For Immediate Release - December 8, 2008

Program Announced for Annual PA Dairy Summit

Bellefonte, PA -- With the December 8th mailing of the registration brochure for the 2009 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, the planning committee has given more than 10,000 people in the dairy industry their first glimpse at the comprehensive program for an event that is anticipated annually by dairy producers throughout the northeast. The Summit on February 11 and 12 will once again be held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa.

Committee Chair Dina Zug of Zugstead Farm in Mifflintown, PA believes the growing Summit attendance demonstrates that word-of-mouth throughout the industry is positive. In announcing the program she said, “With 584 people registered to attend last year, the PA Dairy Summit has clearly earned its reputation as the premier education event for dairy in the northeast.”

This year’s program includes topics such as “Emerging Trends in the Dairy Industry, which are designed to provide a broader perspective of the dairy industry. In addition issues such as “Solutions for Maintaining Energy Levels from Non-Traditional Feeds” will provide take-home answers specific to farm operations. Some sessions bring the entire audience together, while breakout sessions allow for closer interaction with the speakers.

A new feature this year is set up to create an open discussion among the entire audience with experts on innovation and developing dairy markets. The closing lunch will be highlighted by an inspirational message from Wisconsin dairyman Hank Wagner of “Finding Opportunities Under Each Rock.”

According to Ms. Zug, “Each year as new producers attend, their evaluations share how useful they found the Summit, no matter what size herd they are managing.” Producer representatives on the planning committee ensure that the program and speakers are relevant and address hot industry topics.

Because networking is a key element of the two-day event, the schedule includes a variety of options for producers to talk one-on-one with their peers, as well as to meet with the industry suppliers among the 60+ exhibitors. The complete agenda and exhibitor list are available at the special Summit website: www.padairysummit.org.

The chair reported that “every aspect of the Summit is designed to meet the needs of producers, from the overall agenda to arranging for discounts through the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board that bring fees for producers down as low as $80.” She added, “To encourage new people to enter the industry, students and young adult dairy farmers have until December 31 to apply for scholarships that cover nearly all costs for attending.”

In addition to the brochure mailed on December 8, registration information is available at www.padairysummit.org in both a printable format and as a secure online registration form. Scholarship and discount details are also on the website. The Summit business office can be reached at info@padairysummit.org or 877-326-5993.

The PA Dairy Summit is hosted by the Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholders (www.padairystake.org) and the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (www.pdmp.org ). Supporting partners are The Center for Dairy Excellence, the PA Department of Agriculture and the Penn State Dairy Alliance, an initiative of Cooperative Extension. The broad list of suppliers that also support the industry as Summit sponsors is shown at www.padairysummit.org .