Dairy St r Central Plains Dairy Expo Preview
Special Edition 1st Section
March 13, 2010
Sipiorski, Dickrell team up to answer the big questions By Sadie Frericks Staff Writer
Sioux Falls, S.D. – For many dairy farmers, 2009 was like an amusement park ride that finds you asking, as you step off at the end, “Whoa! What just happened?” Now that the ride is over, many dairy producers are asking, “What do we do now?” A team of speakers at the Central Plains Dairy Expo will answer those questions. Gary Sipiorski, business development manager for Vita Plus Corporation and Hoard’s Dairyman columnist, and Jim Dickrell, editor and associate publisher of Dairy Today, are joining forces for two presen-
tations on March 31: “How the Economic Tsunami Got to My Milking Parlor” at 9:30 a.m. and “Moving On, Milking On in a New Economy” at 2:15 p.m. A f t e r hearing Sipiorski and Dickrell, dairy producers will have Gary Sipiorski better Vita Plus Corporation a understanding of what happened during the 2009 dairy price collapse and why. “A lot of people are blam-
A chance to reflect
ing a lot of factors for last year’s crash and slow recovery – the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), milk protein concentrates, dairy leaders who were slow to react, sexed semen, etc. The list is endless. While all Jim Dickrell of these Editor, associate might have publisher of impacted Dairy Today things on the edges, it was the global recession and the precipitous drop in dairy exports that
caused this price crash,” Dickrell said. “Last year was a very financially rough year for all producers in the dairy industry. They were smacked with the lowest inflation-adjusted price on record. Producers need to understand what caused the U.S. and world recessions. They also need to understand how a one- to two-percent swing in consumption of a perishable product like milk can have huge ramifications,” Sipiorski said. During the presentations, Sipiorski will explain the world export and domestic consumer markets. Dickrell will help producers understand the micro-economics of what
is happening at the farm level. “The combination between us should give the audience a current and real perspective of what is happening in the industry and what they need to do to make intelligent decisions,” Sipiorski said. Dickrell will also discuss the dairy industry’s new policy options – everything from the National Milk Producers Federation’s multi-pronged proposal to the prospects of a national supply management program. He’ll also answer the question, “What should I, as a dairy farmer, be doing as these policy options are debated?” Turn to Big questions/ Page 3
10th Annual Central Plains Dairy Expo, March 31-April 1
Smith brings admiration, humor to expo By Sadie Frericks Staff Writer
Sioux Falls, S.D. – Although he didn't grow up on a farm, author and speaker V.J. Smith has always admired people with farm backgrounds. As a student at South Dakota State University, Smith had an opportunity to get to know students who grew up on farms. "They have a great work ethic, they respect the land and they can fix stuff. I'm serious about that last one," Smith said. Smith will bring his admiration – and his sense of humor – with him to the Central Plains Dairy Expo when he presents "Simple Choices, Big Rewards" (11 a.m.) and "The Richest Man in Town" (4 p.m.) on April 1. "In our personal lives and our business lives, we are faced with simple choices on V.J. Smith how we interact with the people around us," Motivational speaker Smith said. Using humor and reflection, "Simple Choices, Big Rewards" will focus on the five major choices we face each day. "The Richest Man in Town" is a story about much more than financial riches. Smith will show what happens when you take the time to be kind and compassionate and help audience memTurn to Smith/ Page 3
Dairy star File photo by Krista M. Sheehan
Shane Fey (middle) and his dad, Doug Fey (right), both of Woodstock, Minn., visited the Central Plains Dairy Expo last year. They walked through exhibitor booths and stopped to talk to Tom Barron (left) of Ruthton, Minn., about his handcrafted feeders.
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Central Plains Dairy Expo
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