At the 2025 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference on September 10 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Dee Shafer (Shafdon Farms), Dale Brown (Jobo Holsteins), and Mark Mosemann (Misty Mountain Farm) will each share their unique story about the process of moving from a point of higher risk to becoming more financially stable. They will be part of a producer panel discussion facilitated by Dr. Robert Fry, a veterinarian and business consultant for producers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Titled “Leveling Up Pennsylvania Dairy,” the day-long conference on September 10 includes additional speakers who will challenge attendees to consider how to navigate rock-bottom years, learn how high-performing dairies can level up, and discuss how tariffs and trade policy impact global dairy markets.
The conference is planned for Wednesday, September 10, 2025 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PA Farm Show Complex (McClay Street Entrance) in Harrisburg, Pa. Discounts are available for dairy producers. Dairy financial consultants, lending representatives, and interested dairy producers can register online at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/financial-conference.
“For dairy farms who are operating from a point of very high risk, how have they turned things around to move toward growth? What steps did they take to rise above financial risks and eventually become financially strong and thriving? Who helped them along the way? Our panelists plan to answer these questions and more in this honest and enlightening discussion,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Whether you're guiding your dairy clients or managing a dairy farm yourself, this year’s conference is filled with sessions like this to help you level up. We hope to see you there.”
Dee Shafer grew up on a small dairy farm in Frederick County, MD. After high school, she attended Virginia Tech and earned a bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science in 2000. She continued her education at Virginia Tech and received a master’s degree in dairy science in 2002. After college she was a herdsman at Deer Spring Dairy in Middletown, MD for three years and then married her husband, Brent Shafer. They have been married for 20 years and have two daughters. At Shafdon Farms, Brent and Dee formed a partnership in 2009 with his parents, Denny and Teresa Shafer. They milk 400 Holstein cows and raise 360 replacement heifers.
Dale Brown is a partner at JoBo Holsteins Farm LLC in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he is responsible for nutrition, dairy labor management, and milking center maintenance. He is married to Jennie (Hess) who he met at Penn State. He and Jennie co-paster at Bethel Mennonite Church in Biglerville. They have four children and two grandchildren.
Mark Mosemann dairies in Fulton County, Pennsylvania where he partners with his wife, his parents, and brother to operate a 500-cow dairy. They farm 900 acres and raise all replacement heifers on the farm. Mark has a bachelor’s degree in dairy and animal science from Penn State and fulfills the role of general farm manger on the dairy. Mark and his wife, Lauren, have four children.
Dr. Robert Fry graduated from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 and then began a bovine veterinary practice on the Delmarva Peninsula. His career interest has always centered on production and health issues of dairy cows. He and his wife, Judy, operate a pasture based, robotic milking Jersey herd in Kennedyville, Maryland. He continues to provide consulting services to producers in the mid-Atlantic and provides technical support for the Pro Ag Premix Company in Lebanon.
To view the full program and register for the conference on September 10, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/financial-conference or call Valerie Mason-Faith at 717-346-0849.
