Learn from the experts at PDPW

Waupun - Learn from the experts at the 2017 PDPW Business Conference, March 15 & 16, at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison. 

Speakers will include:

• Act now: turn potential into profit - Successful businesses know opportunities must be turned into money-making ventures. Take a look at how to analyze opportunities so they can be helpful to your business model, by Lowell Catlett.
• High-yielding ideas: multiplying heftier returns with decisions that add up - Snatch ideas from these three dairy consultants on best practices top dairies have been able to take to the bank and leverage. Gather creative, clever and cost-effective concepts from this dynamic panel  - presented by James Bailey, Eric Birschbach, Matt Lange; facilitated by Chad Staudinger.
• Weather is Changing - Unwind the complexity of dairy genomics and figure out where it fits. Nothing impacts your dairy and our markets like weather. Learn about new technologies used to predict weather and gain an inside look at 2017. Explore how major drivers like El Niño and La Niña patterns impact U.S. and South America weather, market and your business - presented by Eric Snodgrass.
• The climate is changing around dairy - Get the full inside-scoop - from the 'why and how' of updates in the 590 Standard and NR 151 to local updates on environmental regulations coming your way. Glean important insights on what's ahead for regulation nationally and locally, presented by Sara Walling and Paul Zimmerman.
• Dairy technology systems - Snap to it with cliff notes on new dairy technologies used for monitoring dairy cattle health, behavior, and estrus. Get the skinny on what you should consider - and what others won't tell you - before investing, presented by Dr. Jeffrey Bewley.
• Farm office fix: what to keep and what to toss - Tired of piles and full files? Know what forms you must keep for proper documentation in HR, financial and tax records. Cut the clutter, stop the worry and keep only the necessary documentation. Arm yourself with facts and get ready to take on the piles, presented by Patricia A Birschbach and Erich Straub.
• Global trade and its impact on you - Cut to the chase on how global trade politics are impacting your milk check. Get your mind around what's happening in the dairy world that is reaching into your pocketbook. Gain a clear perspective of opportunities and threats facing U.S agriculture and your business, presented  by Jay Waldvogel and Dr. Mark Stephenson.
• Cow comfort: extreme makeover - An inch can make all the difference. This session combines stall design with cow behavior and the experts. You will go a step beyond the stalls and look at total building design and layout. Before you build new or remodel old, ensure the system is cow-centric, presented by Dr. Nigel Cook, DVM.
• Predicting Mother Nature - Should you cut hay today? What seeds should you purchase this year? The answers depend on the weather. Learn how to use modern numerical weather prediction models like the GFS, NAM (U.S. models) and ECMWF (European model) to forecast the weather. Learn to use the latest technologies in weather prediction, as part of your farm management system, presented by Eric Snodgrass.
• Time managment: take back your life - This session cuts to the heart of what leaves you feeling overwhelmed, overworked and overdone. Increase work-life balance, improve overall sense of control and gain time back for yourself by reducing interruptions, organizing your space and learning to disconnect, presented by Dr. Kristy Wanner.
• Small giants: strategies for smaller dairy farms - While economies of size are an economic reality, dairies of all sizes remain competitive. This session focuses on what it takes to go from good to great within small dairy businesses. Gather proven insights on how to grow your bottom line without expanding your herd, presented by Dr. Jeff Bewley.
• Dr. David Kohl - Dialog with Dr. Dave. Join Dr. David Kohl as he shares financial and management practices that have proven effective over time. Bring specific questions to really hone in on your business needs as we work through tactics and solutions, presented by Dr. David Kohl.
• Resolving conflict: the single focus of service - Today's dairies involve multiple generations, multiple families and sometimes multiple cultures. This session will help you overcome future and present conflicts and focus on defining one success you can all agree on, presented by Tom Thibodeau.
• Rethinking holding areas to minimize heat stress - Understand how to get the most from low-lignin alfalfa and BMR corn varieties. This session details the pros and cons of crop options and how to best leverage selling traits to meet dairy ration needs. Learn from the crop and dairy scientists about leading-edge crop management, field yields, harvest considerations, digestibility, and ration results, presented by Drs. Dan Undersander, David Combs.
• Act now: turn potential into profit - Successful businesses know opportunities must be turned into money-making ventures. Take a look at how to analyze opportunities so they can be helpful to your business model, presented by Dr.  Lowell Catlett.
• The 3 "R's" of antibiotics Resistance. Retailers. Regulations. - These three factors are dictating and limiting your freedom to operate with responsible antibiotic management. Cover the basics of antibiotic resistance, recent policy changes in response to the antibiotic resistance challenge, and future changes to antibiotic labels and usage. Antibiotic stewardship principles for use on your dairy will also be highlighted, presented by Dr. Brian Lubbers, DVM.
• Rethinking holding areas to minimize heat stress - New research reveals holding areas are a primary risk area for heat stress on dairies. While cows wait to be milked, their temperatures rise and so does their risk for lameness. Learn how to maintain base body temps using positive-pressure ventilation tubes while reducing noise and electrical power needs in the milking center. Very cool, indeed, presented by Dr. Ken Nordlund, DVM.
• For more information visit www.pdpw.org or call 800-947-7379.