The 2021 PDPW Business Conference content is now available on demand, giving dairy producers and agri-professionals access to every session, keynote, and breakout at their own pace. Whether you missed the live event or want to revisit a specific topic, the on-demand library lets you learn on your schedule without missing a single insight.
This resource covers everything from herd health and milk quality to farm business planning and workforce management. If you work in the dairy industry and want practical, research-backed knowledge from some of the field’s most respected voices, this on-demand content is worth your time.
What Is the PDPW Conference?
Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, known as PDPW, runs one of the most respected annual conferences in the dairy industry. The event brings together producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, consultants, and agricultural educators from across the country.
The conference is built around one goal: giving working dairy professionals the knowledge they need to run better operations. Sessions are practical, speaker-driven, and focused on real challenges producers face every day.
The 2021 event continued that tradition, covering a wide range of topics across multiple tracks. Now that the content is available on demand, you can access it without the constraints of a conference schedule.
Why On-Demand Access Changes Everything
Live conferences are valuable, but they come with limits. You can only attend one session at a time, travel costs add up, and the pace of a multi-day event makes it hard to absorb everything.
On-demand access removes those barriers. You can watch a session on calf nutrition at 6 a.m. before milking, then return to a financial planning breakout in the evening. You control the pace.
For farm teams, this format is especially useful. A herdsman can watch the reproduction session. A calf manager can focus on health protocols. A farm owner can review the business strategy content. Everyone gets what they need without pulling the whole team off-site for three days.
On-demand content also allows you to pause, rewatch, and take notes in a way that a live session simply does not allow.
Milk Quality and Herd Health Sessions
Milk quality remains one of the most direct drivers of farm profitability. The 2021 PDPW sessions on this topic cover somatic cell count management, mastitis protocols, and the link between cow comfort and milk production.
Speakers in these sessions bring data from real farm audits and university research. You will find specific benchmarks, practical protocols, and case studies from farms that improved quality scores through systematic changes.
Key topics covered include:
- Milking procedure audits and retraining staff
- Dry cow therapy decisions and selective treatment approaches
- Bedding management and its effect on environmental mastitis
- SCC monitoring programs and early intervention strategies
If milk quality is a priority on your operation, these sessions offer a structured way to identify gaps and act on them.
Nutrition and Feed Management Insights
Feed costs typically represent 50 to 60 percent of total milk production costs on most dairy farms. The nutrition sessions from the 2021 PDPW conference address both the science and the economics of feeding decisions.
Topics range from ration formulation and forage quality to the management of feed inventory and bunk management. Presenters include nutritionists who work directly with large commercial herds and have tracked outcomes over multiple seasons.
You will come away with a clearer picture of where feeding programs often lose efficiency and how small adjustments in management can reduce shrinkage and improve conversion.
Business and Financial Planning Content
Running a dairy farm requires as much business skill as agricultural knowledge. The financial planning sessions in the 2021 PDPW on-demand library address this directly.
Topics include cash flow planning, loan structuring, enterprise analysis, and succession planning. These sessions are built for producers who want to understand their numbers rather than just hand them off to an accountant.
Presenters walk through real scenarios using farm-level data. You get a clear look at how farms with similar production costs end up with very different financial outcomes based on management decisions, not just milk prices.
For anyone thinking about farm transitions or expansion, the succession and capital planning sessions are particularly worth your time.
Employee Training and Workforce Development
Labor is one of the most pressing challenges in modern dairy production. The workforce sessions from the 2021 PDPW tackle this problem with practical tools and frameworks that farm managers can actually use.
Sessions cover hiring practices, onboarding, communication across language barriers, and building a workplace culture that retains good employees. Presenters include farm managers and HR professionals who work specifically in agricultural settings.
You will find session content on:
- Standard operating procedures and how to document them
- Training methods that work with multilingual teams
- Performance conversations and accountability systems
- Reducing turnover by improving the first 90 days of employment
These sessions are among the most practically useful in the entire 2021 lineup.
Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship
Consumer expectations and regulatory pressure are both pushing dairy producers toward more sustainable practices. The 2021 PDPW sessions on environmental stewardship address this without losing sight of farm economics.
