Three Levels of Dairy-Specific Financial Training

Registration Open for 2022-23 PDPW Financial Literacy for Dairy^®; Partial Scholarships Available

Register today for dairy’s only financial literacy program designed to equip dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other agribusiness professionals with the tools they need to thrive in today’s dairy industry. Limited space is available for the 2022-23 sessions of the Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) Financial Literacy for Dairy®, a financial-development curriculum with three successive levels featuring an online assessment that places first-time attendees in the appropriate level. All classes will be held at PDPW headquarters in Juneau, Wis.

“PDPW’s Financial Literacy for Dairy is unique in that it provides multiple levels of training in an environment that is completely geared to the dairy industry,” said Katy Schultz, Fox Lake, Wis. dairy producer and PDPW board president. “The multiple-session format allows participants to take home what they’ve learned and put it to work before returning for the next session or level. Completing the entire series provides a strong foundation for business success.

In addition, several partner lenders, financial institutions and consultants participate in the “Count on Us” program to provide partial scholarships to dairy producers participating in the PDPW Financial Literacy for Dairy program. Class attendees pay the training program fee to PDPW upon registration, then consult with their “Count on Us” partners to determine the scholarship amount. A full list of participating partners is available on the PDPW website.

After participants complete their online assessment at registration, they are placed in one of the following levels:

• Level One, taught by dairy financial experts Gary Sipiorski, agricultural business and financial consultant, and Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD, Professor of Agribusiness at UW-Platteville. This level will focus on core financial concepts such as the balance sheet, cash income statement and cash flow budgeting to set the stage for more practical application and show the implications for improved business management as well as more effective lender relationships.
• Level Two, also facilitated by Sipiorski and Bernhardt, introduces participants to broader concepts and provides a deeper look at more comprehensive financial tools and reporting methods, including ratios and analyses.
• Level Three, led by Dick Wittman, Wittman Consulting, covers advanced concepts in several core areas, including the use of budgeting tools for planning and performance monitoring, trend analysis, strategies for optimizing capital purchases, managing family business investment capital and more.

Sessions are scheduled for:

• Level One – Nov. 9-10 and Dec. 14-15, 2022
• Level Two – Jan. 18-19, 2023; Feb. 8-9, 2023, and Mar. 1-2, 2023
• Level Three – Mar. 22-23, 2023

To register, visit www.pdpw.org