MARTINSBURG, Pa. -- Sean Jones, John Knopf and John Mueller are producers who have consistently been in the top tier of the Farm Credit Progressive Dairy Benchmark Study. On August 5th, they’ll share what they know at a forum titled “How to make money at dairy farming.” It will be held here at the Morrison’s Cove Community Park, beginning at 8:30 p.m., to be followed by a tour of the nearby Kulp Family Farm.
The program is an initiative of the Progressive Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP).
PDMP President Glenn Gorrell says: “PDMP was founded on the principal that dairy producers can improve by studying the successes of other farmers and then evaluating how best to implement those practices in their own operations.” This program is an opportunity to learn their strategies for thriving in good times and bad. 
The producer panel is expected to be a highlight of the forum. Sean Jones, Lester Jones & Sons Inc., Massey, Md.; John Knopf, Fa Ba Farms, LLC, Canandaigua, N.Y.; and John Mueller, Willowbend Farm, Clifton Springs, N.Y. will relate their success to five keys to profitability identified earlier in the program by Mike Hosterman of AgChoice Farm Credit. 
Kulp Family Farms, one of Pennsylvania’s success stories, will be highlighted by Phil Kulp and then after lunch everyone will head out to tour the farm. 
Hosterman will kick-off the day’s session by outlining five areas that are key to profitability in dairy farming. He’ll be using information gained by studying 5-year trends at the Benchmark Study’s Top 20 Farms. Then he’ll bring it home for the audience by discussing ways the five keys are tied to industry skills and management that are within the control of the dairy farmer. 
To round out the program, Hosterman will be joined by fellow industry experts Michael Peachey from Acuity Advisors and CPAs and Jeff Mamett of Pfizer Animal Health as they offer some predictions about how the future will look for farmers. This interactive discussion will also draw on the experience of all the producers in the audience to search for answers about dairy’s future. 
PDMP is offering “How to Make Money at Dairy Farming” to position dairy farmers for a secure future in dairying by helping them make better personal decisions about their operations. The $25 per person fee for PDMP members is designed to make it possible for a farm’s entire operation team to attend. To help producers who do not hold PDMP membership, the organization continues its offer allowing a non-member to attend one Issue Forum at the member rate. The standard non-member fee is $75 per person. Online registration is available at PDMP’s website, www.pdmp.org.  
The support of sponsors makes it possible for PDMP to offer programs of this caliber at reduced registration fees. Opportunities exist now for businesses to become sponsors for this session, as well as the meeting in November. Information about sponsorship is available on the PDMP website or by emailing info@pdmp.org. All programs are supported in part by PDMP’s Premier Partners: Acuity Advisors and CPAs; AgChoice Farm Credit; Cargill, Inc.; Elanco Animal Health; Lancaster Dairy Farm Automation; Lancaster DHIA; Land O’Lakes; Pennfield Dairy Profitability Team; Pfizer Animal Health; Pioneer Hi-Bred; and Triple H Construction.