Early Life Management Focus of PDP Calf Care Connection

 

 

One-day workshops set for Oct. 14, 15 in Wausau, Fennimore

A lifetime of good health and productivity starts on a dairy calf’s first day. The 2026 Calf Care Connection workshop® presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) will focus on the latest research and real-world experiences that can turn early-life management into the foundation of a productive and profitable dairy herd.

Two repeating sessions of the one-day workshop will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at North Central Tech College in Wausau, Wis., and on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Southwest Tech College in Fennimore, Wis. Each workshop begins with registration at 9:00 a.m., with sessions running from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be offered for both sessions of the program.

“We know the decisions we make from the time a calf is born will impact her health and production for the rest of her life,” said Laura Raatz, Oconto Falls dairy producer and calf care manager, and PDP board director. “Everyone on your calf care team will benefit from learning together with experts and peers at PDP’s Calf Care Connection.”

A combination of hands-on, interactive breakout sessions and panel discussions will provide research-backed information along with insights from experienced calf managers. Calf care team members, calf managers, veterinarians and dairy calf specialists will all benefit from sessions focused on how starter grain intake shapes early rumen and gut development, managing milk as a foundation for calf growth, and how calf housing shapes health, behavior and growth outcomes.

Session facilitators and panelists include:

• Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn, PhD, herd manager and calf consultant, Four Hands Holsteins in Amery, Wis.
• Dr. Jill Soderstrom, PhD, national young animal nutrition and technical business manager, Land O’Lakes
• Dr. Jennifer Van Os, PhD., associate professor and extension specialist in animal welfare, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Alicia Birkholz, calf ranch manager at Holsum Dairies, Hilbert, Wis.
• J Hall, owner and operator of Hall’s Calf Ranch, Kewaunee, Wis.
• Bethany Marcks, calf manager at Hall’s Calf Ranch, Kewaunee, Wis.
• Brooke Trustem is a sixth-generation dairy producer at Larson Acres, Evansville, Wis.

PDP Calf Care Connection is accredited for up to 4.75 Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) and up to 4 ARPAS continuing education credits. Learn more and register at www.pdpw.org or by contacting PDP at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) 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.