Topics include nutrient management planning, manure handling systems, water quality compliance, and carbon footprint tracking. Speakers present realistic paths toward meeting environmental goals without sacrificing operational efficiency.
For farms that supply processors or cooperatives with sustainability reporting requirements, these sessions offer both context and concrete starting points.
Technology and Precision Dairy Farming
Precision technology has moved from optional to mainstream in many operations. The 2021 PDPW technology sessions examine how sensors, software, and data management tools are changing day-to-day farm decisions.
Sessions cover activity monitors, automated milking systems, milk component analysis, and data integration across farm management platforms. Presenters include producers who have adopted these tools and can speak honestly about what worked and what did not.
If you are evaluating new technology purchases or trying to get more value out of systems you already own, these sessions give you a grounded perspective based on real adoption experience.
Reproduction and Genetics Breakouts
Reproductive efficiency directly affects your rolling herd average, replacement costs, and overall herd profitability. The 2021 PDPW reproduction sessions break down both the biology and the management side of this topic.
You will find content on synchronization protocols, conception rate benchmarks, sexed semen decisions, and the economics of genomic testing. Presenters include veterinarians and geneticists who work with herds of varying sizes and production systems.
These sessions help you assess whether your current reproductive program matches your production goals, and where adjustments are likely to generate a measurable return.
Calf and Heifer Management Programming
The way you raise your replacement heifers shapes your herd’s productivity for years ahead. The calf and heifer sessions from the 2021 PDPW cover feeding, health protocols, growth targets, and transition management.
Topics include colostrum management, accelerated feeding programs, respiratory disease protocols, and the cost of raising replacements versus purchasing. Presenters use data to show how early life management decisions affect first-lactation performance.
If you are trying to lower heifer raising costs or improve first-calf performance, this portion of the on-demand library deserves close attention.
Expert Tips for Getting the Most Out of On-Demand Content
Watching sessions without a plan often means watching without retaining. Here is how to make on-demand content actually useful.
Start by identifying your top two or three operational priorities right now. Then search the session library for content that directly addresses those areas. Avoid the temptation to watch everything.
Take notes during each session. Write down one or two specific actions you can take within 30 days. Share relevant sessions with the team members most responsible for that area of your operation.
Schedule a follow-up conversation with your vet, nutritionist, or consultant after watching sessions in their specialty. Use the content as a starting point for a focused discussion about your specific situation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Accessing on-demand content is easy. Actually using it is harder. Here are the most common ways producers leave value on the table.
Watching passively without taking notes means most of what you hear fades within a week. Watching too many sessions at once leads to information overload with no clear actions.
Skipping sessions because the title does not immediately apply to you is another common mistake. Some of the most useful insights come from sessions outside your primary area of focus.
Finally, do not watch content alone if it is relevant to your whole team. If a session on employee retention applies to your operations manager, make sure they watch it too.
The Best Next Step for Dairy Professionals
The 2021 PDPW conference content, now available on demand, gives you something valuable: the chance to learn from top dairy professionals on your own schedule. Whether you are focused on herd health, farm finances, or building a better team, there is relevant, practical content waiting for you in this library.
Do not let access go unused. Pick one priority area, watch the sessions that address it, and take one concrete action this month. That is how on-demand learning actually moves your operation forward.
Visit the PDPW website, log into the member portal, and start with the session most relevant to your biggest challenge right now.
FAQs
How do I access the 2021 PDPW Conference Content on Demand?
Visit the PDPW website directly and look for the on-demand content library. Registration or membership may be required depending on the session type.
Is the 2021 PDPW on-demand content free for members?
PDPW members typically receive access to conference recordings as part of their membership. Check the current member portal for specific access details.
Can I share on-demand sessions with my farm team?
This depends on the terms of your registration or membership. Review the access policy on the PDPW website or contact them directly to confirm sharing options.
How long will the 2021 content remain available on demand?
PDPW has not published a set expiration date for older conference content. Check the platform directly for availability, as libraries are sometimes updated when new conference content is added.
Which sessions are most useful for small to mid-size dairy operations?
Sessions on milk quality, calf management, workforce development, and financial planning tend to offer the broadest value regardless of herd size. Start there and branch out based on your priorities.
