By Blake Jackson
The 2025 Dairy Wellbeing Workshop, offered by Professional Dairy Producers (PDP), provides valuable training for dairy farm teams.
This program focuses on two key areas: understanding the impact of farm decisions on animal well-being and mental health strategies for farmworkers.
The workshop will be held twice, on February 11th and 12th, at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Both sessions will run from 8:00 AM to 3:45 PM and feature simultaneous Spanish translation.
The program starts with a unique learning experience: a tour of an American Foods Group processing facility. Participants will see firsthand how cull cow care on the farm impacts the quality of beef products.
Beef buyers, market experts, and USDA inspectors will share insights into carcass conditions, body condition scoring, and culling decisions. This session equips attendees with knowledge to make informed and profitable cattle management choices.
“The PDP Dairy Wellbeing Workshop is one of the most valuable opportunities for dairy team members to see firsthand how the management decisions and care they provide impacts not only animal health, but also the beef that our end consumers are purchasing,” said Cassandra Strupp, dairy producer from Slinger Wisconsin, and PDP program manager.
“The combination of a plant tour with classroom training focused on personal and animal health will provide ideas and insights that can be put into practice at farms of all sizes right away.”
Following the tour, participants will attend presentations by two renowned speakers. Monica Kramer McConkey, a mental health counselor with over 25 years of experience, will address compassion fatigue in her session titled "Watch for that blind spot: understanding compassion fatigue."
Monica Kramer McConkey will outline strategies to create a healthy balance between animal care and personal well-being. Attendees will learn to identify signs of compassion fatigue, build resilience, and manage stress effectively.
Dr. Jan Shearer, a professor and extension veterinarian at Iowa State University, will present on the challenging topic of humane euthanasia. His session, "Euthanizing cattle – what you need to know," will guide participants through the decision-making process and best practices for performing euthanasia procedures.
Dr. Shearer will cover signs indicating when euthanasia is the most compassionate option, humane methods for the procedure, and managing the emotional challenges for both animals and caregivers.
Pre-registration is required for the workshop. Visit www.pdpw.org or call 800-947-7379 for more information. The program is accredited for continuing education credits by Dairy AdvanCE, ARPAS, and FARM.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-peopleimages
Categories: Wisconsin, Livestock, Dairy Cattle