Professional Dairy Managers Of Pennsylvania Inc

PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS IS A FARMER-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION ADVANCING OUR STATE'S DAIRY INDUSTRY THROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY WITH CONTINUED STEWARDSHIP OF OUR ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT, AND COMMUNITY. TO DO THIS: PDMP PROVIDES EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DAIRY FARMERS BY HOSTING PROGRAMS WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE DAIRY PRODUCERS' SKILLS AND INCREASE KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HELP THEIR PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. PDMP IS A DAIRY-ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT BRINGS PROGRESSIVE DAIRY PRODUCERS TO THE DISCUSSION ON MATTERS OF PUBLIC POLICY THAT SUPPORT THE FUTURE VIABILITY OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. PDMP CONNECTS DAIRY FARMERS TO OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR STORY WITH DAIRY CONSUMERS AND INFLUENCERS WITH THE GOAL TO CORRECT MISLEADING INFORMATION AND INCREASE CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. PDMP SERVES AS A DAIRY FARMER-DRIVEN CATALYST TO IDENTIFY NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH THAT SUPPORT IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL STE

PDMP PROVIDES DAIRY FARMERS WITH THE MOST CURRENT AND RELEVANT EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS DESIGNED BY PDMP MEMBER FARMS BASED ON WHAT THEY MOST WANT TO LEARN. MEMBERS RECEIVE DEEPLY DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION FEES FOR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON TOPICS RANGING FROM SOIL AND WATER HEALTH TO HUMANE ANIMAL HANDLING, WORKER SAFETY, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND MORE. MOST PROGRAMS INCLUDE A TOUR OF A WELL-MANAGED DAIRY, OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE, SO THAT ATTENDEES CAN SEE IN ACTION THE PRACTICES, TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPALS DISCUSSED IN THE DISCUSSION. PROGRAMMING BEGINS EACH FEBRUARY WITH A BROADER AGENDA AT THE PA DAIRY SUMMIT EACH WINTER. USUALLY THIS TWO-DAY IN PERSON CONFERENCE, CO-HOSTED WITH THE CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE, BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST OF PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY INDUSTRY FOR DOZENS OF HIGH-QUALITY PRESENTATIONS ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS PRESENTED BY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, SO THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ON PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY OPERATIONS. IN 2021, LIMITATIONS TO IN-PERSON GATHERINGS THE PA DAIRY SUMMIT WAS ALTERED TO A VIRTUAL PLATFORM SPREAD OVER 4 DAYS TO MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR PRODUCERS TO PARTICIPATE WHILE KEEPING THEIR HANDS IN THEIR DAIRY OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WITH THIS FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE AND ALL SESSIONS RECORDED FOR MULTIPLE VIEWINGS, OVER 1,000 PEOPLE WATCHED SOME OR ALL OF THE PA DAIRY SUMMIT. OTHER PDMP PROGRAMMING IN 2021 ALSO PIVOTED TO VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, WHICH ENABLED TO THE ORGANIZATION TO DEVELOP AND OFFER DISCUSSION SERIES FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE AND AGAIN, THE FLEXIBILITY AND EXPANDED REACH THAT LIVE WEB PROGRAMS PROVIDE. WITH THIS IN 2021, PDMP DEVELOPED AND HOSTED WEBINARS EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OVER THE LUNCH HOUR IN WHICH DIVERSE PANELS OF PRESENTERS COVERED THE MULTITUDE OF TOPICS AND PERSPECTIVES ON DAIRY'S ROLE AND OPPORTUNITIES IN REDUCING GREEN HOUSE GASSES IN THE ENVIRONMENT. PANELS INCLUDED GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY POLICY MAKERS, DAIRY PRODUCERS WHO ARE FINDING SUCCESS IN THEIR BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO REDUCE GHG, AND EVEN LARGE CUSTOMERS TO EXPLAIN WHY AGRICULTURE, AND PARTICULARLY DAIRY, NEEDS TO DEMONSTRATE WE ARE TRYING TO REDUCE OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, THE PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS OF PENNSYLVANIA (PDMP) HAS PARTNERED WITH PENN STATE UNIVERSITY IN A CORN SILAGE HYBRID TESTING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM. PDMP MEMBER FARMS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE STATE VOLUNTEER A PLOT OF LAND ON WHICH OUR SEEDS ARE PLANTED AND FROM WHICH CROPS ARE ANALYZED. IN RECENT YEARS, RESULTS AROUND NDF AND STARCH DIGESTIBILITY YIELDED MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CORN SILAGE IN RATIONS FOR DAIRY CATTLE. IN 2021, A TOTAL OF 94 ENTRIES FROM 14 DIFFERENT COMPANIES WERE ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM AND THE RESULTS WERE PUBLISHED AND MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR ALL DAIRY FARMS AND THEIR NUTRITIONISTS.

PDMP'S GOAL WITH THE ON-FARM INTERNSHIPS IS TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF TOP DAIRY PRODUCERS BY MAKING HANDS-ON, PRACTICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON WORKING DAIRY FARMS AS COMPETITIVE AS PHARMA AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS. WITH THE INTENT THAT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE PREPARED AND COMMITTED TO ENTERING THE PRODUCTION SIDE OF DAIRY UPON THEIR GRADUATION, PDMP OFFERS ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT, MATCHED BY BOTH THE PA CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE AND THE PA DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION, TO AUGMENT WHAT DAIRY FARMERS ARE ABLE TO PAY FOR SUMMER INTERNS, TO DAIRY STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE 20-YEAR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PLACES STUDENTS ON DAIRIES FOR A SUMMER AND IN 2021 SUPPORTED SIX COLLEGE STUDENTS, INTERESTED IN PURSUING A DAIRY RELATED CAREER, ON EXCEPTIONAL FARMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER IN PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE. WORK ON EXTENSIVE RESEARCH PROJECT PDMP BEGAN IN 2020 WAS ALSO CONDUCTED IN 2021 TO ANALYZE AND DEVELOP THE BEST POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGY AND STRATEGY TO EXPAND PENNSYLVANIA'S PROCESSING CAPACITY. WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA DAIRY INVESTMENT PROGRAM, AND A GENUINE BELIEF THAT WITH ADVANCED MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES AND MARKET ACCESS, THE COMMONWEALTH CAN SET ITSELF APART FROM OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTION STATES AND ATTRACT NEW AND EXPANDED PROCESSING OPPORTUNITIES, THE ORGANIZATION ENGAGED A DAIRY PROCESSING EXPERT WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE, TO CONDUCT A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR INVESTMENT IN ADVANCED DAIRY PROCESSING IN PENNSYLVANIA. FROM THIS, OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, COSTS AND BUSINESS PLANNING WERE FORMULATED FOR INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS TO PURSUE/ADVANCE INVESTMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MANUFACTURING CAPACITY FOR MICROFILTERED MILK PRODUCTS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW INGREDIENT MARKETS FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC MILK.