PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS OF PA

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 FREE OR 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 ANNUAL PA DAIRY SUMMIT. 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. ADDITIONAL PDMP PROGRAMMING IN 2023 FOCUSED ON REGIONAL WORKSHOPS ON ANIMAL WELFARE, BIOSECURITY AND HPAI RESPONSE, A FORUM ON CLIMATE SMART PRACTICES TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF PA DAIRY FARMS, AND AN ON-FARM ROTATING WORKSHOP DAY FOR PRODUCERS ON CREATING A FARM SPECIFIC BIOSECURITY PLAN, ANALYSIS OF CORN STARCHES IN FEED, AND A PA DAIRY FAMILY'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT WITH AN INNOVATIVE ROTARY MILKING PARLOR.

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 A VARIETY OF 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 2023, A TOTAL OF 94 ENTRIES FROM 15 DIFFERENT COMPANIES WERE ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM AND THE RESULTS WERE PUBLISHED AND MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR ALL DAIRY FARMS AND THEIR NUTRITIONISTS. IN 2023, PDMP ALSO ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH PENN STATE UNIVERSITY ON A 5-YEAR USDA CLIMATE SMART COMMODITIES GRANT TO REIMBURSE DAIRY FARMS FOR COSTS TO IMPLEMENT PRACTICES TO REDUCE THEIR GHGS, SCIENTIFICALLY MEASURE THE REDUCTIONS WHEN POSSIBLE AND TEST THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET FOR PA'S SMALLER SIZED DAIRIES. BY THE END OF 2023, FARMS WERE BEING ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM BUT ON-FARM IMPLEMENTATION HAD NOT YET BEGUN.