Dairy Producers Are Invited to Free Workshops on October 8 and October 15
This fall, dairy producers are invited to free workshops centered around risk management and financial literacy. Designed to make farm financials less overwhelming, the Center for Dairy Excellence and Penn State Extension will take complex financials and ever-changing dairy markets and break it all down to the fundamentals. The free workshops will be held on Thursday, October 8 in Lancaster and Thursday, October 15 in Chambersburg.
“If you find managing your farm’s financials to be an overwhelming process, our goal with these workshops is to take some of the stress out of managing risk and finances on your dairy farm” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Our speakers plan to decode milk price and market uncertainties, outline core financial metrics, and help you walk away with practical skills to make confident financial decisions for your farm.”
The free events will include lunch and three sessions. Attendees will also have the option to work one-on-one over lunch with an industry expert. Learn more about the workshops:
- Dates and Locations:
October 8, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Lancaster Farm and Home Center
1383 Arcadia Road
Lancaster, PA 17601
October 15, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Franklin County Extension Office
185 Franklin Farm Lane
Chambersburg, PA 17202 - Cost: Free
- Sessions:
- Decoding Dairy Markets. Jayne Sebright and Valerie Mason-Faith from the Center for Dairy Excellence will explore key factors that are currently influencing milk prices, including dairy market economics, domestic and global supply and demand, and other market highlights. They will also discuss today’s market uncertainties and emerging trends, so you can make better sense of market signals and prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
- Protecting Your Dairy’s Margins. Dr. Rebecca Weir from The Pennsylvania State University will cover the key federal dairy price risk management programs, including Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), and Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy (LGM-Dairy). Dr. Weir will break down how each program functions, share recent policy and program updates, and offer enrollment considerations to develop a risk management strategy tailored to your dairy’s needs.
- Farm Financial Fundamentals. Dr. Brian Reed, a dairy consultant, will dive into the key financial statements every dairy farm should know as well as calculating and interpreting core financial metrics. He will demonstrate how you can use these numbers to calculate your farm’s cost of production and evaluate your financial health to make confident, informed management decisions.
- Decoding Dairy Markets. Jayne Sebright and Valerie Mason-Faith from the Center for Dairy Excellence will explore key factors that are currently influencing milk prices, including dairy market economics, domestic and global supply and demand, and other market highlights. They will also discuss today’s market uncertainties and emerging trends, so you can make better sense of market signals and prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/rm-workshop or call 717-346-0849 to sign up for the free events. Contact Valerie Mason-Faith at vmason@centerfordairyexcellence.org with questions about the workshops.