PDPW Manager's Memo

November 2023 Vol. 2

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Dairy Managers Institute®

December 12-13, 2023

Juneau, Wis.

CAN’T MISS LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR ALL LEVELS OF MANAGERS! The Dairy Managers Institute provides three tiers of training to give English and Spanish-speaking dairy managers the tools, strategies and confidence they need to be successful leaders in our ever-changing industry. Facilitated by top-tier trainers Dr. Becky Stewart Gross, Michael Hoffman, Dr. Kevin Bernhardt and Linda Swindling, attendees will build their communications, leadership and financial acumen. Attendees will select one tier to complete in the two-day workshop to be held at PDPW headquarters in Juneau, Wis.

Learn more and register here.

Opportunities to learn

EXPLORE CALIFORNIA

Feb. 11-17, 2024

California

GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT TOP DAIRIES, CREAMERIES AND MORE on the 2024 Experience California tour. The five-day trip includes tours of some of the top dairy farms in the state, Hillmar Cheese and Rosa Brothers Dairy and Milk Company, and a full day at the World Ag Expo to network and learn from leaders across the industry. There is plenty of time for sightseeing and relaxing, too, with visits to Yosemite, Napa Valley and Sonoma. Space is limited, so don’t wait to register!

Learn more here.

Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals®

Jan. 9-11, 2024

Baton Rouge, LA

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM CRAWFISH, RICE, BASEBALL AND PET FOOD INDUSTRIES? The 2024 Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals will include a full day of out-of-industry tours to gain insights into how other leaders managed through change and adapted to evolving market conditions. Attendees will also learn from facilitators Jacob Shapiro, Jason Karszes and Dr. Richard Kyte.

Learn more and register on the PDPW website.

Cornerstone Dairy Academy®

March 12-13, 2024

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR 2024 CORNERSTONE DAIRY ACADEMY! Build your leadership skills at this dynamic, application-based training led by top facilitators. This is the perfect opportunity for college students, recent graduates and anyone who wants to build or restructure their leadership skills in our ever-changing industry. Applications are due January 31, so don’t wait! Learn more.

NEXUS®

Application Deadline: January 15, 2024

Applications are being accepted for innovators to showcase their cutting-edge technologies on the Nexus stage at the 2024 PDPW Business Conference. Scheduled for March 13-14, 2024, at the Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells, five finalists will be chosen to receive 15 minutes of stage time in the presence of the industry’s most forward-thinking dairy farmers. Attendees will have five minutes to engage in Q&A with the presenters for more details. Application deadline is January 15, 2024.

Click here for the application and more details, including a complete list of finalist rewards.

DAIRY ADVANCE® CREDITS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE DAIRY SIGNAL. PDPW members know that continuing education is key to personal development and business success in today’s dairy industry. The Dairy Signal® educational webinars are now accredited through Dairy AdvanCE® (DACE), and dairy professionals can earn up to 0.5 DACE continuing education units (CEUs) for each episode by completing a brief online quiz after watching.

Dairy AdvanCE is an online continuing education management tool for dairy farmers and other professionals that simplifies finding, tracking and managing CEUs. Click here to learn more. Farmers and students are eligible for a free subscription; allied industry professionals can subscribe for a one-time fee of $75.

For your dairy

UNDERSTANDING RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF JOHNE’S DISEASE FROM COW TO CALF was the focus of a research study in the United Kingdom and published in Preventative Veterinary Medicine. The researchers studied the transmission of MAP (Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis), which causes Johne’s Disease. They found infection risk is partly, but not entirely, driven by the dam’s infection status. Even when potential transmission by colostrum is removed, the dam’s impact persists. In addition, dirty calving environments can also increase the risk of MAP infection in newborn calves. Learn more in the full study.

UNDERSTANDING COLOSTRUM QUALITY AND PRODUCTION to deliver the best benefits to newborn calves was the topic of a recent episode of The Dairy Signal. Dr. Sabine Mann, associate professor at Cornell University, and Trent Westhoff, PhD candidate, reviewed the latest research that impacts colostrum production. They focused on cow management, harvest procedures and post-harvest management of colostrum, including guidelines for storing and heat treating colostrum after harvest. Watch the full episode here.

PDPW PRIME®

CONTACT PREMIER DAIRY SUPPLIERS WITH PDPW PRIME® to find seasonal specials offered by leading dairy-industry companies and service providers. PDPW Prime companies represent a multitude of allied industry organizations, including businesses representing animal health, artificial insemination, buildings and facilities, crops, feed and feed additives, implements and equipment, milk handling equipment and more.

Make pdpw.org/prime your one-stop shop to take the hassle out of finding an industry professional for the services and resources you need.

For your business mind

TIME TO START SETTING FARM AND EMPLOYEE GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR. As we wrap up 2023 and look ahead to 2024, it is the perfect time to set goals for production, profitability, quality or other priorities specific to your dairy’s priorities and needs. The goal-setting process should be transparent to employees so that the entire team has a common purpose and focus, and research has found that the most effective goals are specific, have tight deadlines and include a public commitment. Learn more in an article from Penn State Extension here.

HOW CURIOUS ARE YOU? An article from Fast Company highlights the reasons that curiosity is one of the most important traits for today’s CEOs and leaders. Even as technology provides more data and information than ever before, asking questions is key to making sure the data is accurate and addressing the correct problem. Asking questions is also important in analyzing new business ideas and building strong relationships with team members, advisors and partners. Read more here.

IMPROVE MINDSET AND PRODUCTIVITY BY STOPPING COMPLAINING. It is easy to fall into a routine of complaining, but those negative thoughts can have a significant impact on your mindset and productivity. Your complaints can also be a negative influence on co-workers. Here are a few strategies:

Be self aware and recognize when you tend to complain
Identify triggers
Practice gratitude
Reframe your thoughts
Limit exposure to negativity

Read more tips in the full article.

The Dairy Signal

CONNECT WITH EXPERTS, LEARN FROM PEERS. Three days a week, The Dairy Signal® connects you with leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries to researchers at universities and government agencies to bring updates on the trends and topics that will affect your dairy business. The 60-minute sessions air every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with recorded episodes available at www.pdpw.org. Click here to tune in to archived sessions.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:

November 14

Economic factors outside of agriculture impact agricultural profitability every year. Currently, there are many uncertainties that farmers face: inflation, interest rates, trade disruptions, technology innovations. These factors all have long-term implications to the five strategic levers of profitability a farmer can pull to increase profitability for their farm.

Dr. Brady Brewer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics Department, Purdue University

November 15

Learn the difference between “reinforcement” feedback that encourages continued positive behaviors and “redirection” feedback designed to improve performance and engagement, and how you can effectively use each with your team members.

Liz Griffith, Liz Griffith Family Consulting

November 16

Understanding cost of production is the foundation of effective dairy management. Hear the results of recent studies as well as ways to calculate cost of production and how it can be used to make management decisions.

Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, Professor of Agribusiness at UW-Platteville School of Agriculture and Farm Management Specialist with UW-Extension and Center for Dairy Profitability
Dr. Charles Nicholson, Associate Professor, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences and Agricultural & Applied Economics, UW-Madison

November 21

Go beyond the basics in this interactive discussion about colostrum, including what is in it and the factors that influence colostrum quality. Learn why feeding colostrum more than once can benefit newborn calves.

Dr. Sabine Mann, PhD., Associate Professor of Ambulatory and Production Medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Trent Westhoff, PhD candidate, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

November 22

As 2023 winds down, tune in to hear about the news and trends that will influence dairy and ag markets for the rest of the year and into 2024, with a focus on how it will impact your farm or business.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst at AgResource

Dairy currents

GUIDELINES AVAILABLE FOR HIRED AG YOUTH WORKERS. Hiring young people for seasonal or part-time roles on farms requires a special focus to ensure tasks are suited to their age and physical ability and that they receive different training and supervision than adults. A set of guidelines from the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety identifies potential hazards for common agricultural tasks with recommendations for training and age-specific responsibilities. Printable tip sheets are also available to share with team members. Learn more here.

SALES CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE BUTTER CATEGORY. Sales of refrigerated butter products hit $4 billion for the first time in the 52 weeks that ended Aug. 13, continuing strong sales years for the entire category. An article in Dairy Foods reviews trends in the category, including growth in butter blends, snack spreads and more. Flavorings like pumpkin spice, Lawry’s seasoning, sundried tomato and basil, and chive and onion, are driving consumer demand and new uses. Read the full article to learn more.

LABELING PRESENTING LEGAL, CONSUMER CHALLENGES FOR “CULTIVATED MEAT.” In 2019, the USDA and FDA agreed to jointly regulate alternative protein products made from cultivated meat cells, and regulators have landed on the term “cultivated meat” for these products. However, there are still numerous, hurdles ranging from state-level labeling requirements about how to use the word “meat” to consumer attitudes and concerns about how language on labels could trigger class action litigation in the future. Read more in this Food Dive article.