After a virtual conference in 2020, the Northeast Dairy Management Conference, presented by PRO-DAIRY and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA), was back live and in person this spring. Offering topics ranging from technical skills to professional development, the well-regarded biennial event attracted over 350 progressive dairy producers, agriservice professionals, university faculty, extension staff, speakers, and sponsors from 23 states to network and learn.

Top-rated conference presentations highlighted in this issue include: 

• Motivational speakers Mark Mayfield and Holly Green kicked off each day with tools and techniques to increase stress management and resiliency to change, which builds capacity to lead.
  
  
• Haydn Shaw, a popular generational speaker and writer, shared strategies on how to bring five generations together, including how to motivate employees and reduce generational turnover.
  
  
• Dr. Richard Stup, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development, emphasized the importance of professionalizing human resource management on farms, from proper equipment and clean workspaces, to clear expectations and standardized human resource processes.
  
  
• A panel of leaders from a national policy organization, a dairy farm, academia, and allied industry discussed goals and continued progress toward dairy environmental sustainability and competitiveness in the global marketplace. Goals of the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative for the U.S. dairy industry are to collectively by 2050 achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality, optimize water use while maximizing recycling, and improve water quality by optimizing utilization of manure and nutrients.
  
  
• A roundtable of past Dick Popp and PRO-DAIRY Agriservice award winners who share their insights on leadership and service. Richard Popp was co-owner of Southview Farm of Castile and Groveland, NY and achieved a local and national reputation as a creative, progressive, and successful dairy farmer. At this year’s conference dairyman John Noble was honored by NEDPA with the Richard Popp Memorial Leadership Award. 

General session presentation recordings from the 2022 conference are available for purchase at Cornell Cals - Northeast Dairy Management Conference.

This article appeared in PRO-DAIRY's The Manager in July 2022. To learn more about Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, visit PRO-DAIRY.