4650 Lindle Road
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Center for Dairy Excellence
Finding balance between the bulls and the bears in dairy markets can seem like a battle at best, chaos at its worst. There are so many variables, so many voices weighing in, and so much that is hard to predict. How do we ever find balance and solutions in this ever-changing marketplace? At this year’s Dairy Financial & Risk Management Conference, we’ll help balance the equation for you – with expert speakers who will break down the chaos into outlooks, forecasts, and solutions that offer opportunities for our industry and individual dairy farms. Nothing is certain in the dairy industry, but staying informed on the issues that matter most can help dairy producers make calculated, informed decisions about their futures.
Join us on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 for the 14th annual Dairy Financial & Risk Management Conference.
Fill out the form below to register and pay online!
Sessions and Speakers
The Dairy Market Equation: 2023 Overview and 2024 Outlook with Dr. Ken Bailey
Dr. Ken Bailey – Ken Bailey Dairy Consulting. Dr. Bailey comes to us with a PhD and Masters of Science in Agriculture Economics along with a Bachelors in Agriculture Business. He is an author and consultant with over 33 years of industry, government, and academic experience in dairy. Ken started his career as an economist with USDA. From there he became a professor at the University of Missouri and Penn State. After that, Ken earned his series 3 license and worked as a dairy commodity broker/consultant in Chicago, IL. More recently, Ken worked for Darigold, managing their risk portfolio, and working on strategy, planning, trade, pricing, and policy issues. He is author of the textbook, “Dairy Economics: Pricing, Policy, and Risk Management.”
Breaking Down Dairy Policy: Farm Bill and FMMO Reform with Dr. Chris Wolf and Paul Bleiberg
Dr. Chris Wolf – Cornell University. Dr. Wolf is the E.V. Baker Professional of Agricultural Economics and the Director of Land Grant Programs in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. Wolf conducts research, extension and teaching focusing on dairy markets and policy, livestock disease economics, farm business management, risk management, and farm animal welfare. He has published widely in academic and industry outlets. Wolf’s extension program stresses the effect of public policy on farm behavior and financial outcome, aiming to focus on issues of current and future importance to policy makers and industry decision makers.
Paul Bleiberg – Senior VP, Government Relations at the National Milk Producers Federation. Paul Bleiberg currently serves as Senior Vice President, Government Relations at the National Milk Producers Federation. In this capacity, he leads the organization’s policy and advocacy efforts before Congress and works closely with various federal agencies. During his tenure at NMPF, Bleiberg has worked with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to enact major dairy policy reforms, including in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, 2018 Farm Bill, and multiple COVID response packages. Prior to joining NMPF in 2016, Bleiberg served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI), a member of the House Agriculture and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees, during work on the 2014 Farm Bill and the 2012 and 2015 highway bills.
Climate-Smart Opportunities for Dairy with Brett Reinford (Reinford Farms), Curt Gooch (Land O’Lakes), Matt Royer (Penn State), and Mike Hosterman (Horizon Farm Credit)
Brett Reinford – Reinford Farms. Brett Reinford manages the business end of Reinford Farms in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. With his parents Steve and Gina Reinford, and brothers Chad and Drew, Brett is part of the innovative team that has built a 57-cow dairy in 1991 into today’s 800-cow operation with 32 employees and two profitable anaerobic digester systems that has put them at the forefront of renewable energy and environmental stewardship. Brett is involved in dairy advocacy opportunities and has served on several dairy related boards since coming back to the farm in 2012.
Curt Gooch – Land O’Lakes. Curt Gooch has had a lifelong professional career serving the dairy industry. His work contributes towards dairy environmental, economic, and social sustainability and having dairy product space on sustainable food plates. He currently works for Land O’Lakes’ sustainability company Truterra. Previous employment included Dairy Management Incorporated (DMI), Cornell University, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, and Rolling Acres Dairy Farm. Currently, Gooch and team are developing best-in-class methods to quantify the cradle to farm gate portion of the dairy value chain greenhouse gas footprint. This includes emissions for dairy cattle and their manure, feed production, and energy.
Matt Royer – Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. Matt Royer’s expertise is in environmental law and policy with an emphasis on water quality. He has over a decade of experience in building watershed coalitions and partnerships. Matt serves as faculty for the Environmental Resource Management program at Penn State. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Dartmouth College and his law degree from Duke University School of Law. Matt grew up on a farm on the banks of the Conewago Creek and resides in Mount Gretna.
Mike Hosterman – Horizon Farm Credit. Mike has been with Horizon Farm Credit and its predecessor organization for 33 years. In his role, Mike works with farm operations to conduct all types of strategic planning, business planning, transition/succession planning, budgeting, benchmarking, and efficiency reviews. During his 33 years at Farm Credit, Mike has worked with various ag operations and businesses in 6 states and has primarily worked with dairy clients to benchmark their operations and make profitable business decisions. Mike has served on the Horizon Farm Credit Dairy Team as one of the founding members, and as a contributor to their dairy outlook.
Calculating Where PA Stands: Performance Indicators with Samantha Gehrett and Rob Goodling
Samantha Gehrett – Penn State Extension. Samantha Gehrett is a Dairy Business Management Educator with Penn State Extension and is housed in Carlisle, PA. Her primary focus is to help dairy producers determine cost of production and develop farm business plans that help farms reach long-term goals and objectives. She brings experience in Accounting, Taxation, and Dairy Processing. This work is accomplished through on-farm visits, workshops and conferences and the development of tools and resources for producers and consultants.
Rob Goodling – Horizon Farm Credit. Rob Goodling is an agricultural business consultant with Horizon Farm Credit in the Lewisburg office. Rob has over 18 years of experience helping producers understand their farm business records and analyses to grow their operations. His specialties include financial business analysis, cost of production analysis, cash flow planning and budgeting, QuickBooks consultation and troubleshooting, dairy record evaluation, and team facilitation.