dairy LLC

Tomah, Wis.

Wed., Aug. 27

Manitowoc County

Grotegut Dairy Farm, Inc.

Newton, Wis.

Thurs., Aug. 28

Jefferson County

Rosy-Lane Holsteins

Watertown, Wis.

Learn more and register.

2025 WISCONSIN FARM TECHNOLOGY TOURS

August 19, 20, 21

Casco, Waunakee, Markesan, Wis.

Learn more and register.

PDP BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & ADVANCED FINANCE WORKSHOP

October 29-30, 2025

Sun Prairie, Wis.

Learn more and register.

MANAGERS ACADEMY FOR DAIRY PROFESSIONALS®

January 20-22, 2026

Puerto Rico

Learn more and register.

For Your Business Mind

GROWING AS A LEADER WITHOUT BURNING YOURSELF OUT can be a challenge at any level. An article from KelloggInsight provides five recommendations to ensure that you are ready for leadership opportunities without spreading yourself too thin.

Know yourself, including strengths, development needs and what you enjoy doing.
Manage your energy.
Pick focus areas.
Build a circle of influence.
Choose how you show up.

Read more about each step in the full article.

DEVELOP “MICRO HABITS” TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS in focus, efficiency and wellbeing. Micro habits are tiny actions that require minimal effort, but can lead to meaningful progress when performed consistently. Examples include starting the day with a clear plan, using the two-minute rule to complete tasks quickly, taking 60 second brain breaks, using the “one-touch” rule for emails and physical mail, and setting a shutdown ritual at the end of the day. Learn more about each of these micro habits and other ideas to add to your daily routine in the full blog post.

Your Farm - Your Footprint

Your farm is your livelihood, and Your Farm – Your Footprint™, the ﬁrst-of-its-kind, farmer-led sustainability initiative that empowers dairy farmers to know and understand their environmental footprint, offers solutions to shape the future of your farm. Dairy’s Foundation is the initiative’s first sponsor, with Nestlé sponsoring in part.

Identifying your farm’s carbon and greenhouse gas metrics is a critical first step, and with Your Farm – Your Footprint, participants have access to:

Easy-to-understand reporting accompanied by technical consulting during which one of our experts personally reviews your farm’s report with you and offers customized improvement recommendations. Your data is protected and won’t be shared with anyone else without your consent.
Opportunity to test-drive three sustainability measurement platforms, including FARM ES (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management - Environmental Stewardship), Cool Farm Tool, and COMET (CarbOn Management & Emissions Tool).
Ongoing practical learning and idea-sharing through a peer networking group specific to Your Farm – Your Footprint.

Want to learn more? Visit the website or email croy@pdpw.org.

For Your Dairy

TRAINING HEIFERS TO AUTOMATED MILKING SYSTEMS BEFORE CALVING can improve their adaptation to and performance on the systems when they enter the milking herd. Research published in the Journal of Dairy Science studied 16 pairs of heifers - half were given three training sessions in the AMS and half were in the control group. Following calving, milking activity was recorded for the first 21 days, along with the time spent around the AMS and the number of fetches required. Researchers stated that training heifers with a combination of concentrate and mechanical exposure resulted in an easier entry into the AMS, better milk letdown, more voluntary milkings, and fewer fetches, leading to a higher milk yield compared with non-trained cows. Learn more.

PREVENTION OF MASTITIS SHOULD START EARLY, according to an article from Ohio State Extension. While most discussion about mastitis is in lactating cows, every step in a heifer’s life contributes to being a high-functioning herd mate in the future. Providing heifers with clean, dry bedding that is maintained weekly can limit the risk of heifer mastitis by reducing bacterial load in the environment. Managing flies and reducing environmental stressors can also help calves keep host defenses prepared to manage bacteria. Learn more in the full article.

Member Profile: Scott Brenner

Scott Brenner’s path to ownership at Hunter Haven Dairy near Pearl City, Illinois, started with working at the farm during summers in college.

After graduation, Scott joined Hunter Haven Dairy fulltime as a herdsman, and worked with owners Doug Block and Tom Block as they expanded the dairy from 100 cows in a tie stall facility to 450 cows in a freestall barn. He was involved in facility improvements and expansions over the years and Scott and his wife, Jennifer, and business partners Nathan and Amanda Dinderman, began to work on transition planning and a purchase agreement with the Blocks in 2015.

“It is a unique situation since we weren’t family, but everyone was interested in the dairy continuing long term,” said Scott. The agreement was in place in 2017, starting with purchasing cows and feed inventory and leasing facilities, equipment and land. Over the years they have purchased the facilities, dairy site and some equipment, while buying new equipment as needed.

Hunter Haven is home to 1,100 cows with a focus on cow comfort and sustainability. They renovated buildings to use tunnel ventilation and are converting mattresses to deep-bedded solids produced from on-farm methane digester. A focus on producing high quality forages leads to higher milk production as well.

Scott is a long-standing member of PDP and appreciates the learning and networking opportunities at Business Conference, as well as the programs like Cornerstone Dairy Academy and Dairy Managers Institute to help middle managers build business and leadership skills.