PDP Manager's Memo

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.

May 13 - Analytical Tools for Assessing Changes to Milk Pricing under FMMOs

Learn about research that models the impact of changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order and the impacts on farm milk prices, producer incomes and the dairy supply chain. Insights from this research will inform key policy discussions impacting the future of U.S. dairy.

Dr. Charles Nicholson, Associate Professor, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences and Agricultural & Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jack Myers, PhD student, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences, UW-Madison

May 14 - Best Practices in Organizing Work

Tune in for a conversation on best practices in organizing work for yourself and your team to make sure everything gets done.

Tim Schaefer, CFP, Certified Family Business Advisor, Certified Professional Business Coach, Encore Consultants

May 15 - Market Update

As we near Memorial Day and the traditional start of summer, hear the latest news and analysis for agricultural and dairy markets and a look ahead at the rest of 2025.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

Access Now

Previously on The Dairy Signal

May 6

Tune in to hear about Essential Water Solutions – the next generation of feed storage – developed by Ben and Michael Jones of Dairy Nutrient Reclamation, and presented on the 2025 Nexus stage.

Ben Jones, Co-CEO, Dairy Nutrient Reclamation

May 7

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home or office. Tune in for this energizing session focused on decluttering and clearing out habits that are impacting your health and wellbeing and creating new ones.

Morgan Ekovich, health and nutrition coach, founder, Get fit with ME

May 8

Learn about the Digital Finance Platform from Bankbarn, a 2025 Nexus stage finalist, and the options for customized financial solutions that empower farmers to maximize profitability and operational efficiency

Dr. Dan Little, DVM, Head of Business Development, Bankbarn

Opportunities to Learn

2025 PDP INTERNATIONAL TOUR: NEW ZEALAND

February 2-15, 2026

LIMITED SEATS REMAINING for a trip of a lifetime with fellow dairy producers!

Travel to one of the world's most breathtaking destinations and experience a combination of agriculture tours, tourist attractions and amazing natural beauty of New Zealand. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000/person is required. Learn more and register.

PDP ACCELERATE™

July 22, 2025

Madison, Wis.

SET YOUR INTERNS UP TO STAND OUT as they prepare for career success.

PDP's Accelerate event is a unique, one-day opportunity for expert leadership training and professional development to enhance the on-the-job skills they've learned this summer.

Click here to learn more and to register your interns now.

For Your Business Mind

MASTER DELEGATION FOR BETTER RESULTS from your team, farm and business. Learning to delegate tasks can be one of the most challenging transitions for managers and leaders. However, the trait of a great manager is hiring good people, training them and providing resources, then letting them do their job, according to an article from Purdue University. Key elements in delegation include:

Clarify the goal, then step back
Set clear expectations, then trust the process
Track progress without micromanaging
Celebrate completion and give credit publicly

Learn more in the full article.

TURN CRITICISM INTO A CATALYST FOR IMPROVEMENT. While hearing criticism can be difficult, shifting our mindset to seeing criticism as an opportunity to improve can help. Instead of seeing it as an attack, try to view it as a window into how others perceive your actions or work, knowing that even the harshest feedback often contains nuggets of truth. Our emotions can often cloud valuable insights buried in the feedback, so taking time to cool off if criticism seems personal, then focusing on the message and whether it is targeted to a specific behavior, skill or outcome. Finally, once you’ve identified the valid points, develop an action plan to address them. Learn more in the full article.

Give Back During June Dairy Month

JOIN PDP FOR OUR 2ND ANNUAL COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE to give back to our communities and honor the hard work of our fellow dairy farmers during June Dairy Month. PDP will host a blood drive at our Juneau, Wis., headquarters from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18. Donors can look forward to receiving a $15 gift card from the American Red Cross, as well as delicious dairy treats provided by the PDP staff (think mac & cheese, ice cream and cheese) after their donation.

Learn more and schedule your donation time.

Your Farm - Your Footprint

HOW IS MY SCORE CALCULATED?

