On March 13-14, nearly 1,200 dairy producers and industry professionals gathered for the 2024 Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) Business Conference in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
With a theme of “Driving Innovation,” the conference featured more than 50 speakers presenting interactive sessions that included simultaneous translation into Spanish.
The event also showcased a trade and equipment show, the Nexus Stage previewing new technologies and innovations, youth-leadership programming, expanded networking opportunities, evening entertainment and more.
The conference featured more information about PDP’s recently launched Your Farm – Your Footprint, a farmer-led sustainability initiative. Dairy producers Mitch Breunig of Sauk City, Wisconsin; and JJ Pagel of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, were on the main stage to share their experiences as participants in the new initiative. The session also featured insights from Sustainable Environmental Consultants agronomist Carson Dugger and PDP Executive Director and dairy producer Shelly Mayer. Read more about this presentation on page 17.
Seeking continuous improvement
Keynote speaker Brent Gleeson, founder and CEO of TakingPoint Leadership, is a Navy SEAL combat veteran. He shared his personal journey and experiences in the Naval Special Warfare community, emphasizing the importance of leadership, mindset and cultural principles in shaping the most elite Special Operations units in the world. These same principles can be applied to any team at work, home, sports, school or church, Gleeson said.
“Driven individuals in any team in any organization anywhere in the world can come together to overcome obstacles and achieve seemingly impossible goals,” he said.
Any leader on any team can leverage many of the same tools, which are to continue to learn how to lead yourself and others with passion, humility, consistency and empathy; to build a culture of accountability and high trust within your teams; and to nurture an environment of continuous improvement.
He explained, “When leading and building high-performing teams, you must also create a cultural environment of leadership at all levels, thereby giving us the opportunity to decentralize decision-making and increase the speed of execution.”
High-performing teams embrace the discomfort of change and innovation. “They use it to their advantage, and they work consistently beyond the boundaries of their comfort zone,” Gleeson said.
At the onset of Navy SEAL training, he said students learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable. The few students who remain after basic training learned to face challenges head on and know well that “The only easy day was yesterday.”
In business, this doesn’t mean we are making our lives more complex or more challenging than it needs to be.
By always innovating, pushing the boundaries, leaning into creativity and collaboration, finding new and inventive ways to achieve better and better outcomes, it usually comes with a little bit of discomfort. “To that I say, ‘Good’ because that is how we know we are growing as individuals, as leaders, as teams and as organizations,” he said.
Geopoltical forces
Jacob Shapiro, partner and director of geopolitical analysis for Cognitive Investments, identified the latest insights regarding the geopolitical forces expected to shape the planet over the next five years.
Fertilizer has been the most important invention for the global food system. It has led to an increase in food production, cheaper prices and the ability for the U.S. to export agricultural products to maintain its geopolitical influence.
Despite the progress in reducing hunger with greater production, food insecurity is on the rise, and 15% to 30% of what is produced is wasted.
“I know of no other industry besides agriculture where you can waste 15 to 30 percent of your product and stay in business,” Shapiro said.
As more and more countries choose to produce their own food instead of relying upon imports, we will move to a multipolar world instead of a unipolar world with a single dominant country.
This is supported by parts of the world pursuing different energy sources which will also decouple the economy, he explained.
In looking at events happening around the world, Shapiro said, “The U.S. presidential election is the biggest geopolitical event happening in the world this year.” All countries, whether our allies or not, are essentially in a holding pattern to see what we will do.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Shapiro was once optimistic for a good outcome for Ukraine, but he said he is now growing more pessimistic as the Russian military is showing signs of competency while Ukraine is growing exhausted. Ukraine continues to be dependent on the U.S. and European Union for money and weapons. Whether that support will continue will be a big factor in the outcome.
China is also in a position of weakness, Shapiro said. Its economic growth is only 5.2% and they are using deflation to encourage consumption in the country.
Mexico also has a big presidential election this year, but the outcome isn’t in doubt like it is in the U.S.
Polls are favoring the incumbent, who supports their national development plant that encourages food self-sufficiency, which would impact U.S. exports to Mexico.
Lessons from logging
A third-generation logger from a small town in northwestern Montana, Bruce Vincent talked about responsible environmentalism and his firsthand experience with fighting to maintain the logging industry’s social license to operate.
