Program

We know farm life is busy, so each day of the Dairy Summit is broken into short segments to help you balance work and professional development. Additional content, speaker chats, bonus sessions, entertainment, and networking opportunities will occur between sessions each day. While we encourage you to attend the Summit live to take advantage of speaker Q&As, door prizes and networking, all conference videos will be available to watch on demand for three months following the event.

Earn 6 CEUs through American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) when you attend the full Dairy Summit.

Pre-show entertainment is scheduled every morning before the first session starts, so make sure you plan to sign on early!

Monday, February 8:

Summit Welcome and Day One Intro — 9:30-10 a.m.
Dr. David Kohl, Keynote Speaker — 10-11 a.m.
Q&A with Dr. Kohl — 11-11:30 a.m.
Bonus Breakout Session 1: How to Host a Virtual Farm Tour with American Dairy Association North East
— 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Bonus Breakout Session 2: 2020 Farmer Survey and Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) Highlights with Penn State — 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session: Integrating Beef into Your Dairy Business — 1-2 p.m.
Breakout Session: Business Divorce: Preparation for Partner Buy-Outs and Sell-Outs — 1-2 p.m.
An Inspirational Evening Chat with Chuck Carr — 7 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9:

Day Two Intro — 9:45 a.m.
Producer Showcase & Virtual Farm Tour: Webb Family, Heglar Creek Dairy, Keynote Speaker — 10-11 a.m.
Q&A with Webb Family and Team — 11-11:30 a.m.
Bonus Breakout Session 1: We're in the News - Preparing for Media Interviews with American Dairy Association North East — 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Bonus Breakout Session 2: Corn Silage Trial with Dr. Chris Canale and Alex Hristov from Penn State — 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session: Factors to Drive Dairy Profitability — 1-2 p.m.
Breakout Session: Navigating Family Business Dynamics and Governance — 1-2 p.m.
Young Professionals Networking Chat — 7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 10:

Day Three Intro — 9:45 a.m.
Lee Rubin, Keynote Speaker — 10-11 a.m.
Q&A with Lee Rubin — 11-11:30 a.m.
Bonus Breakout Session 1: Talking the Talk - How to Communicate with Consumers with American Dairy Association North East — 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Bonus Breakout Session 2: Keeping a Check on Dairy Replacement Costs with Penn State — 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session: What Has Dairy Checkoff Done for You Lately? — 1-2 p.m.
Breakout Session: Maximizing Components to Enhance Your Bottom Line — 1-2 p.m.
Cheese Tasting with Sue Miller — 6-7 p.m. *Must click here to register separately for this event
Evening Chat: What Recent Political Upheaval Could Mean for Dairy with Paul Bleiberg (NMPF), Alan Novak (PDMP), and Mike Oscar (NDFC) — 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 11:

Day Four Intro — 9:45 a.m.
Tara Vander Dussen (New Mexico Milkmaid), Keynote Speaker — 10-11 a.m.
Q&A with Tara Vander Dussen — 11-11:30 a.m.
Closing and Summit Wrap-Up — 11:40 a.m.

Download a Printed Registration Form

Entertainment and Networking:

Musical performances from local bands, such as Pyxus, the Foster Sisters, and the Jess Zimmerman Band will be featured throughout the four-day event. Attendees can also attend several networking receptions to recharge, engage with their peers, and hear perspectives from across the dairy industry. Networking opportunities include:

An Inspirational Evening Chat with Chuck Carr – Having overcome life-altering losses on his dairy farm and in his personal life, Chuck Carr will share his empowering story of self-reflection, resilience, and healing. This networking session and evening chat will offer inspiration and meaningful discussion for all participants.
Young Professionals Chat – A continuous pool of talent is essential for any industry to sustain and prosper. The dairy industry, like any other, must foster and encourage the next generation of professionals entering the workforce. A panel of young dairy professionals will share how they found careers in the dairy industry and what they have learned along the way to position themselves for success. Individuals of all ages are welcome to join the discussion and share real-world advice with college students attending the Summit.
Cheese-Tasting with Sue Miller – Birchrun Hills Farm is a small family dairy farm with an on-site creamery in northern Chester County, Pennsylvania. When you sign up for the virtual cheese-tasting event, owner Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm will ship you three types of local cheese. During the evening reception, she will guide you through an educational cheese-tasting journey and share suggestions for pairing each cheese with your favorite beverage. Catch up with your peers and spend the evening trying new tastes and flavors.
What Recent Political Upheaval Could Mean for Dairy – You don’t have to be a political junkie to have an opinion or interest in the fallout from the 2020 elections and concerns about what the changes in leadership in Washington and Harrisburg might really mean to dairy. Three individuals will start a candid conversation with Summit attendees about what a Biden/Harris Administration, with complete party control of the U.S. Congress, could mean to the dairy industry. Join an informal chat with three political/policy wonks in the dairy sector— Paul Bleiberg (NMPF), Alan Novak (PDMP), and Mike Oscar (NDFC)—to get their diverse perspectives on the issues that concern you. Hear what they are learning daily about the agendas in the PA and US Capitols, and share the priorities you would like to see dairy focus on for policy reform.

