Professional Dairy Managers Of Pennsylvania Inc

PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS IS A FARMER-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION ADVANCING OUR STATE'S DAIRY INDUSTRY THROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY WITH CONTINUED STEWARDSHIP OF OUR ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT, AND COMMUNITY. TO DO THIS: PDMP PROVIDES EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DAIRY FARMERS BY HOSTING PROGRAMS WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE DAIRY PRODUCERS' SKILLS AND INCREASE KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HELP THEIR PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. PDMP IS A DAIRY-ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT BRINGS PROGRESSIVE DAIRY PRODUCERS TO THE DISCUSSION ON MATTERS OF DAIRY POLICY THAT SUPPORT THE FUTURE VIABILITY OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. PDMP CONNECTS DAIRY FARMERS TO OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR STORY WITH DAIRY CONSUMERS AND INFLUENCERS WITH THE GOAL TO CORRECT MISLEADING INFORMATION AND INCREASE CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. PDMP SERVES AS A DAIRY FARMER-DRIVEN CATALYST TO IDENTIFY NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH THAT SUPPORT IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL STEW

PDMP PROVIDES DAIRY FARMERS WITH THE MOST CURRENT AND RELEVANT EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS DESIGNED BY PDMP MEMBER FARMS BASED ON WHAT THEY MOST WANT TO LEARN. MEMBERS RECEIVE DEEPLY DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION FEES FOR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON TOPICS RANGING FROM SOIL AND WATER HEALTH TO HUMANE ANIMAL HANDLING, WORKER SAFETY, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND MORE. MOST PROGRAMS INCLUDE A TOUR OF A WELL-MANAGED DAIRY, OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE, SO THAT ATTENDEES CAN SEE IN ACTION THE PRACTICES, TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPALS DISCUSSED IN THE DISCUSSION. PROGRAMMING BEGINS EACH FEBRUARY WITH A BROADER AGENDA AT THE ANNUAL PA DAIRY SUMMIT. USUALLY THIS TWO-DAY IN PERSON CONFERENCE, CO- HOSTED WITH THE CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE, BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST OF PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY INDUSTRY FOR DOZENS OF HIGH-QUALITY PRESENTATIONS ON AWIDE RANGE OF TOPICS PRESENTED BY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, SO THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ON PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY OPERATIONS. IN 2022, PDMP PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON GENERATIONAL TRANSITION OF FARM OWNERSHIP AND HOSTED A PANEL DISCUSSION FOR PRODUCERS ON HOW TO PLAN FOR RETIREMENT, ESTATE PLANNING AND BUSINESS SUCCESSION WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN EACH STAGE OF FARM BUSINESS TRANSITION AS WELL AS TWO DAIRY FARMERS WHO EXPERIENCED BOTH GOOD AND BAD FAMILY TRANSITIONS, TO DEMONSTRATE LESSONS LEARNED AND PITFALLS TO AVOID.

PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS OF PENNSYLVANIA CONTRIBUTED FUNDING AND CONNECTED VOLUNTEER FARMERS TO THE CALVING CORNER PROJECT, WHICH IS LED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION AND THE CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. THE CALVING CORNER PROJECT PROVIDES A UNIQUE PLATFORM FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY FARMERS AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH FAMILIES VISITING THE PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW. THE PA FARM SHOW ATTRACTS APPROXIMATELY 500,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR AND THE CALVING CORNER PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO WITNESS THE BIRTHING EXPERIENCE IN A DAIRY BARN LIVE AND IN-PERSON. OUR FARMERS ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS AND ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION WITH THESE NON-FARM PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONSUMERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO PRODUCE THEIR FOOD.

FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, THE PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS OF PENNSYLVANIA (PDMP) HAS PARTNERED WITH PENN STATE UNIVERSITY IN A CORN SILAGE HYBRID TESTING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM. PDMP MEMBER FARMS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE STATE VOLUNTEER A PLOT OF LAND ON WHICH A VARIETY OF SEEDS ARE PLANTED AND FROM WHICH CROPS ARE ANALYZED. IN RECENT YEARS, RESULTS AROUND NDF AND STARCH DIGESTIBILITY YIELDED MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CORN SILAGE IN RATIONS FOR DAIRY CATTLE. IN 2022, A TOTAL OF 96 ENTRIES FROM 13 DIFFERENT COMPANIES WERE ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM AND THE RESULTS WERE PUBLISHED AND MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR ALL DAIRY FARMS AND THEIR NUTRITIONISTS.

PDMP'S GOAL WITH THE ON-FARM INTERNSHIPS IS TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF TOP DAIRY PRODUCERS BY MAKING HANDS-ON, PRACTICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON WORKING DAIRY FARMS AS COMPETITIVE AS PHARMA AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS. WITH THE INTENT THAT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE PREPARED AND COMMITTED TO ENTERING THE PRODUCTION SIDE OF DAIRY UPON THEIR GRADUATION, PDMP OFFERS ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT, MATCHED BY BOTH THE PA CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE AND THE PA DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION, TO AUGMENT WHAT DAIRY FARMERS ARE ABLE TO PAY FOR SUMMER INTERNS, TO DAIRY STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE 20-YEAR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PLACES STUDENTS ON DAIRIES FOR A SUMMER AND IN 2022 SUPPORTED FOUR COLLEGE STUDENTS, INTERESTED IN PURSUING A DAIRY RELATED CAREER, ON EXCEPTIONAL FARMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER IN PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE.