6:30 AM
Breakfast
7:00 AM
NEDPA Annual Meeting - Open to all
8:05 AM
Welcome
8:05 AM
Basically incredible
Matt Booth, Mattitude
In this energizing, practical session, Matt Booth shows participants how attitude and communication shape results in work and life. Drawing from his book Basically Incredible, he helps audiences Check Their Attitude, sharpen their communication, and turn everyday interactions into powerful moments of influence. Attendees walk away with simple, actionable steps they can use immediately.
9:00 AM
Balancing expansion and environmental factors
Brian Boerman, Agricultural Consulting Services; Jason Oliver, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY; and Don Janssen, Green Hill Dairy
Moderated by Kirsten Workman, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
As weather becomes more challenging and many NY dairy herds are expanding to meet expanding processing capacity in NY, farms will need to work hard to maintain sustainability, environmental compliance and social license to farm. This panel will explore why this is important, the indicators of risk that will trigger more meticulous manure management, proactive strategies for herds undergoing expansion, and managing manure at higher animal densities.
10:00 AM
Break
10:30 AM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Key succession questions: A panel conversation
Mike Hosterman, Horizon PCE and Mike Peachey, Acuity Accounting
This interactive panel will tackle three critical succession topics:
• Ownership & Profit Sharing: How can profits be allocated and influence on changes in ownership?
• Funding Retirement & Asset Transfer: What strategies balance senior generation retirement with farm viability?
• Building Your Team: Who should be on your internal and external succession team, and what roles do they play?
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain practical insights to navigate the complexities of farm succession planning.
Animal welfare and stocking density: Real world strategies for high performing herds
Jon Gilbert, Scipio Springs Dairy; Bob Eichorst, Riverside Dairy; and Lindsay Ferlito, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
Moderated by Rob Lynch, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
This panel explores how stocking density decisions impact cow comfort, milk production, and overall herd performance. Panelists will share practical, on‑farm strategies for managing different stocking densities — including bedding approaches, cow‑flow considerations, managing time away from the pen, optimizing milking schedules, and monitoring cow behavior. This session offers real, actionable insights for maintaining cow welfare with the operational demands of a growing herd.
11:30 AM
Leading, not performing, as a senior manager
Dr. Richard Stup, Cornell University
Leadership demands change as one progresses from frontline supervisor, to middle manager, to senior leader. Senior leaders need to develop others to high performance from the whole organization. This workshop gets into the details of senior level leadership.
Acres, cows and nutrients: Financial and environmental considerations
Jason Karszes, Lainey Koval, and Kirsten Workman, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
The land base of a dairy farm is key to both feed the herd and manage nutrients. This session will dive into the financial considerations and trends between dairy farm financial performance and number of acres being managed, varying from farms with limited forage acres, to sufficient acres to grow all forage, and those farms that grow grain to feed and sell. Within this conversation, the land base needed to effectively manage nutrients as a part of the nutrient management plan will also be incorporated.
12:15 PM
Lunch
1:15 PM
Becoming an employer of choice: The importance of workplace culture
Adam Seybolt, Stewarts; Martha Hilton, Wegmans; and Dr. Richard Stup, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
Moderated by Karl Czymmek, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
What makes a workplace truly great? This panel will explore the critical role culture plays in attracting and retaining talent. Panelists will define what culture is, share how it can be cultivated and sustained, and offer insights from both research and real-world experience. The discussion will focus on practical strategies you can apply to strengthen your own business culture and become an employer of choice.
2:15 PM
With vision there is hope
Bruce Vincent, Vincent Ventures / Environomics Inc.
America is ready for a new vision of conservation and environmental stewardship that is based upon hope instead of fear. Those of us who work at the ground level in implementing society’s framework for providing food, clothing and shelter while protecting the environment are positioned at the leading edge of these needed changes. If we understand the difference between fighting and leading during these challenging times that edge provides exciting opportunities and hope.
3:15 PM
Adjourn
