It’s easy to get off course in the volatile and ever-changing dynamics existing in today’s dairy industry. The 2019 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit program will offer encouragement and guidance to help dairy producers and industry leaders who attend this year’s conference, themed “Follow your compass.”
Myrannda Kleckner

This year’s dairy summit is scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6, 2019, at the Lancaster Marriott Conference Center.

Hosted annually by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE), this premier dairy event offers the latest technology and management insight to enhance individual dairy operations, while offering views on industry dynamics and the factors shaping agriculture in the U.S.

The keynote speaker line-up and breakout session topics for this year’s event will offer attendees the opportunity to learn about more techniques and resources that can be incorporated into business decisions to plan for the present and future of their operation or organization.

Learn from some of the best

  • Haydn Shaw, author of Sticking Points: How to Get 4 Generations Working Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart, will speak on “Leading Through Change.” This will include the process of leading through the six change reactions so you can make change more efficient and effective.

    Hailed as a “leadership guru” by the Washington Post, Shaw is known for taking groups from hilarity to deep reflection by combining rich content with use-tomorrow tools. He has also authored the books Expert in Generations and 6 Change Reactions, Productivity and Leaders and has been highlighted by TED Talks.

  • Tom Wall, known as the “Dairy Coach,” will be featured with his presentation on “Motivating Your Team.” He has been working with dairies throughout the country for over 17 years, helping managers create and implement simple systems that work while training and coaching their employees.

    Wall, based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, owns and operates Dairy Coach LLC and has been a regular columnist with publications such as Dairy Herd Management and Progressive Dairyman. He is also the creator of the “Details for Dairy” training video series, Dairy Interactive Milker Training simulator and the employee on-boarding app PeopleCOR.

  • Phil Clemens of Hatfield Quality Meats will share his insights and experience in the Summit Business Showcase. He will discuss the challenges he has faced in business and in agriculture, all while offering advice on how to grow business and family dynamics. Clemens is the CEO of Clemens Family Corporation and Hatfield Quality Meats.

    He has served the company as the family business ambassador chairman, as well as sitting on the board of trustees for Lancaster Bible College.

  • John Brubaker, a native of Lancaster County, will share his insights and experience in the Producer Showcase. Now a resident of Buhl, Idaho, Brubaker has been a lifelong dairy producer and co-owns Knott-Run Dairy LLC with his sons.

    In 1988, Brubaker was awarded as the Pennsylvania Master Farmer for his service in the industry. Now, as an active member for DMI, he serves as the chairman of the export committee and oversight committee. In addition, he is actively involved with the national and state dairy promotion boards.

  • Dr. David Dworak, deputy provost at the U.S. Army War College, will speak on “Reaching Your Leadership Potential.” This session will focus on local Pennsylvania history, insights of leading diverse organizations, dealing with complex environments and goal setting.

    As a retired U.S. colonel, Dworak has experience in supply chain management, logistics, program management and worldwide multimodal distribution. He currently teaches graduate-level classes at the U.S. Army War College.

Participate in workshops made for you

This upcoming summit includes a wide range of mini-sessions that offer insight for business decisions, family partnerships, animal health and agronomy. The breakout session topics for the 2019 Dairy Summit includes:

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  • Around The Table: “Finding Your Work Life Balance” with John Noullet and Jayne Miller of WellSpan PhilHaven. This session will focus on the factors that surround stress, how individuals can take control of stress and anxiety, and offer resources to find that balance.

  • At The Desk: “Developing Your Team Through Your Passion” with Tom Wall. This session will focus on how leaders and their teams can find success through productivity, accountability and dedication while offering resources and advice to meet team potentials.

  • With The Cows: “Disease Prevention Through Colostrum” with Dr. Billy Smith of PennVet. This session will focus on the approaches to starting calves with high-quality colostrum, including proper storage and preferred components, and their influences on disease prevention. Smith will highlight the importance of the quality of the immunoglobulin content in colostrum and how bacteria can impact its effectiveness.

  • In The Fields: “Agronomic Benefits of Integrated Small Grains into a Dairy Rotation” with Heather Karsten of Penn State. This session will focus on integrating small grains into a dairy rotation, such as spring soil moisture management, soil conservation, helping with manure nutrient management needs and weed control.

  • Around The Table: “Bridging the Generational Gap” with Haydn Shaw. This session will focus on how your business can have generations that work together as well as the 12 individual places they come apart.

  • At The Desk: “Making Peer Groups Work” with Robert Fry, Cory Myers and Charles Gardner. This panel will discuss the best management practices for work groups, how their groups had success and how they kept going, and how to start up a group.

  • With The Cows: “Comparing Calving Facilities” with Dr. Mike Kristula of Penn State. This session will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of calving facilities and his research on the best management practices on designing and maintaining calving care.

  • In The Fields: “Developing a Plan for Your Planting Needs” with Tom Kilcer of Cornell University. This session will focus on soils that drive the rotation which affects what the cows are fed. It is a whole-farm view where we use alternative and regular crops in a mix specific to each farm and the animals they are feeding.

  • At The Desk: “Working Through Mergers and Acquisitions” with Michael Peachey of Acuity Advisors and George Cook of Blakinger Thomas. This session will provide insight on the legal, business, finance, tax and process aspects of mergers and acquisitions.

  • With The Cows: “Livestock and Climate Change: Fact or Faked?” with Frank Mitloehner of UC – Davis. This session will mainly focus on the impact livestock has on the environment and climate change. In addition, Mitloehner will discuss his research in air quality and environmental physiology in relation to livestock production.

  • In the Fields: “Understanding WIP and Agriculture’s Role” with John Bell of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Matt Royer of Penn State. This panel session will focus on recommendations for a Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP), how it will affect individual farms, the timeline involved, how it can be more individual and the entities involved in the process.

It’s time to ‘follow your compass’

Thanks to grants and support from the PDMP and CDE, registration fees for dairy producers and all farm employees are set to be as affordable to farm operations as possible. Considering the challenging economics in the industry going into 2019, the CDE is committing an additional $50 for all dairy farmers so producer registration is only $75 for the first registrant and $50 for each additional person from the farm.

Additionally, there is a summit discounted group rate at $129 per night for single, double, triple and quad occupancy, plus state and local taxes. The deadline for reserving at the summit discounted rate is Jan. 21. Rooms will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. The reduced group rate is only available as long as there are rooms remaining within the group block.

After Jan. 21, the group discount is no longer guaranteed. Room cancellations must be made within 72 hours prior to arrival, or you are subject to a charge equivalent to a one-night stay. To make reservations at the group discounted rate, call the Lancaster Marriott at 1-888-850-6146 and ask for the Dairy Summit rate. end mark

In previous years, credits have been available for ARPAS members and AgChoice SmartStart programs for attendance to the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit sessions. The Pennsylvania Dairy Summit is approved for 4.0 credits through the SmartStart program. For more information about the SmartStart program, contact AgChoice Farm Credit.

To learn more about the program and to view highlights of the 2019 Pennsylvanian Dairy Summit program, go to Pennsylvanian Dairy Summit. Contact the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit business office with questions at 814-355-2467 or email Info@Pennsylvanian Dairy Summit.

Myrannda Kleckner is the communications and marketing manager with the Center for Dairy Excellence.