Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) introduces Dairy AdvanCE, a new online, one-stop professional development shop for the dairy industry.
“We designed Dairy AdvanCE so farmers can easily take control of their continuing education [CE] and position themselves for success,” says PDPW President Mitch Breunig, who owns and manages Mystic Valley Dairy LLC in Sauk City, Wisconsin.
“Consumers’ expectations of farmers and farming are changing, and it’s affecting the entire food chain,” he explains. “It’s never been more important for dairy farmers to be proactive and prepared to demonstrate our dedication to continuous improvement. Dairy AdvanCE makes that easy.”
At the Dairy AdvanCE website, you’ll find vetted, high-quality dairy education and training programs, workshops and accredited CE opportunities on a wide range of topics – from animal care to human resources, financial management to environmental stewardship. This online resource also lets farmers and their on-farm team members easily track their CE credits and advancement toward their professional development goals.
Another advantage is the ability to print CE transcripts, so farmers can demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement in their business plans to lenders and partners. “Dairy AdvanCE offers training, tracking and reporting all in one spot,” shares Breunig. “These are the benefits the industry valued most when we tested the concept with dairy farmers, allied industry and education providers.”
PDPW verifies each training for content quality and rigor, including speakers’ expertise and assurance of non-promotional content. There’s no need for farmers to waste time searching for qualified training opportunities because this resource gathers them all in one spot.
West central Wisconsin dairy farmer Darci Daniels believes in Dairy AdvanCE. “The idea of an online resource of top-quality training and education offerings is spot on. I can search for something specific or discover programs that I didn’t even know existed,” she says.
Those who market and provide services to dairy farmers could benefit from this resource. “Knowing the person I’m dealing with has a qualified base of knowledge means productive conversations about our farm,” Daniels adds.
While PDPW developed Dairy AdvanCE for farmers, anyone in the dairy industry can subscribe. This includes allied industry professionals such as veterinarians, nutritionists, technicians, field and sales representatives, as well as food system, legal and public service professionals.
Dairy AdvanCE is free for dairy farm owners, farm managers and on-farm team members. For all others, there is a $50 annual subscription fee. To learn more or subscribe to Dairy AdvanCE, visit the Dairy AdvanCE website or subscribe via email, or call (800) 947-7379. 
–From Professional Dairy Producers news release
PHOTO 1: Dairy AdvanCE will include a wide variety of high-quality training and education opportunities for farmers and allied industry professionals.
PHOTO 2: PDPW Board President Mitch Breunig owns and manages Mystic Valley Dairy LLC, which milks 430 registered Holsteins and has 450 young stock. “It’s never been more important for dairy farmers to be proactive and prepared to demonstrate our dedication to continuous improvement. Dairy AdvanCE makes that easy,” he says. Photos courtesy of Professional Dairy Producers.
