Participants learn from dairy-finance experts and apply core concepts to their own operations
DAIRY NEWS – Financial decisions shape the future of every dairy business, from managing cash flow and evaluating investments to planning for growth and navigating changing markets. Financial Literacy for Dairy®, presented by Professional Dairy Producers (PDP), gives dairy producers the skills and tools to make those decisions with greater confidence.
Designed for dairy producers and the professionals who work alongside them, including veterinarians, nutritionists and other agribusiness leaders, the multi-session program is the only financial literacy program developed specifically for the dairy industry. Its curriculum connects a broad range of financial principles to everyday realities, equipping attendees with the knowledge to better understand their dairy’s numbers and communicate more effectively with lenders, accountants, consultants and other farm advisors.
“I really felt comfortable with the small classroom environment and was at ease asking any question no matter how simple it seemed,” said Jamie Zappa of Ruedinger Farms, Inc., Van Dyne, Wisconsin.
The 2026-27 program kicks off with Level One, which starts November 11, 2026. All program sessions will be held at Moraine Park Technical College in Beaver Dam, Wis.
Level One provides four days of training over two sessions: Nov. 11-12 and Dec. 1-2, 2026. The sessions focus on core financial concepts, including understanding and constructing accurate financial statements.
Level Two provides six days of training over three sessions: Feb. 2-3, Feb. 17-18 and March 9-10, 2027. Building on the fundamentals, the program expands its focus to deeper levels of financial analysis, along with planning and budgeting to help participants apply financial information to business decisions.
Participants learn from leading dairy-finance experts Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD., professor of agribusiness at UW-Platteville and UW-Extension farm management specialist, and David Coggins, senior financial leader and retired agriculture loan officer. They understand the industry’s unique challenges and opportunities and provide practical strategies for attendees to explore financial concepts and apply what they learn to their own operations.
Attendees will complete an online assessment before the program to determine which level is the best fit for their experience and financial knowledge.
Dairy producers who participate in the program are encouraged to check with the lending partners involved in the “Count on Us” program, which provides attendees an opportunity for full or partial scholarships. Those partners recognize the value that comprehensive financial training provides to dairy producers and have committed to offering financial support to eligible registrants.
“Count on Us” partners include BMO, Citizens State Bank of Loyal, Compeer Financial, Dairy Business Consulting, Inc, Farmers & Merchants Union Bank, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Nicolet Bank and Rabo AgriFinance.
Registration information and more details are available at www.pdpw.org or by contacting PDP at 800-947-7379. Up to 32 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available from Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) for Level One and up to 48 DACE CEUs are available for Level Two.
Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
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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