DAIRY NEWS – Two days of educational sessions, hands-on learning and previews of dairy research and innovative technologies are all in store for dairy producers attending the 2026 Business Conference presented by the Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP). The 2026 conference will be held March 4-5 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis.
“They say that ‘iron sharpens iron,’ and that is true at PDP Business Conference,” said Paul Lippert, Pittsville, Wis., dairy producer and PDP board president. “Investing just 48 hours of time to attend the conference can translate into million-dollar ideas and insights that can help improve efficiencies, animal health, profitability and team productivity.”
Several of the sessions focused on business management and dairying amidst a volatile business environment include:
- The “Manage the unpredictable” panel discussion will feature Mike North, president-producer division at Ever Ag, and Will Babler, principal, Pinion Risk Management, LLC. They will provide practical risk management options to safeguard an operation and make more confident financial decisions in a time of market volatility. The session will be facilitated by Tim Swenson, founder and consultant, Swenson Management Service, LLC.
- In “On the front lines of dairy succession,” dairy producers Annie Link and Josie Riser will provide firsthand insights specific to navigating family and business transitions. The session will be facilitated by Kurt Petik, senior relationship manager at Rabo AgriFinance.
- Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus of Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech University, will present “Building a resilient dairy business,” highlighting that three diverse revenue streams are critical to thriving in today’s dairy business.
- “Turning insurance into a strategic business asset,” will be presented by Marissa Nehlsen, entrepreneur and business strategist. This session will deliver seven proven strategies to maximize, mobilize, and monetize insurance to support continuity planning, key-person risk, ownership transitions, estate equalization, buy sell planning, and debt management.
The full list of educational sessions and speakers is available on the 2026 Business Conference website at www.pdpw.org/businessconference. All educational sessions will be simultaneously translated into Spanish.
In addition to more than 50 learning sessions, more than 40 speakers will lead sessions in several formats, including break-out, hands-on and learning lounge presentations, university research updates and Nexus® presentations.
Visit the 2026 Business Conference website for the conference flier, and information on exhibiting at the event. Details on lodging are also available, with discounted rates at several Madison area hotels if booked by February deadlines. Learn more here.
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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