Organization: PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS OF PA
Mission: PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS IS A FARMER-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION ADVANCING OUR STATE'S DAIRY INDUSTRY THROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY WITH CONTINUED STEWARDSHIP OF OUR ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT, AND COMMUNITY. TO DO THIS: PDMP PROVIDES EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DAIRY FARMERS BY HOSTING PROGRAMS WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE DAIRY PRODUCERS' SKILLS AND INCREASE KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HELP THEIR PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. PDMP IS A DAIRY-ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT BRINGS PROGRESSIVE DAIRY PRODUCERS TO THE DISCUSSION ON MATTERS OF PUBLIC POLICY THAT SUPPORT THE FUTURE VIABILITY OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. PDMP CONNECTS DAIRY FARMERS TO OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR STORY WITH DAIRY CONSUMERS AND INFLUENCERS WITH THE GOAL TO CORRECT MISLEADING INFORMATION AND INCREASE CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. PDMP SERVES AS A DAIRY FARMER-DRIVEN CATALYST TO IDENTIFY NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH THAT SUPPORT IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL STE
Activities: PDMP PROVIDES DAIRY FARMERS WITH THE MOST CURRENT AND RELEVANT EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS DESIGNED BY PDMP MEMBER FARMS BASED ON WHAT THEY MOST WANT TO LEARN. MEMBERS RECEIVE DEEPLY DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION FEES FOR IN PERSON PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON TOPICS RANGING FROM SOIL AND WATER HEALTH TO HUMANE ANIMAL HANDLING, WORKER SAFETY, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND MORE. MOST PROGRAMS INCLUDE A TOUR OF A WELL-MANAGED DAIRY, OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE, SO THAT ATTENDEES CAN SEE IN ACTION THE PRACTICES, TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPALS DISCUSSED IN THE MORNING DISCUSSION. THE HIGHLIGHT OF 2019 PROGRAMMING CULMINATED WITH A LIVE CONSUMER FOCUS GROUP SHARING THEIR CONCERNS AND LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, WHY THEY CHOOSE THE DAIRY PRODUCTS THEY PURCHASE AND WHERE THEY GET THEIR INFORMATION ABOUT DAIRY. THIS EYE-OPENING INTERACTION WITH REAL CONSUMERS, WHO WERE UNAWARE OF THE MAKEUP OF THE AUDIENCE, WAS FOLLOWED BY A PANEL OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN DAIRY CONSUMER DEMANDS, INCLUDING THE DAIRY MANAGER FOR A MAJOR FOOD RETAIL CHAIN, AND A TOUR OF THE RETAIL FACILITY TO LINK WHAT ATTENDEES HEARD THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WITH AN IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE OF URBAN/SUBURBAN FOOD CONSUMERS, NOT AT ALL SIMILAR TO THEIR OWN RURAL COMMUNITIES. A BROADER AGENDA IS OFFERED AT THE PA DAIRY SUMMIT EACH WINTER. THIS TWO- DAY CONFERENCE, CO-HOSTED WITH THE CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE, BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST OF PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY INDUSTRY FOR DOZENS OF HIGH-QUALITY PRESENTATIONS ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS PRESENTED BY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, SO THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ON PENNSYLVANIA'S DAIRY OPERATIONS.
FOR OVER 15 YEARS, THE PROFESSIONAL DAIRY MANAGERS OF PENNSYLVANIA (PDMP) HAS PARTNERED WITH PENN STATE UNIVERSITY IN A CORN SILAGE HYBRID TESTING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM. PDMP MEMBER FARMS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE STATE VOLUNTEER A PLOT OF LAND ON WHICH OUR SEEDS ARE PLANTED AND FROM WHICH CROPS ARE ANALYZED. IN RECENT YEARS, RESULTS AROUND NDF AND STARCH DIGESTIBILITY YIELDED MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CORN SILAGE IN RATIONS FOR DAIRY CATTLE. THEREFORE, IN 2019 WE ADDED A SILAGE RANKING TOOL CALLED THE ORGANIC MATTER DIGESTIBILITY INDEX (OMD INDEX). THE OMD INDEX CALCULATION USED A MORE EXPENSIVE WET CHEMISTRY TO DETERMINE NDFD30 AND 4H STARCH DIGESTIBILITY. THE STORY BEHIND THE OMD INDEX IS PUBLISHED WITHIN THE RESULTS AND IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL DAIRY FARMS AND THEIR NUTRITIONISTS.
PDMP'S GOAL WITH THE ON-FARM INTERNSHIPS IS TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF TOP DAIRY PRODUCERS BY MAKING HANDS-ON, PRACTICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON WORKING DAIRY FARMS AS COMPETITIVE AS PHARMA AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS. WITH THE INTENT THAT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE PREPARED AND COMMITTED TO ENTERING THE PRODUCTION SIDE OF DAIRY UPON THEIR GRADUATION, PDMP OFFERS ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT, MATCHED BY BOTH THE PA CENTER FOR DAIRY EXCELLENCE AND THE PA DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION, TO AUGMENT WHAT DAIRY FARMERS ARE ABLE TO PAY FOR SUMMER INTERNS, TO DAIRY STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE 15-YEAR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PLACES STUDENTS ON DAIRIES FOR A SUMMER AND IN 2019 SUPPORTED SIX COLLEGE STUDENTS, INTERESTED IN PURSUING A DAIRY RELATED CAREER, ON EXCEPTIONAL FARMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER IN PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE.
NTEE category: Animal-Related
Secondary category: Food, Agriculture & Nutrition