Plant Tour, Animal Health Take Center Stage at Dairy Wellbeing Workshop

Limited space available for simultaneously translated Nov. 19, 20 workshop

Animal care and management practices have long-lasting impacts on milk production and beef quality of cows. The Dairy Wellbeing workshop, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), features an opportunity for dairy team members to see those impacts firsthand during an exclusive tour of a beef-processing plant, with follow-up sessions covering additional animal wellbeing topics.

The workshop will begin with a tour of American Foods Group, where participants will:

• Trace the cull cow’s experience from harvest floor to the cooler.
• See the effects of on-farm care and management practices at the farm level on cull-cow quality.
• Hear from beef buyers, market experts and USDA meat inspectors about importance of carcass and body condition and how cattle and carcasses are evaluated.

Following the tour, participants will hear from leading experts on animal handling and management:

• Dr. Jennifer Van Os, PhD, associate professor and extension specialist at University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present “Practicing the principles: stockmanship in action” featuring interactive discussions and practical strategies for calmer cows, safer handlers and more productive herds.
• Dr. Laura Solano, DVM, PhD, assistant professor in the food animal production section of UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, will present “Every step counts: act early for healthier cows” with lameness-prevention strategies, early-detection and intervention tools to employ long before mobility and productivity are impacted.

Dairy Wellbeing Workshop is accredited for up to 5.5 Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) continuing education credits and up to 6.0 ARPAS continuing education credits.

Pre-registration is required for the program. Learn more and register your team for Dairy Wellbeing Workshop 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.