Two-Day Event to Feature National, State Experts on Food, Trade, Environmental Topics

For the dairy industry, 2018 has been a whirlwind year of economic, trade, and regulatory policy news that have impacted international markets and local farms.  The 2018 PDPW Food & Policy Summit presented by The Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) will provide an opportunity for farmers, ag and food industry professionals and policy-makers to come together to understand and discuss the complex dynamics that impact everything from global demand to consumer preferences for dairy products.

The Summit is a two-day collaborative event to be held Dec. 19-20, 2018, at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison, Wis.  The summit is open for one-day or two-day registration, and will bring together innovative dairy farm owners, industry CEOs, food system department executives and key decision makers and thought leaders from across the food value chain.

“We’re looking forward to two days packed with top-notch speakers and perspectives on some of the most important topics for our state’s farmers, economy and communities,” said Shelly Mayer, Executive Director of PDPW.  “The Dairy Food & Policy Summit brings together a variety of viewpoints to ensure that we are all in step with changing markets, regulatory policies and consumer trends.”

A full slate of experts will present and lead panel discussions during the event.  Speakers will include:  Sheila Harsdorf, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture; Matt McKnight, U.S. Dairy Export Council; Bill Even, National Pork Board; Chad Vincent, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin; Dan Basse, AgResource Company; Linda Wenck, MorganMyers; Mary Anne Lowndes, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Mike Gilberston, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Eric Cooley, UW Discovery Farms; Emily Yeiser Stepp, FARM Program; and Chase DeCoite, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

To learn more about the program and to register, visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDPW at 1-800-947-7379.  Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #FoodandPolicy2018 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.”