For Immediate Release - Nov. 29, 2007                                                                        

Producers Can Attend Summit at Discount
$100 savings provided through Work Force Investment grant

BELLEFONT, Pa. – Dairy producers and their employees can attend the 2008 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit at a discounted rate of only $75, a 60 percent savings, thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry provided through the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board. Scheduled for Feb. 6 – 7 at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa., the two-day event brings together all segments of the dairy industry to focus on the educational needs of Pennsylvania’s 8,500 dairy farm families.

The $75 discounted registration fee represents a $100 grant per person provided through the Workforce Investment Board. Information on the producer discount, made available only to dairy producers and dairy farm employees with valid employee identification numbers or social security numbers, can be found at www.padairysummit.org. A registration brochure and additional information on Summit speakers, sponsors and exhibitors can also be found on the Web site.  Additional questions can be e-mailed to info@padairysummit.org.

Two nationally- respected dairy producers – examples of the dairy profession at its best – have been invited to speak at the 2008 Summit. John Vrieze, a third-generation dairy farmer from Emerald, Wis., will share his innovative approach to dairying and his business planning expertise, which have earned him national respect and honors, including IDFA’s Innovative Dairy Farmer award.

Jonathan Lamb, partner in Lamb Farms Inc. and Oakfield Corners Dairy in Clarkfield, N.Y., will also speak at the Summit. Lamb’s Farms, Inc., which has 4,200 milking Holsteins, is a leader in both quality milk production and agriculture innovation. Oakfield Corners Dairy, the registered side of Lamb Farms, is well known within the Holstein world as a premier supplier of excellent quality genetics.

Motivational speakers at the Summit include Alan Hobson, Everest summiteer and cancer survivor, and Bruce Christopher, comedian/psychologist who has spoken to many Fortune 500 groups. Well known farm radio personality Orion Samuelson will give an agricultural and economic outlook from his perspective.

With dairy image and consumer perception being hot issues in the industry right now, several sessions will address producers’ role in advocacy when it comes to consumer perceptions, access to technology and to milk pricing issues in general. Joan Horbiak, national media spokesperson and trainer, will show participants how to make every conversation count, while Joel Hastings, editor of Dairy Business Magazine, will discuss “Voices for Choices” and the new AFACT producer initiative.

The full cost to attend the two-day Summit is $175 per person, with a $100 discount available for all producers and their employees. Additional discounts are available for multiple members attending from the same agri-business, and full scholarships are available for students and young adults ages 17 - 25 interested in attending the event.

More details about the discounts and scholarship opportunities, as well as complete program details and a copy of the Summit registration brochure, are available online at www.padairysummit.org. You can also receive more information by calling the PDMP office at 877-326-5993 or by e-mailing info@padairysummit.org .

MEDIA CONTACT: Georgene Thompson, 717-243-1349/georgenethompson@comcast.net