For Immediate Release Jan. 31, 2008

Summit Breakouts Offer Mix of Management Insights
Walk-in registrations welcomed for two-day educational event

BELLEFONT, PA. – Are you planning for a farm transition? Want to improve your cow handling procedures? Looking to create a partnership or new alliances? Want to improve the longevity of your herd? Interested in pursuing a value-added market? Want to build a better relationship with your non-farm neighbors?

Then you don’t want to miss the 2008 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, happening next Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 6 – 7, at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa. Even though the registration deadline for this premier dairy event has passed, walk-in registrations are welcome.

The two-day Summit offers 10 different breakouts to choose from, each focusing on a key management area affecting today’s dairy farm operations. The breakouts, led primarily by producers, are a bonus to an outstanding general program featuring nationally-respected dairy producers, well-known industry leaders and dynamic motivational speakers.

Those who attend the Summit on Wednesday can choose from two early-bird how-to sessions – one focusing on neighborly relations and the other on value-added markets – along with four afternoon breakouts addressing cow-side psychology, breeding for longevity, media training, and planning for a succession.  On Thursday, participants can choose from breakout sessions on milk pricing, environmental credits, and partnerships and alliances. A special session for college and high school-aged participants focused on career development will also be held on Thursday.

The Summit is hosted each year by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholders as the premier dairy event in the state. Supporting partners include Penn State Dairy Alliance, the Center for Dairy Excellence and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Nine general session speakers at the Summit will address everything from the National Dairy Wellness Coalition to the outlook for U.S. agriculture to climbing Mt. Everest.

Two nationally- respected dairy producers – John Vrieze from Emerald, Wis., and Jonathan Lamb from Clarkfield, N.Y. – will speak at the 2008 Summit. These producers will provide a virtual tour of their dairy operations and share their insights on the opportunities and challenges that exist in today’s dairy industry.

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, while national media trainer Joan Horbiak will demonstrate how to make every conversation count.

A discussion on a national dairy wellness coalition and the AFACT movement will also be part of the general session, led by National Egg Producers’ Chad Gregory, Jim Fallon from CMA Consulting, and Dairy Business Communication’s Joel Hastings.

The full cost to attend the two-day Summit is $175 per person, with a $100 discount available for all producers and their employees. The $100 discount is being provided by a Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Grant through the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board and gives dairy producers the opportunity to attend the event for $75, a 60-percent savings off the full registration cost. 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.
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