PDP Manager's Memo

April 2025 Vol. 3

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, Wednesday and Thursday live from noon to 1 p.m. CT, or catch previous episodes on demand here.

April 22 - Electronic Data Ownership & AI Usage

Tune in for a discussion on whether farmers actually own and control electronic data provided to suppliers through smart devices, as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in farm business without exposure to unnecessary risk.

Bill Oemichen, JD, Professor of Practice Law and Local Government Law Educator, University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension

April 23 - Ecological Intensification for Productivity, Profitability, Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration

To build soil health, boost yields, and sequester carbon, many promote cover crops and no-till farming. However, outcomes can be inconsistent. Learn about a project that is evaluating ecological intensification through the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial, measuring yield, profitability and soil health over six years. Results aim to identify sustainable strategies for dairy-forage and cash grain systems.

Dr. Gregg Sanford, PhD, Assistant Professor, Soil and Environmental Sciences, UW-Madison
Gideon Fynaardt, master’s student, Department of Soil and Environmental Science, UW-Madison

April 24 - Early Lactation Milking Frequency and its Impact on Milk Yield in Automatic Milking Systems

Rising labor costs, hiring challenges and market volatility are driving Wisconsin dairy farmers to seek alternatives. Hear about a study that evaluates the feasibility of automated milking systems, focusing on financial impacts and operational efficiencies. Results, shared through workshops and bulletins, offer practical guidance for farmers navigating these critical decisions.

Dr. Charles Nicholson, Associate Professor, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences and Agricultural & Applied Economics, UW-Madison
Jalyssa Beaudry, graduate student, Agriculture and Applied Economics, UW-River Falls

Access Now

Previously on The Dairy Signal

April 15

As U.S. dairy farms grow larger while declining in number, producers face crucial decisions about their operations’ future. This research, paired with an innovative extension tool, guides farmers on profitable, efficient and low-risk expansion strategies. Originally presented on the Preview Stage at the 2025 PDP Business Conference, the analysis factors in economic, biological and environmental constraints aim to help producers make wise, forward-looking choices.

Lynn Olthof, PhD student, Dairy Management, Michigan State University

April 16

Tune in for an interactive conversation about the topic on every farmer’s mind this time of year – weather! The discussion will focus on spring planting conditions and the forecast into the growing season.

Daryl Ritchison, NDAWN Director and Climatologist, North Dakota State University

April 17

In this episode, we bring together industry experts Dan Basse and Jacob Shapiro to revisit their conversation from the March Business Conference. They'll address lingering questions, unpack critical global developments, and tackle more of your most pressing inquiries. Don’t miss out on this timely and insightful episode!

Dan Basse, President, AgResource Company
Jacob Shapiro, Partner and Director of Geopolitical Analysis, Cognitive Investments

Opportunities to Learn

ICONIC CITIES, NATURAL WONDERS AND A UNIQUE DAIRY SECTOR are all on tap for the 2026 PDP New Zealand tour. The 14 day/12 night tour will include stops on both islands including Auckland, Queenstown, Christchuch and a cruise through Milford Sound. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 is required. Learn more and register.

EMPLOYERS AND STUDENT INTERNS: SAVE THE DATE FOR ACCELERATE! PDP Accelerate™ is a one-day program geared toward college students with summer internships – and registration is now open. On July 22, 2025, interns will gather in Madison, Wisconsin for a conference designed to build the skill sets critical for success in today's workforce.

Summer interns: by attending Accelerate, you’ll gain the strategies, skills and insider knowledge to distinguish yourself from your peers.

Employers: by registering your interns for Accelerate, not only do you prove your interest in ensuring agriculture’s talent pool remains competitive, you’ll also be offering your interns exclusive opportunities that might otherwise be outside the scope of what they’d experience during their summer internship. With one-on-one training from an expert in leadership and professional development, your intern will return to your team with new skills and connections, improved communication and networking abilities, and a heightened ability to represent your organization with confidence and competence. Click here to learn more and to register now.

For Your Business Mind

DEVELOPING THE “FIGURE IT OUT FACTOR” ON YOUR TEAM will pay dividends across the operation. A Fast Company article highlighted the value of being able to be curious, adaptable, creative and proactive in the face of uncertainty, or the ability to pause and say “Huh. Let’s figure this out,” in challenging or new situations. The trait comes naturally to some, but you can strengthen everyone’s ability by:

1. Encourage your team to ask “Why?”

2. Start small when problem solving.

3. Use failure as a data point.

Read the full article to learn more.

UNLOCK PROFITS WITH THE RULE OF FIVE PERCENT. As the 2025 growing season kicks off amid an uncertain economic environment, an article from Michigan State University reviews the “Rule of 5%” originally introduced by Danny Klinefelter. In most cases, making a number of smaller changes or tweaks across a business can have an equal or greater impact than one single large change, with the rule stating: “A 5% increase in price received, a 5% decrease in costs and a 5% increase in yield will often produce more than a 100% increase in net returns.” Achieving these 5% targets requires a systematic review of all costs, marketing strategy and management decisions, but the effect of positive changes will be “cumulative, multiplicative and compounding,” according to Klinefelter. Read the full article for strategies for each focus area.

Your Farm - Your Footprint

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

PROMOTING COLOSTRUM PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIES to manage through periods of low colostrum production will help dairy producers ensure that the youngest members of their herds receive adequate volumes of high-quality colostrum they need. In addition to the natural cycle of lower colostrum production in fall and winter, factors including dry period length, calf birth weight, whether the calf was born alive, and the cow’s milk production in the previous lactation can have an impact. Farmers can support colostrum production by:

Ensure adequate (45-60 day) dry periods
Minimize environmental stressors
Encourage colostrum let down
Consider oxytocin for first-lactation cows

Learn more in the article from UW Extension.

NOT ALL STARCH IS THE SAME. While providing fermentable starch from grain is a good strategy to provide an affordable sources of digestible energy to dairy cows, an article from Ohio State Extension provides key concepts to understand the difference between starch concentration and fermentability in each grain. Corn is less fermentable than barley, wheat or oats, and switching to a more rumen-fermentable starch source will likely have a greater impact on the rumen environment. In addition, the vitreousness (level of protein encapsulation of the starch within the grain) of a grain impacts fermentability. All other things being equal, reducing the total dietary starch in a ration when switching from less fermentable to more fermentable sources of grain (i.e. from corn to wheat), to reduce the risk of ruminal acidosis and reduced fiber digestibility. Producers should closely watch manure scores, milk fat percentage, milk urea nitrogen, and feed intakes as well as results from rumination collars and rumen boluses to monitor for potential issues. Learn more.

PDP Podcast Weekly

Reverence and Rituals

Reverence helps us navigate the terrain of our lives. Reverence keeps us in check with our daily rituals to help us make sense of the world. As we hear from Tom Thibodeau, without reverence, our rituals are empty.