PDP Manager's Memo

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

April 8 - Optimizing crop rotation

Hear about optimizing crop rotations to prevent soil degradation and manage pests and diseases. The interactive conversation will also address the early-season pest and disease risks that crop producers should be aware of.

Todd Schaumburg, Part Owner and Agronomist, Tilth Agronomy

April 9 - Tile mapping: using tech to find grandpa's tile

Learn tips and tricks for using yield monitor data, air photos, field observations and other techniques to locate old drainage tile in fields, find broken tile, and map tile outfalls for monitoring during and after manure application.

Kevin Erb, CCA, Program Manager, Conservation Professional Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison

April 10 - Fresh ideas for healthy eating

As temperatures warm and field and farm work ramp up, avoid the temptation of junk food with mindful eating strategies and fresh approaches to nutrition. Leave with practical tips and resources to make healthy eating enjoyable, sustainable and effective.

Morgan Ekovich, Health and Nutrition Coach, Founder, Get Fit with ME

Access Now

Previously on The Dairy Signal

April 1

The “Coaching Corner” returns with an episode focused on adding weight to coaching conversations by introducing, communicating and carrying through with consequences.

Michael Hoffman, President, Igniting Performance

April 2

Learn how a prescribed fire can benefit the farm landscape, including where to use it, how to apply it and the resources that are available to farmers and landowners.

Britta Petersen, Senior Farm Bill Biologist, Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever
Jake Pulfer, Prescribed Fire Coordinator, Pheasants Forever, Inc.

April 3

As we kick off the second quarter of 2025, warmer temperatures and planting season are on everyone’s mind. Hear about the latest in agriculture and dairy markets and the news and trends driving them.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

Opportunities to Learn

Dairy's Visible Voice - Spokesperson Training

April 8 and 15

Durand, Wis., and Athens, Wis.

DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY to practice your communications skills, craft your message and boost your confidence in sharing your dairy's story. Join PDP and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for this impactful, focused one-day training program.

Learn more and register

2026 PDP International Tour

February 2-15, 2026

New Zealand

EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE, BEAUTY AND AGRICULTURE of New Zealand in the 14 day/12 night tour featuring stops on both islands. Participants will visit iconic cities, natural wonders and look at the unique low-cost, all-grass dairy sector. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 is required.

Learn more and register.

Dairy Currents

DEMAND FOR SINGLE SERVE PACKAGING is surging for dairy products, driven by convenience and increased snacking habits of Americans. A Supermarket Perimeter article highlights product categories that are evolving to meet these consumer demands, including more single-serve chocolate milk for children and aseptic packaging. There is considerable potential to increase cheese consumption with single-serve snack cheeses. A 2024 report showed that while 95% of U.S. households had consumed some type of cheese during the previous three months, only 62% of consumers used cheese as a snack. Learn more.

U.S. MEAT SALES SET RECORDS IN 2024 with sales of $104.6 billion, including a 2.3% increase in pounds sold and 4.7% increase in dollar sales over the previous year. The Power of Meat 2025 report found that 98% of U.S. households purchase meat and that 73% of Americans believe that meat is an overall healthy choice, with 90% saying that getting enough protein is important. Price continues to be a concern for consumers, with shoppers’ definition of value expanding to include price, quality, relevance, convenience and experience. The report highlighted that 62% of new unit meal sales came from Millennials, who focus more on health benefits, convenience and sustainability, as well as meal favorites, preparation devices, cook time and inspiration. Read more about the report and other trends from the 2025 Annual Meat Conference.

Your Farm - Your Footprint

Ready to take the next step?

Dairy farmers who have completed the first phase of the Your Farm-Your Footprint program and received their baseline scores are eligible for possible participation in cost share programs to make improvements on your operation. Funding is now available for eligible dairy farmers in specific milk sheds to receive financial assistance for adopting best practices that improve farm sustainability and operational efficiency.

Get started and learn your farm's environmental footprint today. Producers can receive grants for up to $9,750 (covering up to 2,500 acres) to confidentially learn their farm's environmental footprint score and understand how it is calculated. Dairy farmers interested in Your Farm – Your Footprint opportunities can learn more by visiting PDP's website or calling 800-947-7379.

The program is made possible by Dairy’s Foundation and sponsorship from Nestlé, furthering the commitment to achieving U.S. dairy’s sustainability goals. As a program sponsor, Nestlé’s involvement highlights the importance of industry-wide collaboration in achieving meaningful environmental progress.

For Your Business Mind

APRIL 15 IS ENROLLMENT DEADLINE for 2025 crop year for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs delivered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual, which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2025 are optional, producers must enroll, with a signed contract, each year. If producers do not submit their election revision by the April 15, 2025, deadline, the election remains the same as their 2024 election for eligible commodities on the farm. Learn more about the programs here.

IMPACT OF LABOR COSTS FROM AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEMS (AMS) was analyzed in an article from USDA’s Choices Magazine. While AMS technologies reduce the demand for milking-related activities, skilled labor is still required for monitoring the system. Overall, survey responses highlight three important results, including that AMS workers experience higher hourly wage increases overall compared to non-AMS workers, though trends vary by milking frequency. Second, labor needs across herd sizes differ between AMS and non-AMS farms, with the number of full-time workers remains relatively stable across all herd sizes for AMS herds, as maintenance functions tend to be consistent regardless of herd size. In contrast, non-AMS farms require more full-time workers as herd size increases. Finally, AMS adopters are more likely to employ part-time workers, while non-AMS farms rely more on full-time labor. Learn more in the full study.

PDP Podcast Weekly

Moral Courage

It is never too early or too late to embrace a noble purpose. As we hear from servant leadership trainer Tom Thibodeau, you never know how the good you do today will impact the lives of others tomorrow.