Vincent’s family logging business follows a 200-year business plan where they plant six trees for every one harvested, but when an environmental social movement challenged their way of life, they started fighting back. “We became the third ring of a three-ring circus,” he said, noting that they lost their debate.
Since others will continue to question parts of agriculture from water use to animal welfare to climate, Vincent said dairy producers should not repeat his mistakes but learn to lead the discussion.
He emphasized the importance of leading the environmental discussion in agriculture by empathizing with stakeholders, understanding their concerns and communicating solutions.
2024-25 board elected
Re-elected to the PDP board were Wisconsin dairy producers Brady Weiland of Weiland Dairy LLC, Columbus; and Paul Lippert of Grass Ridge Farm, Pittsville. Jake Hoewisch of Fremont, Wisconsin, was newly elected. Other PDP board members from Wisconsin include Patty Dolph of Dolph Dairy LLC, Lake Mills; Ken Feltz of Feltz Family Farms Inc., Stevens Point; John Haag of Haag Dairy LLC, Dane; Corey Hodorff of Second-Look Holsteins LLC, Eden; JJ Pagel of Pagels Ponderosa Dairy LLC, Kewaunee; and Laura Raatz of Wagner Farms, Oconto Falls.
The 2024-25 PDP board of directors includes (left to right) Brady Weiland, Corey Hodorff, board adviser Josh Mullins, Paul Lippert, Laura Raatz, Patty Dolph, JJ Pagel, Jake Hoewisch, Ken Feltz and John Haag. Courtesy photo.
Brian Forrest honored
Brian Forrest, owner and manager of Maple Ridge Dairy near Stratford, Wisconsin, was honored as the fourth recipient of the Dean Strauss Leadership Award. Forrest serves as board chair of Dairy’s Foundation, and also served on the PDP board of directors for six years, acting as treasurer for three years. He’s an FFA alumnus and regularly supports the FFA and also serves his community by helping with the youth wrestling program and the city’s annual Christmas in the Park. Forrest is a two-time living organ donor, rescued a dog from a burning barn and performed a water rescue of a boy at a county park. The award was established in 2021 in honor of Dean Strauss, a Wisconsin dairy farmer and industry leader who passed away in 2019.
Brian Forrest of Stratford, Wisconsin, is the 2024 Dean Strauss Leadership Award recipient. Courtesy photo.
Over $48,000 raised
Dairy’s Foundation added a live auction and an online-bidding element to its annual silent auction campaign. The silent auction raised $30,792, and the live auction contributed an additional $17,600.
In addition to the silent auction, Dairy’s Foundation continued to create awareness about their annual “Plant a Seed, Inspire a Dream” campaign.
Funds raised through the auction and campaign directly support the creation of new and sustainable dairy leadership resources and educational programs.
Cornerstone Dairy Academy graduates
Twenty-one dairy farmers and allied industry professionals received recognition for completing all three pillars of leadership training in Cornerstone Dairy Academy, held in conjunction with the business conference.
The 2024 Cornerstone Dairy Academy graduates from Wisconsin include: Kelsey Birschbach, Rosendale; Angela Bright, Middleton; Jessica Cederquist, Madison; Jordan Crave, Waterloo; Alison Kepner, Baraboo; Filadelfo Lopez, Kiel; Kristen Metcalf, Milton; Maria Meyer, Loyal; Heron Mireles, Chili; Jason Nemec, Spencer; Kiley Pagel, Kewaunee; Sam Peetz, Watertown; Nicole Pralle, Humbird; Eliza Ruzic, Greenwood; Sarah Schalk, Waldo; Rick Schultz, Palmyra; Alex Volovsek, Greenwood; Nathan Watson, Stevens Point; and Amanda Williams, Shawano.
Other graduations were Nate Goeldi, Rochester, Minnesota; and Heather Moore, Maquoketa, Iowa.
Twenty-one dairy producers and allied industry professionals graduated from PDP Cornerstone Dairy Academy after successfully completing all three pillars of the program. Courtesy photo.
Five scholarships given
Five students accepted into the 2024 PDP Cornerstone Dairy Academy earned a scholarship to the program from the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation (WROF). Recipients from Wisconsin include: Matthew Fischer, Owen; Jennifer Hoewisch, Fremont; Hector Delgado Mondragon, Fremont; Rachelle Neumann, Merrill; and Jacob Peissig, Medford.
Next year
The 2025 PDP Business Conference will return to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, March 12-13.
