Dairy Summit Speakers to Give Real-Time Updates on Immigration Concerns & HPAI Mandates for Dairies

It’s Not Too Late to Register for the Dairy Summit on February 5-6, 2025 in State College, PA

With immigration concerns mounting this week for farms and businesses that have foreign labor and the preliminary finding of H5, 2.3.4.4 in a commercial poultry flock in Lehigh County triggering new biosecurity mandates for neighboring dairies, the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit will offer guidance and resources from expert speakers who have updates to share about these real-time issues in the news. Hosted by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and Center for Dairy Excellence, the two-day Dairy Summit will be held next week on February 5 and 6 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Registration is still open for the event, and walk-ins will be accepted.

“I can’t imagine why a dairy operation wouldn’t send at least one person to take advantage of next week’s Dairy Summit program, especially when you consider you’ll become more prepared on how to understand workforce regulations and be able to leave the Summit with your biosecurity plan in hand to meet the new mandates required to continue operating within an HPAI outbreak area,” said Jared Kurtz, a dairy producer from Berks County, Pa. and the 2025 Dairy Summit Chair. “If you’re concerned and have questions about what you’re seeing in the news, our speakers have firsthand insights to share, boots-on-the-ground guidance, and hands-on help.”

With news about immigration coming to certain workplaces, next week’s Dairy Summit will feature a timely breakout panel discussion focused on employment law with Wayne Vanderhoof, Brook Duer, Esq., and Ricky Palladino, Esq. Palladino is a seasoned Immigration Attorney with experience from inside of ICE as well as years of experience advocating for foreign workers and their employers. He is seeing firsthand what is and is not happening in Pennsylvania and across the country, and plans to detail this rapidly evolving issue and advise attendees on how to protect their employees and prepare and respond to any potential interactions with law enforcement – sharing what he is actually seeing on the ground over the past week.

Biosecurity is another real-time issue facing dairy and poultry producers across the Commonwealth. On January 27, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reported a preliminary finding of H5, 2.3.4.4 in a commercial poultry flock in Lehigh County, Lynn Township, Pennsylvania. A 10 Km Control Area has been

placed around the premises, which includes a 3 Km Infected Zone and a 7 Km Buffer Zone. Per the Department’s quarantine order, and to exercise precaution to dairy farms and poultry facilities in that area, dairy farms in the 3 Km infected Zone around an infected poultry or dairy premise are required to conduct surveillance (bulk tank or in-line milk samples representing the entire milking herd). While no cases have appeared in dairy yet, and this is not the strain that has infected dairy cattle in other states, the risk of HPAI is high and biosecurity is essential.

Next week, the Dairy Summit will have a HPAI and Biosecurity Resource Center available in the live demonstration area of the event on both February 5 and 6 to help dairy producers take the steps they need to prepare for this growing biosecurity concern and any future mandates for dairies. Attendees can visit the demo area to work with staff to create a biosecurity plan for their individual dairy, and learn how to get a USDA issued federal premises identification number that is registered with the Department. Both steps will help dairy producers stay proactive and protect their operations against any future HPAI findings or mandates.

In addition to these two timely sessions, the Dairy Summit program includes over 16 dynamic speakers and sessions for dairy producers from all size operations – from herd management to forages, employee management, and future opportunities. Continuing education credits are available for many of the sessions.

Visit www.padairysummit.org to register today and view the full program. Walk-ins will be accepted at the event, and producer discounts are available. Contact the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit Business Office with questions. Call 814-355-2467 or email info@padairysummit.org.