DAIRY NEWS – Dairy producers are operating in an increasingly interconnected world as global trends and issues drive the policies, regulations and expectations impacting the industry. Attendees of the upcoming Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) Business Conference will hear the latest research and insights on sustainability, best practices, consumer trends and more from fellow dairy producers, leading experts and other dairy professionals.
The conference will be held March 12-13, 2025, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. A full slate of learning opportunities will help dairy farmers protect their social license to continue raising crops and animals in
today’s ever-evolving global marketplace. All sessions will be translated simultaneously into Spanish.
Sessions focused on protecting dairy’s social license include:
- “Demystifying carbon markets: The dollars and cents of sustainability,” presented by Patrick Wood, Ag Methane Advisors, will break down the complexities of carbon markets and uncover practical opportunities to enhance a dairy operation’s bottom line. (Day 1, afternoon breakout session).
- Dr. John Goeser, PhD, Rock River Laboratory, UW-Madison and Cows Agree Consulting, and Patrick Wood will separate fact from fiction in “Decoding enteric methane programs and feed additives.” The session aims to demystify methane-reduction programs and feed additive claims by understanding the science behind them, posing better questions, and identifying practical solutions to reduce the carbon footprint. (Day 2, breakfast breakout session)
- “Success stories from Your Farm – Your Footprint®” will feature a panel discussion on how dairy producers are tracking carbon emissions to make impactful changes on their farms and how data analysis drives innovation and sustainability. Panelists will include Paul Lippert, Grass Ridge Farm, LLC; David Trimner, Miltrim Farms; and Carson Duggar, Eocene Environmental Group. (Day 2, afternoon specialty session)
- Dairy farmer Thibaut Cordel will share the challenges and innovations shaping the French dairy industry in “French dairy farming: Future perspectives.” He will focus on key issues from labor dynamics to environmental strategies. (Day 1, Green Learning Lounge).
- “Dairying in the Netherlands” will feature Dutch dairy farmers Anton Stokman and Arjan Stokman. They will provide insights on the environmental strategies and labor practices they rely on and what they envision for the future. (Day 2, Red Learning Lounge)
- Sheri Schwert, UW Extension, will present “Unravel Phosphorous Stratification” to share research from the UW-Extension Ag Water Quality Team’s survey of phosphorous stratification in no-till systems with a focus on mitigating the risk to surface water of dissolved phosphorous loss. (Day 2, Green Learning Lounge).
- Brush up on the key terms related to carbon markets and sustainability that will shape opportunities in agriculture in “Carbon Jargon – what does it all mean?” presented by Patrick Wood. (Day 2, Blue Learning Lounge).
- “Tile mapping: Using tech to find Grandpa’s tile,” presented by Kevin Erb, UW Extension Conservation Professional Training Program, will provide tips and tricks for using yield-monitor data, aerial 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. (Day 2, Green Learning Lounge).
- “Ecological intensification for productivity, profitability, soil health and carbon sequestration,” will review a project that is part of the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial. UW-Madison’s Dr. Gregg Sanford, PhD, and Gideon Fynaardt will discuss how it is measuring yield, profitability and soil health over six years with a goal to identify sustainable strategies for dairy-forage and cash-grain systems. (Day 1, Preview Stage)
The 2025 Business Conference will also feature opportunities for the next generation of dairy leaders to build their skills, confidence and networks.
Students ages 15 to 18 have an exclusive opportunity to learn with their peers in two 75-minute “Future of Success” sessions. Facilitated by Michael Hoffman, owner of Igniting Performance, these courses are designed to build a teen’s leadership and communications skills alongside their ability to influence others. Scheduled for 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. and 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. on Wed., Mar. 12, the sessions will provide hands-on and interactive opportunities to master people skills and be able to think on their feet to articulate their ideas in any situation.
The TalentCONNECT® Reverse Career Fair will be held on Thurs., March 13, in the Hall of Ideas Equipment and Trade Show. This new event will flip the traditional job-fair model on its head and put students in the spotlight to display their résumé, portfolio and other materials as they seek a full-time position, internship, or co-op opportunity in the dairy industry. Applications to participate are due Feb. 18 and can be found on the PDP website.
Register today by visiting the 2025 Business Conference website. Also available are the English language flier, Spanish language flier, information on exhibiting at the event, and details on lodging with discounted rates at several Madison area hotels if booked by February deadlines.
The 2025 PDP Business Conference offers accredited training through such providers as Dairy AdvanCE (DACE), American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS), Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL).
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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