‘Adopt a Cow’ Program Brings the Farm to the Elementary Classroom

Adopt A Cow program

The Discover Dairy Lesson Series Is Open for Enrollment for the 2019-20 School Year To celebrate the start of the 2019-20 school year, elementary teachers can enroll their classrooms in Discover Dairy’s “Adopt a Cow” program, a year-long interactive learning opportunity that gives students an inside look at a dairy farm. Discover Dairy is an…

What’s Your Safety Net?

Cows

By Jayne Sebright, Center for Dairy Excellence Executive Director Every time I look at an income statement, I realize just how expensive the cost of doing business can be. When you think about labor, capital and insurance, these items can really eat into your bottom line. But without any one of them, you could be…

Center for Dairy Excellence Offering 2019-20 Grants for Dairy Farms

On-farm team program

Applications for Team Grants and Dairy Decisions Consultants Grants Will Be Accepted Beginning Sept. 1 The Center for Dairy Excellence is offering multiple grants for the 2019-2020 fiscal year to provide dairy farmers with a team approach to decision-making. The team grants allow dairy farmers to establish a dairy profit, transition or transformation team that…

Transforming Your Dairy with a Team Approach

Phoebe Bitler of Vista Grande Farms

Dairy producers know that running a successful business requires teamwork and expertise in multiple areas—from herd health and milk production to finance, business planning and employee management. For Dave and Phoebe Bitler from Vista Grande Farms in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, a team approach to decision-making was just what they needed to transform their business. With 160…

“Protecting Your Profits” Call Scheduled for August 28

Cows

Monthly Call Features Dairy Industry Updates and Market Fundamentals The Center for Dairy Excellence’s “Protecting Your Profits” call will be held on Wednesday, August 28 at noon. The call will be led by Zach Myers, Risk Education Manager with the Center. During the call, Myers will compare monthly dairy industry performance scorecards and discuss the…

Center for Dairy Excellence Seeking Board of Director Nominations

Farm overhead shot

Nominate a Dairy Producer from the Southeast Region of Pennsylvania The Center for Dairy Excellence Board of Directors is requesting nominations for a dairy producer from Southeast Pennsylvania to fill an open board position. After reaching the two-consecutive term maximum set by the organization’s bylaws, Donald Risser from Bainbridge, Pa., will vacate his position. “Don’s…

Register for the 2019 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference

Cows

Dairy Financial Professionals Will Share Risk Management Fundamentals Gary Sipiorski, Dairy Development Manager at Vita-Plus, Inc., will provide benchmarking information to help dairy professionals avoid financial risk on Wednesday, September 11 during the Center for Dairy Excellence’s annual Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference. The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m….

Breakfast on the Farm Event Set for September 21

Kurtland Farms

Save the Date and Enjoy Breakfast on the Farm Highlighting Pennsylvania Dairy The first-ever Breakfast on the Farm event will be held on September 21, 2019 from 8 a.m. to noon at Kurtland Farms in Elverson, Pa. The free breakfast is part of the “Choose PA Dairy” campaign and will be open to the public….

Center Focus Column: Eat More Ice Cream

Ice Cream Trail

By Jayne Sebright, Center for Dairy Excellence Executive Director Thirty-five years ago, US President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month. Since then, people across the country have celebrated the creamy treat and its ability to brighten almost anyone’s mood. Last year the Center worked with Pennsylvania’s Tourism Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department…

Meet Montana, an On-Farm Intern with a Passion for Herd Health

Montana, an on-farm intern, with a calf

From an early age, Montana Stump has cared deeply for animals. After growing up on her family’s hobby farm and spending her weekends at a friend’s dairy farm, she discovered her interest in animal health. “It was fun [growing up on a farm]. My family had rabbits and sheep, and we also had goats, chickens,…