Your Farm - Your Footprint utilizes three environmental quantification tools to provide a full-scope look at your farm and its carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in three scores unique to your farm. The farm data generated from Your Farm - Your Footprint is yours and yours alone, and is not shared unless you choose to do so. Visit the website or email croy@pdpw.org to learn more.

FARM ES has been developed by the National Dairy FARM program, and takes into consideration the following farm inputs:

Milk production
Herd data
Rations
Manure management
Energy use

Cool Farm Tool uses the following information to determine carbon intensity:

Crop data
Yield, acres, fertilizer application, crop protection
Livestock data
Herd size, feed, manure management, energy use

EcoPractices utilizes your farm data to determine greenhouse gas emissions, including:

Field boundaries
Field management practices
Crop rotation, tillage, nutrient application, yield

For Your Dairy

DON’T FORGET DRY COWS AND HEIFERS when temperatures warm. The negative impacts of heat stress on lactating dairy cattle have been researched and communicated, but heat stress in dry cows can contribute to decreased milk production in the next lactation as well as a long-term impact on the developing calf. The developing fetus is unable to control its body temperature independently of the dam, so changes in the dam's core temperature can impact fetal temperature. Heat-stressed dry cows will have decreased placental function, decreased placental weight, and decreased placental blood flow, and on average, calves born to heat-stressed dams weigh 8.8 lbs. less compared to calves born to cows that had access to cooling during the dry period. Providing cooling mechanisms, including ventilation and air exchange in barns, or shade or portable sprinkler systems in pastures, can help reduce the negative effects associated with late gestation heat stress. Learn more in the article from Penn State Extension.

IS RUMINATION TIME AN INHERITABLE TRAIT? A genome-wide association study published in the Journal of Dairy Science found genes that underlie rumination time. The study included 452 mid-first-lactation Canadian Holstein cows. Researchers found 35 SNPs, 34 unique genes and 19 unique quantitative trait loci associated with rumination time. Candidate genes that could be involved in processes closely related to rumination were identified, including muscle contraction, fat and protein synthesis, and deposition in milk and muscle tissues. Future research could focus on validating the identified markers and candidate genes, as well as further exploring their applicability in breeding strategies targeting RT and its related traits. Learn more in the full study.

Foundation Focus: 2025 Plant a Seed Campaign

Another new addition to Manager's Memo! Each month we will highlight news and programs supported by Dairy's Foundation.

The eighth annual “Plant a Seed, Inspire a Dream” campaign raised $51,655 for Dairy’s Foundation’s work to support educational, sustainability and community outreach programs in the dairy industry.

During February and March, a friendly competition between two teams of dairy farmers and dairy industry professionals — the “Moo-lah Makers,” representing Dairy’s Foundation Board, and “Udderly Unstoppable,” representing Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) Board — encouraged donations to support the foundation. They raised funds online and in-person at the 2025 PDP Business Conference.

Dairy’s Foundation appreciates the generous support of everyone who contributed. A special thank you goes to four industry heroes — Pipping Concrete, Ag Country Farm Credit Services, Mullins Cheese, and CP Feeds — who stepped up with a generous commitment to match dollars donated.

“We appreciate the hard work of the volunteers and all of the donors in the Plant a Seed Campaign who are giving back to the industry they love,” said Brian Forrest, chair of Dairy’s Foundation Board of Directors and dairy farmer from Stratford, Wis. “The programming supported by Dairy’s Foundation will help strengthen relationships in our communities and build the next generation of leaders for the dairy industry.”

Learn more about Dairy’s Foundation on its website and follow on Facebook, Linked In, X, and Instagram.

Pictured from left to right are Josh Mullins of Mullins Cheese; Mark Cullen of CP Feeds; Dennis Pippen and Jake Theyerl of Pipping Concrete. Not pictured is Mark Groholski of AgCountry Farm Credit Services.

PDP Podcast Weekly

The Brain Needs Beauty

Tom Thibodeau shares a word he recently learned: Neuroaesthetics. This word or term explores how the brain perceives beauty and art, combining neuroscience with aesthetics. As we hear from Tom, beauty enhances all of our lives!