On-Farm Ice Cream, Soil Health, Feed Outlook

Seasonal topics presented by experts designed to cultivate new ideas for dairy managers

This week’s on The Dairy Signal® from Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW), episodes will include insights on adding value to one’s dairy as well as making the most of soils and feedstocks. Celebrate National Ice Cream Month on Tuesday with a panel discussion of producers who have successfully added creameries to their dairies. The Wednesday episode will highlight the elements of healthy soil, and tune in Thursday for a look ahead at 2023 feed crops.

Here’s a little more:

Tuesday, July 25

Nothing says summer like ice cream. This panel discussion will feature two dairy producers who added value to their operations with on-farm creameries. They’ll share the ins and outs of starting and operating a creamery, with their comments on production, sales, marketing and more. Episode presenters will be:

• Ken Smith, dairy producer and owner, Moo Thru Ice Cream
• William Lesher, owner/partner, Way-Har Farms, LLC and Way-Har Farm Market, LLC 

Wednesday, July 26

Healthy crops start with healthy soils. Join an interactive conversation about the ingredients in healthy soils and what producers can do to optimize their soils throughout the year. Episode presenter will be:

• Dr. Jamie Patton, PhD, CPSS, Wisconsin State Soil Health Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Thursday, July 27

Tune in for a timely update on the condition of 2023 feed crops and what to look for in fields, especially acreage representing a variety of maturity levels due to uneven germination. Our experts will also share what nutritionists are recommending to make the most of remaining feed inventories. This episode is presented in collaboration with the UW-Extension and will feature:

• Jerry Clark, Regional Crops & Soils Educator, UW-Extension
• Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, Assistant Professor and Ruminant Nutrition Extension Specialist, UW-Madison

Thank you to sponsor Prairie Estates Genetics for helping make possible these Dairy Signal episodes.

The Dairy Signal® is a weekly series of educational episodes offering practical insights and resources for dairy farmers and food-system professionals across the value chain. Developed by dairy farmers and members of the Professional Dairy Producers Board of Directors, the episodes air live from 12:00-1:00 PM CT each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Live sessions offer attendees the opportunity to engage in open Q&A with the speakers; recorded sessions are available shortly after episodes are aired. Access all previously broadcasted sessions at www.pdpw.org.

For more information, contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or send an email to mail@pdpw.org. Join the conversation digitally by following @dairyPDPW and using #TheDairySignal 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.