UW-RF Home > University Communications Home > This Month's News Releases

University Communications

Students Attend PDPW Annual Conference

By Jenny Bjelland
UW-RF News Bureau

MARCH 24, 2005--Fourteen agricultural students from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls were selected to participate in the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin 2005 Business Conference held March 8-9 in Madison, Wis.

Students from throughout the UW System who demonstrated an interest in the dairy industry were encouraged to apply for scholarships provided by the PDPW Education Foundation. The PDPW scholarships provide students with registration to the conference and a one-night complimentary hotel stay.

Upon being selected, each student was paired with a mentor. Typically, mentors are Wisconsin dairy producers from a variety of types of operations. Prior to the conference, students arranged to spend a day with their mentor to observe the day-to-day operations of the mentor’s farm and the daily decisions producers in Wisconsin face.

At the conference, students gathered with more than 1,000 dairy producers and allied industry members for a series of informational seminars. Together the students and industry professionals took part in sessions on business management and technical production and heard from motivational speakers. Students also attended a trade show and staffed a UW-RF display booth.

According to UW-RF dairy science Professor Steve Kelm, the PDPW scholarship provides students with a unique opportunity as "the students start to establish a network with successful dairy producers throughout Wisconsin."
Participating UW-RF students from Wisconsin and Minnesota are listed below by hometown with year in school and major.

WISCONSIN
Arena- Joshua Sazama, junior, dairy science
Auburndale- Jason Berdan, senior, agricultural studies
Brooklyn- Jeffrey McNeely, sophomore, dairy science
East Troy- Kristen Beach, senior, animal science
La Crosse- Ashley Lindahl, senior, dairy science
Markesan- Louis Jahnke, junior, agricultural business
Neillsville- Sara Gaier, sophomore, dairy science
Oconto- Nichole Brabant, sophomore, dairy science
Poynette- Rachel Paskey, sophomore, dairy science
Ripon- Patrick Wiltzius, sophomore, dairy science

MINNESOTA
Eden Valley- Cory Salzl, senior, dairy science
La Crescent- Leah Johnson, junior, agricultural education
Lindstrom- Chris Peterson, senior, dairy science
Madison Lake- Linnea Beckel, senior, agricultural studies

-30-

Last updated: Tuesday, 22-Jun-2010 16:21:21 CDT