Dairy Producers Can Attend the PA Dairy Summit at Discount
For dairy producers who are looking to unlock their potential through networking, insight and inspiration, the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit is a nationally recognized conference for dairy farmers in all types of production. The 2024 event will take place on February 7-8 at the Lancaster Wyndham Resort and Convention Center in Lancaster, Pa. Thanks to grants and support from the Center for Dairy Excellence, Professional Dairy Managers of PA, and Summit sponsors, registration fees for dairy producers are set to be as affordable as possible. Dairy producers can attend the full, two-day Dairy Summit for $100, with one-day rates available for $50.
“Last year was the first Dairy Summit I was ever at, and it felt like it was the perfect timing for us. I liked how we were able to sit beside other farmers. I missed the breeding breakout session, but I ended up sitting right next to that speaker later during a main session. We talked for a little bit, and it helped me realize we’re all in this together. It was encouraging,” said Kerry Zeiset, a previous Dairy Summit attendee and Lancaster County dairy farmer. “As farmers, we shouldn’t always just be trying to put the next fire out. We should be trying to plan further ahead. That’s something I continue to think about after the Dairy Summit. It was nice just being able to focus on some of these topics a little more.”
Hosted by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and Center for Dairy Excellence, the 2024 Dairy Summit will include several dynamic keynote speakers who will lead sessions on real-time industry issues, including creating a multi-faceted family farm, building trust inside and outside the farm gate, innovating a producer-led marketplace, and navigating shifting dairy market dynamics.
Several dairy producers from Pennsylvania, New York and beyond will also lead panel discussions and breakout sessions on topics focused on employee management, innovation, profitability and growth, and more. The following sessions will feature dairy producers:
- Transitioning From a “Doer” to a “Manager” with Sarah Moag of Noblehurst Farms. As dairy farms grow, many farm owners struggle to make the leap from carrying out all the day-to-day tasks on their farm themselves to managing and delegating to a diverse team of employees to carry out those tasks. How can dairy producers make that transition? Hear how one farm intentionally approaches employee management.
- Who Should Be Part of Your Transition Team? with Tyler Rohrer, Lori Butler and Justin Risser. As producers navigate the farm transition and succession planning process, having the right family members, partners and consultants involved in the process can help them move forward and overcome hurdles. Hear from three dairy producers who will share how a team approach to transition planning benefitted their business.
- The Key to Achieving Low Employee Turnover with Rod Hissong, Tom Barley
and Pete Posner. What are the five most important things dairy managers can do to hire, train and retain high quality, high performing employees – especially in this economy? This panel of dairy producers will share their unique strategies for retaining employees over the long haul.
- Challenge the Status Quo: Balancing Profitability & Growth with Alan Waybright and Andy Young. Being growth-minded often involves challenging the status quo and “the way we’ve always done things.” However, growth can sometimes hinder profitability without a thoughtful strategy in place. This panel of dairy producers will open up about what their process has been like to achieve both profitability and growth – and how finding this balance has strengthened their dairy operations.
Registration is now open for the 2024 event. For dairy producers who want to take advantage of the discounts, visit www.padairysummit.org to register or contact the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit Business Office at 814-355-2467.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Email info@padairysummit.org for more information.