LANSING, Mich. – Dairy producers have navigated unprecedented challenges the past five years and the novel coronavirus only added to these difficult and challenging times.

With this in mind, organizers of the 19th annual Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference (GLRDC) have designed a conference to meet these challenges head on and provide producers with important updates and information to help them stay competitive and improve their operations. And this year’s event, Feb. 4-5, is going virtual.

A group of expert speakers will share strategies and projections to help producers and industry representatives make the most of the next year and beyond at this conference.

“Our planning committee has been committed to identifying speakers who will provide the latest and highest quality information on timely topics important to the region’s dairy producers, farm managers and dairy industry professionals,” said Brian Troyer, GLRDC executive board member and dairy nutrition specialist. “Our goal is to provide an engaging forum for all sectors of the dairy industry to come together in one place at one time to learn, share information and gather the latest resources to help increase their profitability while doing more with less.”

This year’s conference will feature three, two-hour sessions and one bonus session hosted by Michigan State University Extension.

“Even though we’re disappointed that we’re not able to gather for our annual meeting face to face, we’re excited to share three specific sessions with producers and industry representatives,” Troyer said. “The sessions will provide attendees with both the 30,000-foot level perspective of the industry and more detailed sessions to enhance practical applications on the farm.”

The first session (Feb. 4, 10:30 a.m.) will feature Mary Ledman, global dairy strategist with Rabobank. Ledman is considered by those in the industry as a “thought leader” who has extensive knowledge of domestic and international dairy markets, policy and has more than 30 years of experience in production agriculture, food processing, government service, agriculture policy, dairy risk management, market information and dissemination, and milk and dairy product price forecasting.

“Ledman is very familiar with the Midwest and unique financial challenges presented in Michigan and will provide recommendations to help one’s business thrive in 2021 and beyond,” Troyer said.

The second session (Feb. 4, 7 p.m.) features Tangaroa Walker, a dairy producer and social media influencer from Southland, New Zealand. He will provide a virtual tour of his operation, discuss the challenges and successes of operating in New Zealand and share his perspective on the global dairy market. He will explain how social media has helped enhance his operation.

The final formal conference session (Feb. 5, 10:30 a.m.) will focus on Raising the Perfect Calf: Your Future Herd Profit Center. Dr. Sandra Godden, DVM, DVSc from the University of Minnesota, will discuss current recommendations for key management areas for care of the pre-weaned calf, including goals for monitoring health and growth, transfer of passive immunity, newborn care, colostrum management, nutritional management and pros and cons of individual versus group housing systems.

MSU Extension will host a bonus session (Feb. 5, 2-3:30 p.m.) with a focus on how strategic planning can change the dairy. Extension experts include Melissa McKendree, Stan Moore, Corey Clark, Jonathan LaPorte and Barry Bradford. This group, along with a panel of producers, will discuss strategic business planning for dairies. The producers will share how they have gone through significant changes in their own dairy businesses.

The conference will also feature a short informational presentation hosted by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan as part of each session where you will hear an overview of the organization’s dairy promotional activities.

Virtual attendees can connect with various agricultural companies by visiting the website sponsor page or joining the networking session. Producers will have the opportunity to purchase heifers and cows through Kreeger and Associations GLRDC All Breeds Online Exchange on Feb. 4.

The cost to register for the full conference is $35 and attendees should register by Feb. 3. For more information about the conference or to register online, visit www.glrdc.org. To register by phone, call 517-884-7089.