PDP Manager's Memo

November 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!

November 4 - Master the Art of Coaching

An essential leadership skill is coaching your team members and providing meaningful feedback. Learn how to approach coaching conversations in a variety of situations and how to generate buy-in from team members.

Michael Hoffman, President, Igniting Performance

November 6 - Farm Transition: Business Structure Options

There are several options for structuring your business as you plan ahead for a farm transition. Tune in to learn what each business structure has to offer.

Troy Schneider, Shareholder and Attorney, Menn Law Firm

Access Now

Previously on The Dairy Signal

October 28

Discover how dairy farms are tracking their environmental impact using three leading tools — FARM ES, Cool Farm Tool and Comet. Learn how each model calculates its scores and the key data behind them.

Carson Dugger, Agronomist, Eocene Environmental Group
Grace Moeller, Livestock Specialist, Eocene Environmental Group

October 30

As harvest wraps up in many areas and beef prices make headlines, tune in to hear the latest in ag and dairy market news. Bring your questions for the bi-weekly update.

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.

Opportunities to Learn

FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR DAIRY

Kewaunee, Wis.

Level One -

Nov. 12-13, 2025

Dec. 3-4, 2025

Level Two -

Jan. 15-16, 2026

Feb. 4-5, 2026

Mar. 10-11, 2026

STRONG DAIRIES ARE BUILT ON SOLID FINANCIAL DECISIONS.

There's still time to register for the 2025-26 program that will equip you to:

Read and interpret financial statements with clarity
Turn data into actionable insights
Strengthen communication and planning with your team or clients

Learn more and register.

STRIDE™ YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Nov. 12, 2025

River Falls, Wis.

ONE DAY.

ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES.

High energy leadership development, hands-on lab experiences, introduction to career opportunities - all in store for high school students. Register today!

Learn more and register.

DAIRY WELLBEING WORKSHOP

Nov. 19, 20, 2025

Green Bay, Wis.

Learn more and register.

DAIRY MANAGERS INSTITUTE

Dec. 16-17, 2025

Green Bay, Wis.

Learn more and register.

MANAGERS ACADEMY FOR DAIRY PROFESSIONALS®

January 20-22, 2026

Puerto Rico

Learn more and register.

CORNERSTONE DAIRY ACADEMY®

March 3-4, 2026

Madison, Wis.

Applications due Jan. 15

Learn more and apply.

Dairy Currents

DAIRY PROCESSORS ARE INVESTING in new or expanded facilities in 19 states to meet growing demand for dairy products, according to data from the International Dairy Foods Association. Dairy processors have undertaken more than 50 individual building projects between 2025 and early 2028. According to the Dairy Foods article, dairy processing is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S., and food manufacturing is the leading manufacturing sector in 19 states. The nation’s dairy manufacturing industry is powered by 1,200 dairy processing plants that source wholesome milk from nearly 24,000 American dairy farming families. The top states for investment totals are New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Idaho and Iowa. Learn more.

AS TEMPERATURES COOL, ensure that you are prepared to keep the youngest members of the herd healthy and thriving in winter weather. Calves can maintain body temperature without needing extra energy while within the thermoneutral zone. A variety of factors determine the temperature experienced by a calf, including its age as well as wind, moister, hair coat, sunlight, bedding and rumination. An article from Penn State Extension reviews key factors in ensuring housing and feeding protocols. Learn more.

Your Farm - Your Footprint

KNOW YOUR NUMBER

PDP's Your Farm - Your Footprint puts your farm at the forefront of sustainability as the dairy supply chain looks to reduce its carbon footprint. Through 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. You own and are able to share this information, or not, with others as you so choose.

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

For Your Business Mind

MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT GROWTH can be especially challenging for small and mid-sized dairies with a need to replace facilities or equipment Michigan State University Extension researchers modeled four possible expansion paths for a 250-cow herd to evaluate economic outcomes and risk. Results showed that expanding herd size and infrastructure, without buying more land, produced the best financial performance over time. Robotic milking systems offered consistent returns but required higher production to match profitability. The findings help dairy producers weigh the costs, risks and opportunities involved in modernizing and scaling their operations. Learn more.

UNCHECKED RUMORS CAN ACT LIKE WILDFIRES in an organization, spreading misinformation, ending trust and distracting team members. The more effective way to address rumors is with authentic information combined with consistent, transparent communication and visible and approachable leadership. Trust is built over time by providing regular updates, clarifying decisions and reasons, and responding quickly when misinformation arises. Read more.

Member Profile: Josh Meissner

Josh Meissner is the third generation to lead Norm-E-Lane Farm, which was founded by his grandparents near Chili, Wisconsin. Along with son, Emmett, and a team of 70 employees, they operate two dairy sites in Clark and Barron Counties that include 4,000 milking cows and 3,000 heifers. They raise crops for the dairy’s feed production on 7,000 acres.

The farm evolved a number of times to reach its current size, starting with 18 cows and a team of horses on 160 acres in 1946. A focus on efficiency and sustainability have led to several renewable energy and waste reduction systems, including installation of a digester in 2008 and a manure bedding dryer in 2019. In 2022, they began capturing gas from the digester, turning it into liquid natural gas and injecting into a pipeline behind their farm.

Four Mile Creek Dairy, near Hillsdale, Wis., was purchased in July 2024. Both dairies feature two 50 stall parallel parlors where cows are milked three times a day.

PDP is a key part of the farm’s training programs for team members at every level.

“I participated in a number of workshops over the years and now we make an effort to send employees at all levels,” he said. “It’s really valuable for both middle managers and those just starting out to get off the farm for continuing education and to learn from outside experts.”