2024 Producer Discovery Workshops
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative is looking forward to gathering with members and delegates at the 12th Annual Meeting set for February 9-10, 2024 at the Wintergreen Conference Center and Clarion Suites in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
‘Mission: Possible’ is this year’s annual meeting theme, as we help our members prepare to navigate the coming year with a positive, "possible" focus through workshops, our business meeting and resolutions session.
The cooperative’s annual event kicks off with our Producer Discovery Workshops on Friday afternoon, which are open to all dairy farmers regardless of cooperative membership.
Leonard Polzin, Dairy Markets and Policy Outreach Specialist with 
UW-Extension will present "The Dairy Situation and Outlook for 2024" at 1:15 p.m. He will provide an overview of the dairy markets, examining recent trends and possible future directions. Leonard grew up on a century-old Wisconsin dairy farm and received his Bachelors Degrees in Dairy Science and Agricultural Business from UW River Falls. He later went on to complete his graduate work in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University. He has extensive experience as an educator, farmer, and analyst. His work focuses on dairy markets, firm level economics, risk management, trade and policy.
Jeff Ditzenberger, Auctioneer, Former Farmer, and Founder of TUGS 
will be speaking at 2:45 p.m. His presentation "It's Ok to Not Be Ok: Mental Wellness on the Farm" will give insight into Jeff's story about struggles with mental wellness, how he overcame those challenges and how to keep ourselves mentally well during trying times. Jeff's passion for agriculture began on the small dairy farm he grew up on in South Wayne, WI. He has been involved in agriculture in many different facets and is currently the Wisconsin District Manager for Big Iron Auctions. Jeff is also the founder of TUGS, a non-profit committed to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
You won’t want to miss these great educational opportunities! There is no cost to attend the workshops; however, to ensure sufficient seating space, please contact us at 608-286-1909 to reserve your spot.
For a full meeting agenda, click here.
