2026
Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference
February 5-6, 2026 | Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. PLEASE REGISTER ONSITE AS SPACE ALLOWS
Check out sessions on:
Explore the Future of Dairy: From Innovation to Infrastructure. Join top researchers and industry leaders tackling tech, sustainability, and market trends reshaping dairy.
Breakout Sessions Built for You: Choose Your Dairy Path. From technology to TN visas, forage to fertility — pick from focused sessions tailored to your role and interests.
Expert Insights from Across the Industry. Gain knowledge from names you trust like Sarina Sharp, Mike Hutjens, Greg Bethard, and university experts from MSU, Cornell, and more.
Real-World Solutions for Real Dairy Challenges. Navigate workforce strategies, animal welfare, new processors, and profitability tools to future-proof your farm.
Networking That Matters: Farmers, Experts, and Innovators in One Place. Connect at breakout sessions, receptions, and over lunch with the minds moving dairy forward.
Bilingual Learning Opportunities: Herdsperson Sessions in Spanish. Special Spanish-language track focused on leadership, reproduction, and herd health for frontline dairy teams.
“The planning committee has been committed to identifying speakers who will provide the latest and highest quality information on timely topics important to the region’s dairy producers, farm managers and dairy industry professionals. Our goal is to provide an engaging forum for all sectors of the dairy industry to come together in one place at one time to learn, share information and gather the latest resources to help increase their profitability while doing more with less.”
– Brian Troyer, GLRDC executive board member and dairy nutrition specialist
Since 2003, the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference (GLRDC) has been dedicated to helping dairy producers learn new ways of increasing their profitability by doing more with less.
GLRDC was approved for 8 RACE credit hours of continuing education credit for specific sessions in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval.
Thank you to our Diamond Sponsors:
Florida Dairy Farmers & United Dairy Industry of Michigan
Star City IBA, Inc. & Premium Farm Solutions, Inc.
GLRDC 2025 Experts
Dr. Angel Abuelo
Michigan State University
Dr. Paola Bacigalupo Sanguesa
MSU Extension
Dr. Alycia Bales
Caledonia Farmers Elevator
Dr. Greg Bethard
High Plains Ponderosa Dairy
Dr. Barry Bradford
Michigan State University
Nathan Brandt
Four Cubs Farm
Dr. Geoff Dahl
University of Florida
Rudy DeJong
Mayflower Dairy
Dr. Trevor DeVries
University of Guelph
Dr. Dörte Döpfer
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Nate Elzinga
Caledonia Farmers Elevator
Dr. Julio Giordano
Cornell University
Dr. Mike Hutjens
University of Illinois – Urbana
Ryan Lamb
Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC
Aubrey Lettinga
Walnutdale Family Farms LLC
Dr. Adam Lock
Michigan State University
Martin Mangual
Michigan State University Extension
Casey Mickelson
SE Agricultural & Commercial Solutions
Lynn Olthof
Michigan State University
Brian Preston
Preston Dairy
Jason Reid
IBA Inc.
Dr. Isaac Salfer
University of Minnesota
Dr. Claira Seely
University of New Hampshire
Sarina Sharp
Daily Dairy Report
Keith Sikkema
SE Agricultural & Commercial Solutions
Matt Tranel
Ever.Ag
Bob Woronko
SE Agricultural & Commercial Solutions