In today’s fast-changing dairy industry, continuing education has never been more important. However, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for the training and development needs of each member of the dairy team. To help employees meet their personal goals and achieve success, it’s key to find the right combination of programs and experiences.

The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation, also known as Dairy’s Foundation, is focused on making these continuing education opportunities available to everyone in the dairy community, as well as those who are curious about working with dairy.

Dave Zappa took a unique path to his role at Ruedinger Farms in northern Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. John and Karen Ruedinger are third-generation dairy farmers and, after Dave married their daughter Jamie, they became the fourth generation in the operation when they joined the team in 2015. Today, Dave is dairy manager while Jamie is the office manager and handles the farm’s financials.

“I didn’t grow up on a farm or go to school for anything ag-related,” Zappa says. “I grew into the dairy business.”

More specifically, he grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, earned a degree in operations management from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and worked at Harley-Davidson for 10 years.   

“After Jamie and I got married, we realized the farm was something we wanted to be a part of. Five or six years after we met, we moved back to the farm and I started working there,” he says.

Zappa’s background and experience in industry outside of agriculture provided a strong foundation and unique perspective for working with the farm’s team members. By the time he joined the business, he had already attended a number of industry programs to gain specialized dairy knowledge.

“John suggested I attend Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) business conference for a few years before I actually started working at the farm,” Zappa says. “It was a great way to learn about the industry and begin building networks while I was still working off the farm, and make sure it was a good fit.”

With dozens of top-notch speakers over the two-day conference, the annual business conference introduced Zappa to a variety of production, management and leadership topics.

When he began working at the farm full time, he continued to pursue professional development by attending Cornerstone Leadership Academy, which is a three-tiered leadership development program underwritten by the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation.

“The goals of the foundation are to nurture the next generation of dairy leaders, develop the skills of current dairy producers and strengthen the bond of public trust between consumers and producers,” says Brian Forrest, chairman of the board of directors for Dairy’s Foundation and dairy farmer from Stratford, Wisconsin. “Cornerstone Leadership Academy meets all those objectives and provides practical tips attendees can put into action immediately.”

Developing strong teams was a priority in Zappa’s career at Harley-Davidson, and he sees Ruedinger Farms’ commitment to communicating with its 19 employees as an integral part of the dairy’s success. The farm has grown steadily from milking about 80 cows in 1996 to a current herd size of about 1,500.

“For any company or farm, people are the most important aspect to its success,” Zappa says. “In my previous role, we were constantly training, developing and working with employees to reach their goals. Here at the dairy, we work to do that through good communications and focusing on our team.”

In addition to formal training programs and workshops, Zappa has developed a network of dairy producers he can reach out to with questions or bounce ideas off of. He also shares his experiences with the next generation of dairy professionals through the PDPW mentor program.

“John served as a mentor for a number of years and now I’ve been working with the (college-age) students as they visit us each year,” he says. “It’s a great way to expose young people to different aspects of the dairy industry and let them dig deeper into areas they are interested in.”

Zappa tailors each student’s mentorship experience based on their individual interests, whether that’s working with cows and calves, learning about crops or discussing the financials of the operation.

“Serving as a mentor is also an opportunity for those of us at the dairy to learn from the students about some of the latest research and trends in the industry,” he says.

While Zappa’s professional experience prepared him well for many areas of the dairy farm, ongoing educational programs have opened his eyes to several areas critical for today’s dairies.

“The programs I’ve been involved with have expanded my awareness of what happens across the entire dairy industry,” he says. “Having lived and worked in the suburbs of Milwaukee, I hadn’t thought about the importance for farms to work with community members, building relationships with neighbors and establishing broad networks across the industry.”

One of the ways Ruedinger Farms builds those relationships has been by serving as a host of Agricultural Community Engagement twilight meetings. Held at different farms each August, the meetings provide an opportunity for the public to tour the host farm and participate in open discussions among other neighbors, farmers, local elected officials and community leaders about important topics. Conversations about water, community development, resource management, changes in ag and rural communities, and roads and transportation have led to broader understanding among neighbors on all sides of the fence.

The importance of communications and transition planning in multi-generation businesses is another important topic for today’s dairy producers, he says.

“In corporate America, when one person leaves, that spot is typically filled and you keep working, but that can be more challenging in a multi-generational family business,” Zappa says. “Professional development programs have been a great way to understand the importance and difficulty of generational differences, and how to plan ahead for changing roles and transitions among family members.”  

The following update is provided by the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation, which raises funds nationwide and awards grants and sponsorships for educational programs and initiatives that benefit the U.S. dairy community. PDPF is committed to uniting the dairy community on issues of common concern to achieve its vision of a professional, proactive and prepared dairy community.