55th Annual Dairy Practices Council Conference

Join Us at the 55th Annual Dairy Practices Council Conference

The place where dairy industry, academic, and regulatory professionals gather together to collaborate on dairy food safety best practices and expand their network of dairy industry expertise through participation in technical education sessions, task force working sessions, vendor visits, conference educational workshops, and conference tour offerings.

Click here for 2024 Agenda

October 28th - Pre-Conference Workshops and Tour:

• Preventive Maintenance Best Practices for Pumps, Valves, Gaskets, and Heat Exchangers - Presented by Nelson Jameson

  • Morning Session - Fundamentals - This educational session will introduce you to the different types of valves, pumps, and heat exchangers. We will break down the components of each piece of equipment, discussing their functions and roles within a dairy production system. 
    

  • Afternoon Session - Advanced - This specialized session will focus on preventative maintenance strategies tailored to valves, pumps, and heat exchangers. Learn to identify and troubleshoot common issues that can disrupt production, and gain hands-on experience in disassembling and maintaining each type of equipment. 
    

    • Intended for those who have attended the introductory half day session offered in the morning or at past DPC Conferences

A Pre-Conference Educational Tour on Monday afternoon will take registered attendees to the US Headquarters of ABS Global in DeForest, Wisconsin, USA.

ABS Global is the world-leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services, technologies, and udder care products. Marketing in more than 70 countries around the globe, ABS has been at the forefront of animal genetics and technology since its founding in 1941. In bovine genetics, ABS serves more than 40,000 customers globally, including some of the world’s leading beef and dairy producers. ABS Global owns bull studs in Europe, North America, Latin America, and India, selling genetics to dairy and beef customers in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe. 

Official opening of the conference is at 8:30 a.m. CST, Tuesday October 29th at the Doubletree Hilton Madison East, in Madison Wisconsin

Randy Romanski - Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will provide a Welcome to Wisconsin to be followed by a presentation by the current Alice in Dairyland - Halei Heinzel

Additional Topics To Be Covered on Tuesday Include:

Food Safety Culture

PMO Centennial Celebration         

The Heart of Culvers

Later in the afternoon, Task Force Working Sessions will commence where attendees will discuss industry needs, write/review existing Guidelines and decide what additional Guidelines would be most useful.  

Be sure to identify your Task Force(s) of interest when you register. 

If you are new or are unsure what Task Forces do

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Task Force I   Farm Buildings & Equipment:  Activities & Guidelines relate to buildings & equipment for dairy operations. Focused on systems including designs for handling cows, feed, milk, ventilation & manure.

Task Force II   Plant Equipment & Procedures:  Activities and Guidelines relate to procedures and equipment involved in dairy plant operations.  Focused on promoting uniformity between the states.

Task Force III   Laboratory & Quality Control Procedures:  Activities and Guidelines relate to laboratory, quality control, product evaluation & trouble shooting procedures. Focused on methods of assuring quality through good production and manufacturing procedures.

Task Force IV   Regulatory Issues & Food Safety:  Activities and Guidelines relate to inspections and HACCP.  Focused on fostering communications & uniformity between the states.

Task Force V   Milking Systems & Procedures:  Activities and Guidelines relate to milking system design, equipment, and facilities. Focused on function and proper cleaning/sanitation.

Task Force VI   Small Ruminants:  Activities and Guidelines relate to dairy goat, sheep, and other small ruminants.  Focused on best practices pertaining to all aspects of production and processing.

From 5:30-7:30 p.m. a Networking Reception with Cash Bar will be held where participants can visit with our vendor sponsors and each other to catch up on new technologies, product offerings and changes in the industry.

Wednesday October 30th will kick-off at 8:00 a.m. CST, with our keynote speaker - Dr. Megan Schmid from USDA APHIS - providing an update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza / H5N1.  Her keynote will be followed by a panel of industry experts discussing different aspects of this important emerging topic.

Later in the morning, Task Force Working Sessions will commence where attendees will discuss industry needs, write/review existing Guidelines and decide what additional Guidelines would be most useful.  

During lunch, the Annual Business Meeting will be held where we will celebrate the accomplishments of 2024, share the vision for 2025, and honor our volunteers through the Eugene T. Wolff Award, Guideline Author Acknowledgments and Honorary Lifetime Membership Inductees. 

The Annual Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon will be followed by:

The Fabulous Farm Babe

ABC's and More of Troubleshooting Dairy Farm Facilities

"Say Cheese!" - A Panel Presentation featuring Wisconsin Cheesemakers

The meeting will adjourn at 4:30 p.m. CST.

For additional information regarding conference program, events, registrations, membership or sponsorship opportunities, please contact our office at 419-890-5147 or evp@dairypc.org.

 Click here for 2024 Agenda