Registration is open for the 2023 Operations Managers Conference, which will be held January 31 and February 1 at the Doubletree by Hilton, East Syracuse, NY. Presented by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA), Operations Managers Conference provides an opportunity for the people responsible for day to day activities on dairy farms to increase their management and operations skills. This year's conference theme and topics focus on managing for consistency while leading through change. A variety of topics presented by local and national dairy leaders offer education and applicable strategies for management teams, whether their focus is cows, crops or people.  Click here to register and see the full agenda for both days.  Early bird registration is available through January 9.

Featured keynote presentations apply across management specialties and include: 

·         What You Do Everyday Matters in Building Consumer Confidence - Amy te Plate-Church, The Center for Food Integrity

·         Everything You Must Know About Sleep But Are Too Tired to Ask! - Dr. James Maas, Sleep for Success!

·         The Intersection Between Animal and Human Wellbeing and Productivity - Dr. Noa Román-Muñiz, Colorado State University

A key attribute of this conference is the number and variety of specialty breakout sessions, including:

DAIRY BREAKOUT SESSIONS

·         Using DairyComp to Evaluate Employee Performance and Compliance - Judy Moody, DairyOne

·         Calf Barn Ventilation - Tim Terry, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY

·         Epidemiology of Bovine Colostrum Yield - Trent Westhoff and Dr. Sabine Mann, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

·         Using Sensor Technologies to Monitor Dairy Cattle Health - Dr. Julio Giordano

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

·         Conflict Management for Those Who Do Not Like Conflict Management - Marcus Brooks, Cornell University Organizational Development and Effectiveness

·         Improving Communication Among English- and Spanish-speaking Team Members - Dr. Noa Román-Muñiz, Colorado State University

·         Engaging Today's Employees Using Technology - Dr. Kaitlyn Lutz, Cornell Cooperative Extension

·         Lean 5S: Making the Physical Workplace Work! - Dr. Richard Stup, Cornell University

·         Creating a Culture of Safety in Your Workplace - Karl Naegler, NYS Nursery and Landscape Association

·         Structure: Reducing Chaos and the Broken Stove Meetings - Collin McCarthy, Cargill Animal Nutrition

CROPS BREAKOUT SESSIONS

·         What is NetZero and What Does it Mean to Me as a Middle Manager? - Kirsten Workman, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY; Lauren Ray, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY; and Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University

·         Planting Green: Advantages of Delayed Cover Crop Termination in Western New York - Aaron Ristow, American Farmland Trust

·         Corn Planter Workshop - Shawn Bossard, Cornell Agricultural Research Station

·         CAFO Updates: How Do They Apply to Me as a Middle Manager? - Kirsten Workman, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY

Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are available. For more information, contact Heather Darrow, PRO-DAIRY Conference Coordinator, at hh96@cornell.edu or (607) 255-4478.