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Dr. Ehrin Dawson is a Nutritionist and Feeding Operations Manager at Threemile Canyon Farms, LLC, with more than 25 years of experience in the dairy industry and 20 years specializing in dairy nutrition and feed management. She earned her BS and MS degrees from the University of Idaho and her PhD from the University of Arizona, where her research focused on mammary development and optimal dry-period length in dairy cows. Her work integrates nutrition, animal health, operational efficiency, and financial performance.
Keynote Title: Aligning Nutrition and Herd Management Goals at Threemile Canyon Farms
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Dr. Dave Kohl is an academic Hall of Famer in the College of Agriculture at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Dr. Kohl has keen insight into the agriculture industry gained through extensive travel, research, and involvement in agbusinesses. He has traveled over 10 million miles; conducted more than 7,000 presentations; and published more than 2,500 articles in his career. Dr. Kohl’s wisdom and engagement with all levels of the industry provide a unique perspective into future trends.
Keynote Title: Agricultural Update and the Road Ahead
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Rob Sharkey, widely known as The Shark Farmer, is an Illinois grain farmer and host of the SharkFarmer Podcast. Through candid, unscripted conversations, he explores agriculture, policy, innovation, and the future of farming with producers and industry leaders from across the country. Drawing on firsthand farming experience, Rob is known for his direct, engaging style and his ability to spark thoughtful discussion around real-world challenges facing agriculture today.
Keynote Title: Sharks Don't Swim Backwards
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Monday features two breakout time blocks at 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Each time block includes three concurrent sessions, allowing attendees to choose the topic most relevant to their operation and interests.
Justine Britten, PhD
Laboratory Director and Co-Owner, Udder Health Systems
Mastitis is often categorized as contagious or environmental, with environmental cases frequently broad and sometimes poorly defined. While coliforms are often the first organisms that come to mind, environmental mastitis extends beyond a single pathogen and may at times overlap with contagious sources.
This session will review the different classes of environmental mastitis pathogens and help participants define and differentiate environmental sources. Dr. Britten will also discuss practical and effective management strategies for common environmental challenges and explain when environmental sampling can be useful as part of a management approach.
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Elizabeth Howard with Rosalyn DiLillo Knock
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C.
This interactive session will guide producers through the process of developing a water rights inventory. Participants are encouraged to bring a computer and property descriptions as presenters walk through practical steps and considerations.
The session will focus on helping producers understand what information should be included in an inventory and why maintaining accurate records is important from both operational and legal perspectives.
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Adlai Schuler, DVM, MS
Director of Livestock Operations, Threemile Canyon Farms
For decades, genetics and reproduction have been considered the backbone of dairy herd success. But are we leveraging them to their full potential? This session challenges traditional assumptions around genetic management and explores how modern reproductive technologies can influence herd productivity and cow longevity.
Dr. Schuler will discuss how reproductive strategies, when applied with intention and precision, can align with broader operational goals. The session will examine how management decisions intersect with genetics to support long-term herd performance.
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Don Schindler
Senior Vice President of Digital Communications, Dairy Management Inc.
How AI Is Changing Farm Communication and What to Do About ItToday, every farmer is also a communicator to an audience far removed from the farm. This practical session provides an overview of working with the media, posting online, and managing a farm’s public image.
Participants will review the basics of handling interviews, responding online, and using emerging AI communication tools to strengthen their farm’s brand and build trust. The session will also explore how AI is changing media and search, and how farmers can use AI tools to simplify communication effort
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Michael W. Overton, DVM, MPVM
Global Dairy Platform Lead, Zoetis
This session will examine how replacement decisions influence herd productivity and long-term sustainability. Dr. Overton will discuss how reproductive management, data analysis, and economic decision-making intersect to support operational goals and enhance herd performance.
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Rocky Dallum, ODFA Legislative Advocate
with Trevor Beltz (Tillamook), Mike Freese (The Romain Group), Ryan Krabill and Lauren Kuenzi (Oregon Farm Bureau)
A Legislative panel: Rocky Dallum and legislative insiders will provide a recap of the 2026 Legislative Session and other policy issues facing Oregon agriculture in 2026.
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Tuesday includes two breakout time blocks at 11:15 AM and 3:30 PM. Each block offers three concurrent sessions covering a range of industry topics.
Kate Lott, DVM
Director of Farm Engagement, Tillamook County Creamery Association
This session provides an overview of the National Dairy FARM Program and its role in supporting farmers through science-based standards and structured evaluations. The discussion will explore how program expectations are developed, how updates are shaped through stakeholder input, and how the program supports continuous improvement on farms of all sizes while strengthening relationships with cooperatives and customers.
Renson Miranda, Field Services Assistant Director, WAFLA
This session focuses on managing employee discipline and termination effectively and lawfully. Participants will review the principles of clarity, consistency, and compliance within a progressive discipline framework.
Topics include setting and communicating expectations, documenting performance issues factually, applying policies consistently across employees, understanding state and federal regulatory considerations including H-2A requirements, and maintaining a fair and professional workplace.
Justine Britten, PhD
Laboratory Director and Co-Owner, Udder Health Systems
This is a second offering of Dr. Britten’s session examining environmental mastitis beyond common assumptions. The session reviews pathogen classes, differentiates environmental sources, discusses practical management strategies, and explains when environmental sampling may be useful.
Panel Presentation
This panel session will walk through the process from planting and harvest through feeding. Panelists will outline key stages of crop production and feed management and explain how decisions made in the field translate into feeding strategies and overall operational coordination.
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Sarah Masoni and Younas Dadmohammadi
OSU Food Innovation Center
This session explores how Oregon dairy can capture additional value per pound of milk through next-generation, application-driven dairy ingredients. Presenters will discuss where market demand is strongest, how dairy-derived functionalities translate into product performance, and practical pathways to test, de-risk, and scale new ingredient concepts using pilot capabilities at the OSU Food Innovation Center.
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Jenny Nelson, Anne Goetze, and Julie Nixon
Dairy West
This session provides updates on the new Dairy ProteinInstitute and current checkoff initiatives supporting innovation and growth inwestern dairy markets. Presenters will discuss how these efforts are structuredto advance product development and market opportunities. Innovative productsamples will be available during the session.
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