PDP Manager's Memo

June 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.

June 3 - Demystifying Carbon Markets

Tune in for a conversation on demystifying carbon markets, where Patrick Wood will break down the complexities of carbon markets and uncover practical opportunities to enhance producers’ bottom line.

Patrick Wood , Founder and General Manager, Ag Methane Advisors, LLC

June 5 - Ag Tech ROI: Know When It's Worth It

Ag technology promises big returns, but how do you make it work for your operation? Hear proven strategies to identify the best tech investments and maximize productivity and profits

Dr. Brady Brewer, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University

Access Now

Previously on The Dairy Signal

May 27

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Tune in to learn how farmers can reduce stress to combat mental health issues and why a healthy diet and plenty of rest play a role in overall mental health.

Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND, Founder and President, Farmer’s Daughter Consulting

May 28

Hear about the work that the University of Wisconsin-Extension Ag Water Quality Team is doing to survey the prevalence of phosphorus stratification in no-till systems with a focus of mitigating the risk to surface water of dissolved phosphorus loss.

Sheri Schwert, Ag Water Quality Outreach Specialist, UW-Extension

May 29

Join in for a timely update and analysis of the agricultural markets and trends that will impact dairy producers and the ag industry this growing season and beyond.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

Opportunities to Learn

2025 PDP INTERNATIONAL TOUR: NEW ZEALAND

February 2-15, 2026

WE'RE CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL TOURS by returning to New Zealand for an amazing two-week adventure!

Join fellow dairy producers will get to experience both New Zealand islands with the perfect itinerary combination of agriculture tours and tourist attractions, including a look at the dairy sector, which has traditionally been defined by its all-grass, low-cost production systems.

DON'T WAIT - EXTREMELY LIMITED SEATS REMAINING!

Learn more and register.

PDP ACCELERATE™

July 22, 2025

Madison, Wis.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR INTERNS' EXPERIENCES by registering them for the one-day PDP Accelerate workshop.

The program is the perfect complement to the on-the-ground experience interns are gaining at companies and organizations and will provide the tools they need to excel in today’s workplace.

The program will emphasize presentation skills to help interns with messaging and delivery for a variety of audiences and situations

Learn more and register interns..

For Your Business Mind

LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH THE LITTLE THINGS. We often think of great leaders in terms like inspiring, courageous or heroic. However, research shows that people express that great leaders in their own lives and workplaces are those who make small differences. These leaders often make others feel seen or heard, and provide affirmation or encouragement to accomplish tasks or take the next step. Paying attention to the small details and noticing what is happening around them is key. Leaders who are “great noticers", tend to do three things:

Have a process and practice for observing the details of people’s work and lives.
Note those details, which is a powerful way to retrain our attention.
Share back what they have learned.

Know your number: put your farm in the driver's seat of sustainability

The Your Farm-Your Footprint program from PDP features two tiers to put your farm in a strong position as the dairy supply chain looks to reduce its carbon footprint.

In Tier 1, dairy producers can receive non-government grants up to $9,750 per farm (up to 2,500 acres) to get their carbon footprint scores. A confidential third party will gather your information and help you learn your farm’s environmental footprint score, how it's calculated and potential opportunities to reduce your score. As a participating producer, you’ll own your data and have the option to share the information with others – or not – the choice is up to you. You’ll also have the option to participate in peer groups with fellow producers in a safe, confidential environment to share ideas and best practices.

After completing Tier 1, producers who are a part of the Nestlé milk shed may be eligible for cost-share opportunities for farm improvement projects that reduce their carbon footprint.

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

For Your Dairy

USING PRECISION LIVESTOCK TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE DECISIONS for calf care can help producers move from herd averages to focusing on individual calf success. An article from Michigan State University highlights how producers can dig deeper into data from new technologies. For example, instead of just looking at average daily gain for all calves, ask “how many calves are actually hitting the growth target?” and “how wide is the gap between top and bottom performers?” Data can also be used to pinpoint farm-level factors that impact calf growth and health, such as housing conditions, feed handling, ventilation, consistency in care routines and more. Learn more.

EFFECT OF OXYTOCIN USE DURING COLOSTRUM HARVEST on colostrum yield and IgG concentration was the focus of research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers studied animals on a commercial dairy farm in New York, with cows in three groups – those receiving 40 IU oxytocin, 20 IU oxytocin or a control group – before unit attachment in a rotary parlor. They found that primiparous animals milked for the first time in a rotary parlor had higher yield when given 40 IU of oxytocin immediately before milking. Read the full article.

PDP Member Profile

JORDAN MATTHEWS

ROSY-LANE HOLSTEINS

Jordan Matthews was a self-described “clean slate” when he began working at Rosy-Lane Holsteins as a high school student. He lived in nearby Watertown, Wis., but had no experience on a farm or around animals. He began working with calves on the farm owned by Lloyd and Daphne Holterman and Tim Strobel and quickly fell in love with dairy farming.

He earned dairy science degree with a business emphasis at UW-Madison and completed internships at dairy farms in Wisconsin and Florida, then returned to Rosy-Lane after graduation. He worked in a number of roles for three years, then was offered a partnership opportunity in 2013.

Rosy-Lane Holsteins is currently owned by five partners – the Holtermans, Strobel and Sam Peetz - along with Jordan. They milk about 1,750 cows at sites in Watertown and Paoli, Wis., and raise crops on about 2,400 acres. The farm has 30 full time employees.

Jordan’s first experience with PDP was participating in the mentorship program in college, and he has completed a number of workshops, Managers Academy, Financial Literacy for Dairy, Business Conferences and now works to send Rosy-Lane team members to events. He was elected to the PDP board in 2025 and looks forward to helping guide programming to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s dairy producers.

When not at the farm, Jordan enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Kaity, and children George (4) and Maria (2). They enjoy summertime boating, walks, playing at the park, and George is starting to get into soccer and baseball. Jordan is also an avid runner and hosts an annual endurance running fundraiser for cancer research.