Progressive Dairy Operators and Grand Valley Fortifiers are pleased to announce the successful completion of our 2nd Business Management Workshop Series. This year, 14 enthusiastic participants took part over the 6 weeks with presentations by informative industry speakers, plus each day's subject was enhanced by real life examples of an established dairy producer.

Topics covered this year included: Debt Management & Capital Utilization, Business Management & Benchmarking, Business Structures & Succession Planning, and Human Resources and the Art of Negotiation.

On the final day, each participant was required to prepare a Project Presentation, which was judged by their peers, on a subject learned in one of the workshops as applies to their enterprises. All of the presentations were fantastic.

Art Groenewegen from Grand Valley Fortifiers presents prizes to (left to right) Stefan Weber, William Judge, and Stefan Pelkmans.

1st Prize: 1 Year enrolment in Profit Profiler plus a Blackberry 64G Playbook
Winner: Stefan Weber, Scenic Holsteins Ltd
Comparison of Custom Manure Spreading vs Doing it Yourself

2nd Prize: 1 Year enrolment in Profit Profiler
Winner: William Judge, Judge Farms
Benchmarking your Way to Success

3rd Prize: $495 towards 1 year enrolment in Profit Profiler
Winner: Stefan Pelkmans, Nassau-Lee Farms
Penciling out a Daritech Master Bedding Purchase

These workshop projects are funded in part through the Agricultural Management Institute (AMI). The AMI is part of the Best Practices Suite of programs for Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

About progressive dairy operators

Programs developed by Progressive Dairy Operators (PDO), include high caliber conferences held every three years featuring leading research experts and innovative dairy producers from around the world.

Technology centered tours to leading edge free stall operations have included: Holland, France, New Zealand, Michigan, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario. These programs have played a role in bringing new technologies such as parallel parlors, greenhouse barns, sand bedding, and corn silage processing to Ontario dairy producers.

Tours overseas have helped to expand our understanding of our global partners/competitors and to appreciate the 'world of dairying'.

Future Plans

While education and technology will remain the focus, we are repeatedly asked to represent the viewpoint of larger commercial herds in industry dialogue on marketing, genetics, milk recording, environment and other issues. As a membership based organization we can strive to reflect your views in such discussions and to take up issues you bring forward.

In order to maintain monthly contact with members, we have arranged to provide Dairy Herd Management magazine to our members. This magazine is widely read in the US and is an excellent source of timely articles on innovative dairy ideas. Information about PDO activities will be included with the magazine on a regular basis.

Our Mission...

Progressive Dairy Operators is focused on enhancing our dairy industry through dedication to innovation and excellence in dairy business management as well as providing opportunities through leadership, experience and education.

Our Vision...

Our vision is to be a global leader in the dairy industry.