FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  January 11, 2010

Producer Needs Drive the Annual PA Dairy Summit Program

Bellefonte, PA -- With dairy leaders around the world predicting that a level of “volatility” will likely continue for another year, five of most respected organizations in Pennsylvania’s dairy industry have once again teamed-up to develop a PA Dairy Summit that is targeted with information to get producers through the tough times. The Summit on February 3 and 4 will be held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa.

In announcing the program, Summit Chair Matt Wanner of Pride-N-Joy Farm in Narvon, Pa., suggested to producers, “In these troubled times, it is more important than ever that you join us and spend two days with more than 500 people who share your enthusiasm for dairy, who understand your concerns and interests, and who stand ready become your friends and supporters.” He said he believes “the growing Summit attendance demonstrates that word-of-mouth throughout the industry is positive.”

Whether a farm has 50 cows or 1500, the owner and everyone on the farm have a stake in this year’s Summit. The program will address head-on the question of how the industry can be sustained amidst ever growing pressures and will give answers to what went wrong with milk pricing and how it can be fixed. One session has been devoted to looking beyond strategies to making things happen and another will look closely at the impact retail markets have on dairy farm production. These sessions bring the entire industry together in one room to look for solutions, while breakout sessions allow for closer interaction with the speakers and tackle day-to-day practices on the farm such as immigration, forage maximization, and using and creating alternative energy.

An evening session is a new feature this year is set up to create an open discussion about what it will take to improve the industry’s image. Pennsylvania’s own Kulp Family Farm of Martinsburg will be one of two dairy farms showcased and the closing lunch will be highlighted by an inspirational message about overcoming obstacles from resiliency expert Roger Crawford.

The chair pointed out that the committee is aware how tight budgets are right now, “but the discounts through the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board bring the registration fee for producers down to $80 that covers two-days of programming and includes all the meals.”

According to Wanner, “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.

In addition to the brochure mailed to nearly 10,000 dairy farm connections, registration information is available at www.padairysummit.org in both a printable format and as a secure online registration form. 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.