Meet the Keynote Speakers:

Dr. David Kohl

Lee Rubin

Dr. David Kohl, is an academic Hall of Famer in the College of Agriculture at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Dr. Kohl is widely respected across the dairy industry for his keen insight into the agriculture industry gained through extensive travel, research, and involvement in ag businesses. His wisdom and engagement with all levels of the industry provide a unique perspective into future trends.

Dr. Kohl plans to discuss the long-term implications of COVID-19 on the dairy industry, what to expect, and how we can prepare for the future.

Lee Rubin is an emerging voice at corporations, conferences and schools throughout the U.S. He holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications with a minor in business from The Pennsylvania State University. Lee played football for the Nittany Lions and not only emerged as a three-year starting free safety, but also became a captain of the team. He has a unique ability to understand and articulate winning principles with clarity and practical application.

Lee will share the five components of extraordinary teams and how dairy teams can make sacrifices to achieve common goals, build trust with open communication, and strive for consistency with focused discipline.

Tara Vander Dussen (New Mexico Milkmaid)

Heglar Creek Dairy

Tara Vander Dussen , is a New Mexico native, growing up on her family’s dairy farm in Eastern New Mexico. Tara has worked as an environmental scientist for the last nine years on dairy farm projects throughout the southwest. As a project manager, she assists her clients with state and federal regulatory compliance, water conservation, sustainable management practices, and analytical reports. Tara’s passion is advocating for modern dairy farming by sharing her story about life on her family dairy through her blog, New Mexico Milkmaid, and her social media platforms. Her online community has more than 40,000 followers.

With sustainability at the forefront of consumers’ minds, Tara plans to share strategies for connecting with consumers by telling our sustainability story, highlighting the progress dairy has made, and leveraging our sustainability efforts to market our products.

Heglar Creek Dairy, based near Declo, Idaho, is a five-generation dairy farm with four partners. The Webb family has a dairy and beef operation, farm multiple crops, and have other enterprises including electrical contracting and a dairy chemical and supply company. They have a 1,100-cow barn that is fully robotic and automated, and they milk approximately 2,300 cows. The Webb family attributes their growth and diversification to different generations coming back to the farm and the people they surround themselves with.

They are passionate about their farm’s team approach and plan to feature a panel of team members who will describe how working together with hard work and a positive attitude have contributed to their success.

Breakout Sessions:

Here are the breakout sessions being offered during the 2021 PA Dairy Summit. Continuing education credits will be announced in the coming month.

Integrating Beef into Your Dairy Business: Dairy farmers are realizing benefits for dairy cows by utilizing beef semen on lower performing cows. But ensuring both improved herd genetics and good quality beef offspring takes a well-thought-out strategy. Hear from Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Assistant Professor and Beef Extension Specialist, and a panel of two dairy producers who will share how you can meet all your performance goals.

Factors to Drive Dairy Profitability: Zoetis and Compeer Financial’s thorough analysis of financial and production records identified six key drivers of profitability on dairies based on net farm income. Michael Lormore, DVM, MS, MBA, Director of Cattle Technical Services, will share what these six drivers are and how you can apply them to your dairy operation.

Navigating Family Business Dynamics and Governance: Navigating the interpersonal dynamics of a family business and ensuring both fairness and accountability in the governing process can be challenging. Phil Clemens, who is the CEO and President of Clemens Family Business and Hatfield Meats, will share his insight on governance within the three circles of family, owners, and business, with a specific focus on the business.

What Has Dairy Checkoff Done for You Lately? The Dairy Checkoff Program has evolved quite a bit since it was first started in 1984. As it has evolved, some dairy farm families have questions about how Checkoff efforts are enhancing dairy and milk sales and impacting their bottom line. Get your questions answered regarding your return on investment during this session with Dairy Management Inc. and and American Dairy Association North East leaders.

Maximizing Components to Enhance Your Bottom Line: Profitability on a dairy herd can be found in maximizing fat and protein yields in your dairy herd. Individuals from Miner’s Institute will share nutritional strategies to focus on higher components and how that can have a significant impact on both your overall herd performance and your bottom line. A dairy producer who has been successful in maximizing their fat and protein yields will share their experience during the session.

Bonus Breakout Sessions: American Dairy Association Northeast with lead how-to sessions on hosting virtual farm tours, preparing for media interviews, and communicating with consumers.

Program

Meet the Keynote Speakers:

Breakout Sessions:

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