Registration is now open for the 11th annual Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference, titled “Navigating the Numbers.” The event is scheduled for Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Best Western Premier — The Central Hotel and Conference Center — 800 East Park Drive in Harrisburg, Pa.

Dairy lenders, financial consultants and dairy farmers are encouraged to register online.

This year’s event is designed to help dairy professionals navigate new terrain across the marketplace and embrace change to make data-driven decisions on the farm. With four featured speakers and a panel of Pennsylvania dairy producers, attendees will learn from experienced dairy professionals who have expertise in strategic management, dairy economics, agricultural insurance, benchmarking and business planning.

“Whether you’re analyzing the past, looking at our present situation or forecasting the future, change is always going to be a factor for the dairy industry. Change is everywhere,” says Zach Myers, risk education program manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “To help dairy financial consultants and dairy producers navigate change, our speakers will share practical takeaways about market dynamics, risk management, insurance and change management that can make an immediate impact on the farm.”

Featured speakers and panel at this year’s conference include:

Matthew Gould, "Market Dynamics." Gould is a well-known and well-connected analyst and consultant in the dairy industry. He is the author of The Dairy Market Analyst, a widely followed industry newsletter, and serves as the chief market analyst at Rice Dairy LLC, a dairy futures brokerage.

Mark Goodhart, "Understanding Insurance Options." Goodhart began his career with the nation’s largest crop insurance carrier as marketing director when he completed his degree from Penn State University in the spring of 2002.

In December 2004, Goodhart joined the Strickler Agency as a farm service agent to help farmers with their agricultural insurance needs. He is now the ag department manager and corporate vice president.

Jennifer Garrett, "Change Management and Looking to the Future." Garrett has over 30 years of leadership and business experience in agriculture, food and nutrition. She started her career on faculty in animal and dairy sciences at the University of Missouri after receiving her Ph.D. in nutrition at Virginia Tech, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in animal sciences at the University of Kentucky.

Her desire to be more actively involved in agribusiness led to various U.S. and global leadership roles in the Monsanto Dairy and Monsanto Corporate Engagement businesses. For the next 10 years, she held senior positions in nutrition communications and policy with the Kellogg Co. and with McCain Foods.

In 2015, she founded JG Consulting Services LLC, a strategic management consulting firm dedicated to sustainable food and agricultural systems.

Producer panel. Mike Hosterman is leading this year’s producer panel, which features Glenn Kline of Y-Run Farms LLC; Rodney Hissong of Mercer-Vu Farms Inc.; and Mark Mosemann of Misty Mountain Dairy LLC.

Hosterman has been with AgChoice Farm Credit and its predecessor organizations for 30 years, giving him much knowledge and experience in the agricultural industry. In his role as an executive ag business consultant, Hosterman works with farm operations to conduct all types of strategic planning, business planning, transition and succession planning, budgeting, and benchmarking.

The cost to attend this year’s conference is $200 per person, discounted to $150 for those who are representatives of the Center for Dairy Excellence Allies for Advancement.

If the event format changes due to new restrictions, individuals will be notified as soon as possible, and costs will be adjusted accordingly.

Sign up online for conference email updates.

Source: Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.