HARRISBURG, Pa. – Registration is now open for the 16th annual Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference, titled “Leveling Up Pennsylvania Dairy.” Designed to help attendees protect their risk, navigate the ever-changing dairy marketplace, and make financial decisions with the future in mind, the conference is planned for Wednesday, September 10, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex (Maclay Street Entrance) in Harrisburg. Dairy financial consultants, lending representatives, and interested dairy producers may register online at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/financial-conference.
The conference will feature expert speakers who will lead four sessions during the one-day event:
• Cream of the Crop: What Sets Dairy’s Best & Brightest Apart? with Pauly Paul.
What can under-performing dairies do to get turned around and how can high-performing dairies level up? What do the top 10% of dairies do that set them apart? Pauly Paul, dairy farm and ag business consultant and the owner of Complete Management Consulting LLC, will dive into all of this and more in this enlightening session.
• Leveling Up and Rising Above: Producer Panel with Dee Shafer (Shafdon Farms), Dale Brown (Jobo Holsteins), Mark Mosemann (Misty Mountain Farm), and Dr. Robert Fry, facilitator. For dairy farms that are operating from a point of very high risk, how have they turned things around to move toward growth? What steps did they take to rise above financial risks and eventually become financially strong and thriving? Who helped them along the way? Dee Shafer, Dale Brown, and Mark Mosemann will each share their unique stories about the process in moving from a point of higher risk to becoming more financially stable.
• Tariffs, Trade Policy, and the Impact on Global Dairy Markets with Tony Rice. The conversation surrounding tariffs and trade policy has never been louder, but what points are truly worth dialing in on? What kind of impact are we seeing in the global dairy market landscape, and what does this all mean for the overall dairy industry and the producers we work with? Tony Rice, trade policy director at the U.S. Dairy Export Council and native of a Pennsylvania dairy farm, will explain what tariffs and trade policy really mean for global dairy markets.
• Finding Support: Accessing Grant Funding with Jayne Sebright, facilitator. The capital investment associated with any dairy project can seem insurmountable, but there are plenty of acronyms like NRCS, DCED, SBDC, ACAP, and REAP that can help.
“For the Pennsylvania dairy industry, there’s always another way to level up and find room to grow – not necessarily in cow numbers, but in management practices and business acumen. We’re looking forward to hearing from dynamic speakers and three dairy producers who have first-hand experience rising above financial risks and turning things around,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, risk education manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Our speakers will challenge you to consider how to help your dairy clients navigate rock bottom years, how high-performing dairies can level up, and discuss how tariffs and trade policy impact global dairy markets.”
The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 10. The cost to attend the Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference is $260 per person, discounted to $210 for those who are representatives of the Center for Dairy Excellence Allies for Advancement.
