Dairy Producers and Industry Professionals Are Invited to Free Roundtable Meetings in November
Dairy producers and dairy industry professionals are invited to one of six free roundtable meetings being held across Pennsylvania this November. Hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence in partnership with the Penn State Extension Dairy team, the events will be focused on business planning for dairy operations. Attendees will receive a business planning template and learn the steps involved in developing a plan.
“A well-written business plan can help dairy producers identify their goals and get the entire family and team members on the same page in executing this plan,” said Zach Myers, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “We hope you’ll join us for a roundtable meeting happening near you. Whether you manage a dairy operation or work with dairy clients, our goal is to provide you with a business planning template, discuss the steps involved in developing a plan, and help you create a roadmap for decision making.”
The roundtable meetings will be held in six counties across Pennsylvania and include a meal followed by discussion. Advanced registration is encouraged at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/roundtable.
The Business Planning Roundtable Meetings will be held on the following dates and locations:
- Friday, November 5 from 8:30-11 a.m. – Lancaster County
Lancaster Farm & Home Center (1383 Arcadia Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601)
- Tuesday, November 9 from 8:30-11a.m. – Northumberland County
Good Wil’s Restaurant (24 Weaver Lane, Milton, PA 17847)
- Tuesday, November 9 from 1-3:30 p.m. – Tioga County
Lambs Creek Food & Spirits (200 Gateway Dr, Mansfield, PA 16933)
- Tuesday, November 16 from 8-10:30 a.m. – Blair County
Bistro at the Village Green (403 Village Way, Martinsburg, PA 16662)
- Tuesday, November 16 from 1-3:30 p.m. – Mercer County
Hoss’s Steak & Sea House (1948 Leesburg Grove City Rd, Grove City, PA 16127)
- Thursday, November 18 from 12-2:30 p.m. – Franklin County
Hoss’s Steak & Sea House (20 Falling Spring Rd, Chambersburg, PA 17202)
“Writing out a formal business plan is the only way to hold yourself accountable. It gives you grounding. It’s written. It’s not subject to the history of interpretation. It’s not a conversation you had at 5 a.m. in the barn,” said Jason Frye of Pleasant Lane Farms in Westmoreland County, Pa., who started a business plan after receiving a Transformation Team Grant through the Center. “A business plan makes it very clear what your plans and goals are. It doesn’t have to be complex. It can be two to three pages long. It allows you to benchmark yourself in a very honest fashion.”
To register for a roundtable meeting, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/roundtable or contact Heidi Zimmerman at hzimmerman1@centerfordairyexcellence.org or 717-346-0849.