DAIRY NEWS – The deadline to register for the 2023-24 edition of dairy’s only financial literacy program designed specifically for the nuances and complexities of dairy industry benchmarks and constructs.
Financial Literacy for Dairy®, presented by Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW), features three levels of training and allows participants who complete a level to advance to the next one as they continue building on knowledge that will benefit their operations.
The first class of the 2023-24 year will take place Nov. 8-9, 2023, with an online assessment required upon registration to ensure participants are placed in the right level to suit their current experience level and skill set.
“This program isn’t just for dairy producers,” said participant Brady Weiland, PDPW board treasurer and Columbus, Wis., dairy producer. “Other dairy professionals, including veterinarians, agronomists and nutritionists will also benefit. Not only was the program created by finance experts in the industry, it was designed so attendees can network and share ideas with one another. Plus, the class sizes make it easy for presenters to offer a one-on-one touch.”
Dairy producers who participate in the program are encouraged to check with “Count on Us” partners who have offered full or partial scholarships to select attendees. Eligible registrants pay the training fee to PDPW upon registration, then arrange with their “Count on Us” partners the scholarship amount.
Current “Count on Us” partners include Bank of Brodhead, BMO, BouMatic, Bremer Bank, Citizens State Bank of Loyal, Compeer Financial, Dairy Business Consulting, Inc., Farmers & Merchants Union Bank, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Lake Ridge Bank, Nicolet National Bank, and Rabo AgriFinance. Check the PDPW website for updates, or contact PDPW with suggestions of additional partners to include.
The three levels of the program include:
- Level One, held in two sessions: Nov. 8-9, 2023, and Dec. 6-7, 2023, with all trainings held at PDPW headquarters in Juneau, Wis. This level is taught by dairy financial experts Gary Sipiorski, agricultural business and financial consultant, and Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD, Professor of Agribusiness at UW-Platteville.
- Level Two, with six total days of training held in three sessions: Jan. 17-18, 2024, Feb. 7-8, 2024, and Feb. 28-29, 2024. These sessions will also be led by Sipiorski and Dr. Bernhardt, and the coursework will give participants an intensified look at more comprehensive financial tools and reporting methods. Sessions cover profitability and cost-center tracking, enterprise budgeting, establishing key performance measures and ratios, business planning and more.
- Level Three, led by Dick Wittman Mar. 20-21, 2024, and will explore a range of advanced concepts regarding financial management.
All three levels of Financial Literacy for Dairy qualify for continuing education credits through Dairy AdvanCE. Level 1 qualifies for up to 32 DACE credits, level 2 qualifies for up to 48 DACE credits and level 3 qualifies for up to 16 DACE credits.
To register, visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDPW at 800-947-7379. Registered attendees will receive an email from PDPW with a link to complete an online placement test to be properly placed into Level 1, 2, or 3, and will receive notification of level placement immediately upon submission of test. Additionally, to suggest specific partners that might consider joining as a Count on Us partner, contact PDPW by phone or via the website.
Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #mypdpw on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”
