FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2008

Professional Dairy Managers Leadership for 2008

Leadership for the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) started service for 2008 with the first Board meeting of the year on January 7.  Following the membership election, Logan Bower, Pleasant View Farms, Blain, will continue in his position as president.  A third generation dairy farmer, Bower milks 600 cows and farms 650 acres. He also serves on the Board of the Center for Dairy Excellence, the Pennsylvania Beef Council, the Perry County Planning Commission, and the Blain Lions Club. This will be his second term at the helm of PDMP.

Other officers serving the dairy organization in 2008 include:  Vice President – Rod Hissong, Mercer Vu Farms, Mercersburg;  Secretary – Dina Zug, Zugstead Farm, Mifflintown; and, Treasurer - Duane Hershey, Ar-Joy Farm, Cochranville.

At the January meeting they welcomed newly elected Board member Gary Kline of Y Run Farm, Troy, PA.  Kline says his farm, which milks about 425 cows, benefits from their PDMP membership in a variety of ways and that he is looking forward to serving on the board.  He has a special interest in increasing the ability of large and small farms to work together for greater efficiency and good.

 “I want to give something back to the farming industry,” Kline said. “This group has given me so many resources to work with, and helped our farm grow.”

Kline was also recently elected to serve on the Soil Conservation County Committee, and is enrolled in the Cornell University Dairy Business Executive Program in Ithaca, NY.

He joins a Board of producers and agri-business representatives which includes Mike Hosterman, of AgChoice Farm Credit, Chambersburg, who was re-elected for a second term. Other members remaining on the board are: Jeff Harding, Monsanto, State College, PA; David Hileman, Hilecrest Farm, Tyrone, PA; and Dale Hoffman, Kar-Dale Acres, Shinglehouse, PA.

Alan Novak of Novak Strategic Advisors, Harrisburg, serves as executive director of PDMP, and The Heuser Group, based in Mechanicsburg, provides business office support. 

PDMP is an organization of progressive, positive-minded dairy producers and agribusiness leaders.  Its mission is to advance the dairy industry in Pennsylvania through improved productivity and profitability. For more information on PDMP, visit their website at www.pdmp.org or email info@pdmp.org.