Speakers Will Challenge Attendees to Think of Ways to “Level Up”
For the Pennsylvania dairy industry, the best view usually comes after the hardest climb. There’s always another way to level up and find room to grow, not necessarily in cow numbers but in management practices and business acumen. Titled “Leveling Up Pennsylvania Dairy” and hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, this year’s Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference will be held on September 10 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the PA Farm Show Complex. Dairy financial consultants, lending representatives, and interested dairy producers can register online at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/financial-conference.
“From a panel discussion featuring three farmers who have turned things around financially in a high-risk environment to a consultant with more than 15 years of experience helping farmers increase their income and operational efficiency, you don’t want to miss this line-up of speakers,” shared Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Our speakers will challenge you to consider how to help your dairy clients navigate rock bottom years, how high-performing dairies can level up, how tariffs and trade policy impact global dairy markets, and how you can help your dairy clients access grant support.”
During the one-day conference, speakers will challenge attendees to answer these questions:
- What can underperforming dairies do to get turned around and how can high-performing dairies level up?
- 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 these farms take to rise above financial risks and eventually become financially strong and thriving?
- What kind of impact are we seeing in the global dairy market landscape, and what does this all mean for the overall dairy industry and the producers we work with?
- What resources are available to help producers when the capital investment associated with any dairy project can seem insurmountable?
View the full program and line-up of speakers:
- Cream of the Crop: What Sets Dairy’s Best & Brightest Apart? with Pauly Paul. What sets dairy’s best and brightest apart? What can underperforming dairies do to get turned around and how can high-performing dairies level up? What do the top 10% of dairies do that set them apart? Pauly Paul, dairy farm and ag business consultant and the owner of Complete Management Consulting LLC, will dive into all of this and more in this enlightening session.
- Leveling Up and Rising Above: Producer Panel with Dee Shafer (Shafdon Farms), Dale Brown (Jobo Holsteins), Mark Mosemann (Misty Mountain Farm), and Dr. Robert Fry, facilitator. 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? Dee Shafer (Shafdon Farms), Dale Brown (Jobo Holsteins), and Mark Mosemann (Misty Mountain Farm) will each share their unique story about the process in moving from a point of higher risk to becoming more financially stable. They will answer these questions and more during a producer panel discussion facilitated by Dr. Robert Fry, a veterinarian and business consultant for producers in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Tariffs, Trade Policy, and the Impact on Global Dairy Markets with Tony Rice. The conversation surrounding tariffs and trade policy has never been louder, but what points are truly worth dialing in on? What kind of impact are we seeing in the global dairy market landscape, and what does this all mean for the overall dairy industry and the producers we work with? Tony Rice, Trade Policy Director at the US Dairy Export Council and native of a PA dairy farm, will break down what tariffs and trade policy really mean for global dairy markets.
- Accessing Grant Support & Other Resources for Your Dairy Clients with Jayne Sebright, facilitator. Navigating the planning and capital investment associated with any dairy project can seem insurmountable, but there are plenty of resources out there to help. Hear from organizations about the unique and often untapped resources available to farm businesses – and hear from one producer who has figured out how to leverage the resources to find opportunities for their dairy.
For more information about the program and to register for the event, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/financial-conference or call Valerie Mason-Faith at 717-346-0849.
The Center for Dairy Excellence is a non-profit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2004. Bringing together people from more than 40 different dairy organizations in Pennsylvania, the Center’s mission is to enhance the profitability of the dairy industry by empowering people, creating partnerships, and increasing the availability and use of resources. Learn more at centerfordairyexcellence.org
