Volume 23: Issue 1 January 2021
BOTTOM LINE Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
Challenging year leads to opportunities Katy Schultz
Page 3 COVID-driven growth looks to endure
Page 6 PDPW Business Conference moves to Dells
Page 14 High-quality forages can cut costs
Page 16 Minimize risk with scenarioplanning
Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” I can’t think of a better way to describe the roller-coaster year of 2020. The list of difficulties we’ve faced as individuals, dairy farms, manKaty Schultz agers and as an industry has grown vastly since the start of 2020. But our perseverance – our fortitude – has turned a long list of challenges into an even-longer list of opportunities. As dairy farmers we’ve needed to be nimble, quickly pivoting with market and supply changes throughout the year. We’ve learned to do things a little differently, think a little differently and interact with each other a little differently. Through it all we’ve managed to still take care of the things God has granted us with – our land, animals, natural resources and people. Throughout the year our ability to adapt and accept change has grown exponentially. That doesn’t mean it’s been easy. Having a solid support system has been more important than ever. I’m proud that PDPW has walked
PDPW
Katy Schultz and her father, Keven Schultz, review a to-do list for the day.
every step of the journey with its members. As a grassroots producer-led organization, PDPW understands the critical importance of connecting, sharing information and providing resources during times of crisis. The PDPW response started immediately in March when the team transformed its largest event – the annual business conference – to a virtual format with just a few days’ notice. The Dairy Signal™ broadcast debuted online just weeks later, providing timely, accurate and transparent information for free to anyone with internet access. Leading researchers and leaders in business, government and policy issues o f fe re d m u c h - n e e d e d
counsel, information and resources. When dairy producers weren’t sure whether a milk truck was coming to pick up their milk, or if there would be space at meat-processing plants, the Dairy Signal provided direct conversations with milk processors, meat packers, economists and more so we could understand what was happening in real time. As the year went on PDPW was able to return to offering some in-person training and networking programs, all done with a priority on safety for the facilitators and participants. Some of those programs also offered additional modified-live opportunities See OPPORTUNITIES, page 2
Professional Dairy Producers™ I 1-800-947-7379 I www.pdpw.org