Speakers Will Share Financial Benchmarking and Risk Management Fundamentals
During this year’s Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference, dairy lenders and financial professionals will hear from leading dairy industry professionals who will share financial benchmarking and risk management information. The event will take place on Wednesday, September 11 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Central Penn Conference Center, located at 600 Valley Road in Summerdale, Cumberland County.
“The tenth annual Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference provides an opportunity for dairy industry professionals to come together and learn how they can better serve their clients in the ever-changing U.S. dairy industry. Our speakers plan to talk about a variety of topics related to today’s dairy industry, including whole farm risk management plans and innovation opportunities to grow domestic and international demand for U.S. dairy products,” said Zach Myers, Risk Education Program Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence.
Featured speakers at this year’s conference include:
• Christine Brodeur with Dairy Farmers of America’s Risk Management Division — As Dairy Price Risk Administrator, Brodeur works with dairy farmer members in the Northeast and Southeast United States to build risk management plans for their operations, utilizing forward contracting programs and other options such as the new Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) program available through the USDA. Brodeur will share risk management strategies Dairy Farmers of America members are using and the fundamentals that should be part of any effective risk management plan.
• Gary Sipiorski with Vita-Plus, Inc. — Sipiorski will speak about “Benchmarking to Avoid Financial Risk.” Currently serving as the Dairy Development Manager with Vita-Plus, Sipiorski spent 17 years with Citizens State Bank (CSB) of Loyal and advanced to president and CEO. In 2008, he transitioned to his current role at Vita-Plus and continues to serve on the CSB board of directors. In addition, he served on the advisory committee on agriculture and industry for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He is also an advisor for the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, a co-trainer of PDPW’s Financial Literacy for Dairy Program, and a regular contributor to Hoard’s Dairyman and other agricultural publications.
In addition to sharing market dynamics, business planning advice, and farm management practices, the conference will include two informative panel discussions. Panel discussion speakers include:
• Mike Peachey, with Acuity Advisors and CPAs, and George Cook, an attorney with Blakinger Byler & Thomas — Peachy and Cook will lead a session designed to help producers through mergers, acquisitions and liquidations.
• Kara McDonald with U.S. Dairy Export Council and Jacqi Coleman and Judy Whisler with Dairy Management Inc.— McDonald, Coleman and Whisler will lead a panel discussion on innovation and opportunities in dairy, both domestically and in the global marketplace.
The cost to attend this year’s Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference is $200 per person, discounted to $150 for those who are representatives of the Center for Dairy Excellence Allies for Advancement. Registration information will be available in June. For more information about the program, visit centerfordairyexcellence.org.
Media Contact:
Emily Barge
717-346-0849
ebarge@centerfordairyexcellence.org