FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2010

Specialized Sessions At PA Dairy Summit Give Information To Take Home and Use

Editors Advisory: Please use the attached PDF for more details and to register for complimentary press credentials. Specialized Sessions At PA Dairy Summit Give Information To Take Home and Use

Bellefonte, PA – As dairy producers face a difficult economy and the increasing pressures of public scrutiny, information from specialized sessions at the 2010 PA Dairy Summit will have practical applications and long-term implications for the dairy industry. With time growing short, dairy producers and industry supporters are advised to register online now for the Summit on February 3 and 4 at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa, or to fax registrations to 814-355-2452.

Among the hot-button sessions is one that will look closely at the industry’s image. A new feature this year, this evening session at the PA Dairy Summit will follow a streamlined and fun reception style dinner. Dairy producers, tired of the barrage of negative articles, want to find ways to get their story heard in a world that often puts sensationalism before fact. This special session called “Dairy in the News” was added to provide a forum for open discussion and will incorporate input from a panel of experts that includes Harold Brubaker, business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer; Kim Lehman, director of public relations for Pavone, a world class PR firm; and Dan O’Donnell, news director from WGAL-TV in Lancaster.

According to Summit Chair Matt Wanner, a dairy producer from Wanners Pride-N-Joy Farm in Narvon, PA, the breakout topics for this year’s event were specifically selected because they are the issues most talked about among dairy producers today. Producers will find the breakout topics are about things that have an impact on day-to-day operations on the farm: deregulation and alternative energy, forage for maximizing the herd’s potential, Immigration policies, and how to evaluate your future in farming.

These targeted breakout sessions on Wednesday allow the larger audience to form smaller groups for greater interaction with the speakers and more specialization in the discussions. Four breakout topics are run simultaneously and each topic is repeated, making it possible to attend two out of the four subjects presented in the sessions.

High impact breakouts are just part of the two-day Summit program that also features general sessions featuring some of the nation’s top dairy leaders. Perhaps the hottest issue is the one scheduled for the final presentation on “Milk Pricing; What Went Wrong and How Can It Be Fixed.” In his role at Blimling and Associates, Bill Curley has seen the dairy debacle of 2009 play out first hand and will put the puzzle together to show what happened to milk prices, both domestically and internationally.

Another big picture presentation will look at technology that will be needed so farming can continue to supply a world which will require more and more food when less and less land is available. A third general session presentation will help develop an understanding of the fine balance between strategy and action producers need to build a “living, flexible, plan for the future of their business.”

Speakers from McDonalds and Wegmans will also spotlight the ways dairy and retail are working together to create new consumer interest. In addition the program includes two of the popular farm showcases, with Pennsylvania’s own Kulp Family Farm from Martinsburg and Rosendale Dairy, a Wisconsin farm committed to animal health and cow comfort.

Adding to time well-spent at the Summit is an extensive exhibit area with a show of the industry’s latest technology and newest products. The list of Summit exhibitors, now at more than 60 industry suppliers, is available at www.padairysummit.org.

The special Summit website (www.padairysummit.org) contains the complete agenda and offers secure, quick and easy online registration. Through an arrangement with the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board registration fees for producers can be as low as $80.

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.

For additional details or specific questions, the PA Dairy Summit business office can be reached at info@padairysummit.org or 877-326-5993.