DAIRY NEWS – Today’s dairy farmers and industry professionals know the importance of knowing the latest in research, management practices and news. Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) introduces its 2024-25 Educational Programs Calendar with a full schedule of virtual and in-person training opportunities in multiple formats – all focused on the industry’s most timely topics.
The PDP program calendar is developed by the organization’s producer-led board of directors with input from PDP members across Wisconsin and other areas of the country based on the educational needs they feel are most urgent. Programs are designed for dairy farm owners, managers, employees and allied industry with a focus on building and strengthening the entire dairy community.
“As the dairy industry changes more quickly than ever before, so must dairy farmers, their teams and professionals that serve them,” said Shelly Mayer, executive director of PDP and dairy farmer from Slinger, Wis. “We are excited to bring a full slate of educational programming to equip the entire dairy community to stay at the leading edge of their businesses.”
Mayer noted that expanding simultaneous Spanish-translation services, forming alliances with other industry stakeholders and providing multiple learning formats are all part of PDP’s overarching mission to help dairy producers succeed.
Signature programs that PDP will once again facilitate include:
- Accelerate™ (July 24, 2024) provides a one-day workshop for agricultural interns to enhance their summer experience and prepare to enter the workforce.
- Agricultural Community Engagement® (ACE) Twilight Meetings (August 26, 27, 28, 29, 2024) will feature farm tours and open conversations with community leaders on topics critical to rural Wisconsin. Organized by the Wisconsin Towns Association, Wisconsin Counties Association, Pheasants Forever and PDP.
- Financial Literacy for Dairy provides two levels of dairy-focused financial training:
- Level 1 – Nov. 13-14, Dec. 4-5, 2024
- Level 2 – Jan. 22-23, Feb. 5-6, Feb. 26-27, 2025
A separate related training will be offered Oct. 30-31, 2024, to teach advanced finance and business management concepts
- Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference (Sept. 21, 2024) is a one-day program for youth ages 15 to 18 to build leadership, teamwork and communications skills.
- Dairy Insights Summit (Dec. 3, 2024) will bring together innovative farmers, industry professionals and policymakers to understand and discuss today’s complex issues.
- Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals® (Jan. 14-16, 2025) is a unique opportunity for executive level training with national speakers, out-of-industry tours and networking with progressive, forward-thinking peers.
- Dairy Wellbeing Workshop (Feb. 11 and 12, 2025) will cover key topics to improve animal care on farms and provide a rare opportunity to tour a meat-processing facility from cooler to harvest floor.
- The Dairy Signal® is a 60-minute webinar airing three days a week, providing interactive conversations with leading experts in dairy, leadership and management topics.
PDP will also offer a number of programming opportunities with simultaneous Spanish translation, including:
- Dairy Managers Institute® (Dec. 10-11, 2024) features three tiers of training to equip today’s dairy managers with the skills to become effective team leaders.
- Herdsperson Workshop (Oct. 29 and 30, 2024) will key in on some of the biggest challenges in managing dairy herds and is designed for dairy farmers, herd managers, nutritionists, veterinarians and more.
- Calf Care Connection® (Oct. 15 and 16, 2024) will provide a deep dive into key issues for raising healthy calves.
- Cornerstone Dairy Academy® (March 11, 2025) delivers training for critical leadership and people-development skills in the three-pillar training program designed for dairy farmers and industry professionals.
- PDP Business Conference (March 12-13, 2025) will feature a full slate of leading experts, producer panels and networking opportunities.
An exciting addition to the 2024-25 calendar is the PDP International Tour to Italy, set for April 5 through 17, 2025. A detailed itinerary and pricing for this once-in-a-lifetime trip will be announced in early July.
Details and registration information are available for all programs at www.pdpw.org or by calling PDP at 800-947-7379. Due to the rapidly changing environment in the dairy industry, our program calendar remains flexible to adjust to member needs.
Dairy farmers, students and industry professionals can find, track and record their continuing education and professional development through Dairy AdvanCE®. The online tool has emerged as dairy’s go-to resource for finding accredited professional development offerings. Learn more and register at dairyadvance.org. Several programs will also qualify for continuing education credits from programs including ARPAS, CCA and RACE.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
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