Testimonials
Learning and training along side your peers and especially those that carry the same passion, enhances your learning experience. Here is what others have to say about tracking their continuing education through Dairy AdvanCE.
Amber Radatz
Amber is Co-Director for Discovery Farms Wisconsin where she puts her technical background to work for farmers by assisting with manure management, water quality and nitrogen use efficiency. Amber received her BS and MS in Soil Science from UW-Madison. Having grown up in Trempealeau County, WI on her family's dairy farm she is personally connected to and passionate about her work.
“Dairy farmers will appreciate Dairy AdvanCE's one-stop shop approach. The ability to see the 'best of the best' trainings at a glance allows anyone interested in professional development to find what they need. Managers responsible for ensuring employees are trained will appreciate the chance to plan ahead and check that trainings have been completed.”
Darci Daniels
Darci and husband, Justin, own and operate "Garden Valley Genetics," a 50-cow registered Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy in west-central Wisconsin.
“The idea of an online resource of top-quality training and education offerings is spot on. I can search for something specific I or someone on the farm needs or discover programs that I didn't even know existed. I can also see how those that market and provide services to dairy farmers could benefit from Dairy AdvanCE. Knowing the person I'm dealing with has a qualified base of knowledge means better use of our time and more productive conversations about our farm.”
Photo courtesy of the beef checkoff
Logan Bower
Logan is from Perry County, Pennsylvania where he owns and operates Pleasant View Farms. Active in his local community, state and national dairy organizations, Logan is a past chairman of the PDPW Foundation Board.
“I have to say, I've never really thought of the idea of a resume or transcript that tracks all of the education and training I've gone through in my lifetime. If I did, I can imagine it would be a pretty impressive list. And thinking about how consumers and society today want more transparency from farmers about how their food is raised, that transcript could be reassuring to consumers that we've got the right experience and expertise.”
Steve Maddox
Steve Maddox is a dairy farmer and owner of Maddox Dairy in Riverdale, California. He is a 1978 graduate of Cal Poly's Dairy Science program and has been recognized by dairy companies and his peers for his outstanding work in sustainability.
“We make training a priority on our farm. Dairy AdvanCE helps us easily find the training we need, whether it is an online training video on SOPs we watch as a whole team or an in-person event we attend off the farm. The idea that our managers and employees can track their education in a transcript is useful to them and us. It also helps in our hiring process to better assess a potential employee's skill set and how to build on it.”
Dr. David Kohl
Professor Emeritus in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at Virginia Tech, where he was on staff for 25 years. His is currently president of AgriVisions, LLC, a knowledge-based consulting company and is also a business coach and part owner of Homestead Creamery, a value-added dairy business in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“Just like all professionals, dairy farmers need to always be improving themselves and their farms. The idea of lifelong learning isn't a new one for farmers, it's already in their nature. What's new with Dairy AdvanCE is the ability to track those training and education experiences to identify areas for further advancement, but also demonstrate that commitment to others outside of our industry.”
Dr. Danny A. Klinefelter
Professor and Extension Economist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, specializing in agricultural finance and management development. Developer and director of the TEPAP program for 25 years. A member of the board of Ag Texas Farm Credit Services and President of his family's Illinois farm corporation. Danny received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois in 1979, where he was a National Science Foundation Research Fellow.
“A needed, positive approach to continuing education is how I'd describe Dairy AdvanCE. Today's dairy farm owners and managers require skills previous generations didn't: technology, financial analysis, managerial accounting, collaborative business arrangements, business savvy and communications to name a few. There's also a need for some of the basics, as new employees learn skills and grow their expertise in daily farm tasks like animal care and handling. Dairy AdvanCE includes quality training and education at both ends of the spectrum, and makes it easy to find the right training for the right person at the right time.”