Dairy Summit offering exceptional learning sessions

From left to right: Among the featured speakers are Cliff Hanehan, Dick Bearsdslee and Dr. Bruce Jones.

Lancaster, Pa. -- Dairy producers can learn how to improve animal care and herd reproduction, the pros and cons of alternative feeds and robotic milking systems, as well as tips for transitioning the farm to the next generation. These sessions and more will be offered during the first day of the 2012 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, Feb. 8-9 at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa.

Here are the snapshots of six breakout sessions, some of which are also available during the Wednesday morning "early-bird" session to maximize the one-day core dairy track on Wednesday, Feb. 8, for those dairy producers who can't get away from the farm to attend both days of the Dairy Summit.

• The Dairyland Initiative: A Guide to Welfare- Friendly Dairy Housing, presented by Dr. Nigel Cook, University of Wisconsin-Madison. This session will key in on profitable housing and management considerations that also address consumer concerns by making animal well-being a top priority on the dairy farm.

• The Potential of Alternative Feeds to Improve Income Over Feed Costs, presented by Dr. William Weiss, Ohio Ag Research and Development Center (available on both days of the Summit). This session will sift through options of using alternative feeds, including nutrition values and non-nutrient factors.

• Using Genomics to Strengthen Your Herd’s Future – Panel Discussion: The panel includes Mike Ammon, Ammon Farms and Brian Smyser, Smyser’s Richlawn Farms, who will discuss the success of genomics in their herds.

• Strategies for Improved Reproduction – Panel Discussion: The panel includes Eric High, Ric-Rey Holsteins; Ethan Kunkle; and Justin Risser, Meadow Vista Farms. During this session, attendees will hear how these three producers have improved reproduction within their herds.

• A Roadmap to Robotic Milking Systems – Panel Discussion: Josiah Garber, Spring Lawn Farms and John Wolf, Maple Lawn Farms (available on both days of the Summit) will share success stories using robotic milking systems.

• Understanding the Ins and Outs of Succession Planning and Estate Tax Law – Panel Discussion: The panel includes Vicky Trimmer, Esquire; Tim Sutherland, Ag Choice Farm Credit; and John Clowney, Lagging Stream Farms. Attendees will learn will advice on smooth transitions between generations from an attorney, financial planner and dairy producer.

This year's Pa. Dairy Summit attendees also have the opportunity to earn continuing education credits by participating in several of these sessions. The following organizations are offering credits:

Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine – two credits are offered by attending sessions with Dr. Nigel Cook and Dr. Bill Weiss

AgChoice Farm Credit - four credits are available for the SmartStart program. Learn more at www.agchoice.com.

American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists -12 continuing education credits are available. Find more information at www.arpas.org.

In addition to the popular breakout sessions, the 2012 Summit includes general sessions featuring two dairy producer showcases.

On Wednesday, the producer showcase will be a New Zealand-style grazing presentation by John Niezen, who manages 700 cows in Georgia.

On Thursday, the showcase will be New York's Hanehan Dairy Farms. Cliff Hanehan will talk about the 700-cow dairy with 1100 acreas of crops located in Stillwater and operated by he and his brothers Charles and David. The dairy recently expanded with a satellite farm in Sydney, N.Y., which is managed by the next generation, also milking 700 head on 1100 acres.

Thursday's program also includes an industry showcase: Cargill Meat Solutions, Wyalusing, Pa. Drew Wilkins, vice president of cattle procurement, will showcase the leading processor and distributor of fresh beef representing more than a dozen major brands sold in retail and foodservice channels, including a discussion about how animal care affects the quality of their product.

Other keynote speakers include Gigi Vita, president and COO of Fonterra's North American division. Fonterra is the world's leading exporter of dairy products. Vita will talk Wed., Feb. 8 about the global marketplace, dairy policy and your mailbox milk price.

Dr. Bruce Jones of the University of Wisconsin is the lead-off speaker Wednesday, talking on key principles for success in dairy. Dr. Jones specializes in agricultural finance, farm financial management and government farm programs.

On Wednesday evening, back by popular demand, is the Late Night Show - Dairy Style. This year's topic is "Ethanol: Friend or Foe?" Three different perspectives will be presented by the panel for audience participation.

The two-day Summit will wrap up Thursday afternoon with the popular motivational speaker Dick Beardsley. He will talk about "staying the course," based on his best selling book by the same title. The book recounts the stunning race that made Beardsley a celebrity and the difficult years that followed, including his recovery from a near-fatal farm accident. His is a story of overcoming extreme obstacles and will speak to anyone who loves competition, who has survived catastrophe, or who has pursued a seemingly impossible goal.

Dairy Summit registration information and a program brochure are available at www.padairysummit.org. To request a copy of the brochure, email info@padairysummit.org or call 814-355-2467 with contact information.

Due Monday, Jan. 30, registration for the full summit is $200 per person, with a $100 discount for dairy producers available through the Lancaster Workforce Investment Board. Registration for the one-day “Core Dairy Track” is $125 for non-producers and $68 for producers and students. Additional scholarship opportunities and discounts for multiple participants from the same farm are also available.

For more information about the Summit, contact Caroline Novak from Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania at 717-889-1065 or caroline@pdmp.org, or Jayne Sebright at the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717-259-6496 or jsebright@centerfordairyexcellence.org.