Center for Dairy Excellence

Name

Center for Dairy Excellence

Legal name

Center for Dairy Excellence

Website

https://centerfordairyexcellence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Industry Support Services

NAICS

Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (11212), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Milking Parlor & Dairy Farm Support Services (Non-veterinary) (AFAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy Farm Data, Monitoring & Precision Dairy Operations (AFAEACAO), Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Livestock Management (EDAOAOAD)

Keywords

• Dairy industry support
• Agricultural grant programs
• Dairy education programs
• Farm transition planning
• Dairy workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation accepts donations to support educational programming, student internships, scholarships, and programs that expose students to dairy careers.
2. Grant Programs: Provides various grants to dairy farmers including Dairy Innovation Grants, Dairy Decisions Consultant Grants, Transition/Transformation Team Grants, Dairy Productivity Grants, Discussion Group Grants, and WV Dairy Farm Consultation Grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Center for Dairy Excellence is a Pennsylvania-based non-profit organization that provides grants, educational resources, and information for dairy farmers, leaders, and consumers. It administers multiple grant programs (Dairy Innovation, Dairy Decisions Consultant, Transformation Team, Productivity, Discussion Group), hosts peer-to-peer learning discussion groups and podcasts, and runs workforce development programs including apprenticeship and internship opportunities. Its affiliated Foundation focuses on student/youth programs such as Discover Dairy, Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow, and the Adopt a Cow educational program.

Product overview

The Center for Dairy Excellence is an educational and resource organization for Pennsylvania's dairy industry, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of educational programs, grant funding, podcasts, discussion groups, and apprenticeship/internship opportunities. The main programs include Cow-Side Conversations and Protecting Your Profits podcasts; multiple grant programs (Dairy Innovation, Dairy Decisions Consultant, Transformation Team, Productivity, Discussion Group); Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship and Dairy Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship programs; On-Farm Internships; Discover Dairy and Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow student programs; Calving Corner exhibit; scholarship and award programs; an ECM Calculator tool; webinars; and Pennsylvania Dairy Performance Indicators. The Foundation (separate entity) focuses on educational programs for students including Adopt a Cow and internship programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cow-Side Conversations Podcast: Monthly podcast featuring real-time farmer insight, tricks of the trade, and inspiring stories from dairies across Pennsylvania, hosted by Jayne Sebright, Executive Director.
• Protecting Your Profits Podcast
• Calving Corner
• On-Farm Internships
• Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow
• Discover Dairy
• Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship

Products and services

• Grant Programs Funding programs that provide financial support to Pennsylvania dairy farmers for innovation, consulting, transition planning, productivity improvements, and peer discussion group participation.
• Dairy Discussion Groups Free, facilitated peer discussion groups held at Pennsylvania dairy farms that enable dairy producers to network and share ideas on operational practices.
• Cow-Side Conversations Podcast Monthly podcast featuring stories, insight, and operational tips from Pennsylvania dairy producers, distributed on major streaming platforms.
• Protecting Your Profits Podcast Monthly podcast providing dairy farmers with risk management strategy, market data, production trends, and statewide/national updates from industry experts.
• Protecting Your Profits Webinars Monthly webinar recordings featuring industry experts from Ever.Ag and others discussing dairy market trends, risk management tools, and strategies for navigating price volatility.
• Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship Program Registered apprenticeship program with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that trains dairy herd managers and connects host farms with aspiring professionals.
• Dairy Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship Pre-apprenticeship program designed to prepare individuals for entry into the dairy industry workforce.
• On-Farm Internships Summer internship program placing students on progressive dairy farms to gain hands-on experience in dairy farming.
• Discover Dairy Classroom-based educational program that connects students with dairy farming through curriculum, materials, and the Adopt a Cow program.
• Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow Youth development program providing scholarships, awards, and career preparation resources for students pursuing dairy industry careers.
• Calving Corner Exhibit Live dairy cow birthing exhibit at the PA Farm Show providing the public with hands-on education about dairy farming and student internship opportunities.
• Scholarship and Award Programs Financial support programs for students pursuing dairy-related careers, including the Jan Harding Ruslavage Memorial Service & Promotion Award which provides a $3,000 cash award to young individuals committed to dairy service.
• Dairy Week In Review Weekly market and management review publication providing dairy producers with current market trends and analysis.
• Pennsylvania Dairy Performance Indicators Data resource providing performance benchmarks and indicators for Pennsylvania dairy producers to evaluate their operations.
• Adopt a Cow Program Educational program connecting classrooms with dairy farms, allowing students to follow a cow throughout her pregnancy and calving journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free discussion groups held at three Pennsylvania dairy farms in July 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Penn State ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Dairy Discussion Groups with Penn State Extension across Pennsylvania counties. Leverages extension network to deliver peer-to-peer learning programs for dairy producers.
• Professional Dairy Managers of PennsylvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with PDMP and Pennsylvania Dairymen's Association to provide $3,000 grants supporting the on-farm internship program each summer.
• Pennsylvania Dairymen's AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation to provide $3,000 grants supporting on-farm internships.
• PA Cheese GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Pennsylvania cheesemakers to work collectively to reach more consumers and build the artisan cheese market in the MidAtlantic region.
• PA Farm ShowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCalving Corner exhibit at the Pennsylvania Farm Show provides live dairy cow birthing experience for consumers and internship opportunities for students.
• Pennsylvania Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory oversight for dairy processing facilities and cheese-making operations. Also administers value-added grants for dairy farms entering processing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Dairymen's Association: Co-funder of on-farm internship grants and a statewide dairy advocacy/promotion body. Highly comparable as another PA-specific nonprofit serving dairy producers and consumers with overlapping programmatic touchpoints (PA Farm Show, Calving Corner sponsorships).
• Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania: Strategic partner that co-funds on-farm internship grants alongside the Center. PDMP is a producer-led membership organization serving PA dairy farm managers with peer learning, advocacy, and management education, mirroring a meaningful slice of the Center's mission.
• Penn State Extension: Core co-delivery partner for the Center's dairy discussion groups across Pennsylvania counties. Both organizations provide agricultural education, applied research translation, and producer-facing resources to the same PA dairy farmer base.

Broad incumbents

• Dairy Management Inc. National dairy checkoff organization funding promotion, research, and education on behalf of U.S. dairy farmers. Operates at far greater scale and scope than the Center but shares the same mission of supporting the dairy industry through education, research translation, and demand-building.
• National Milk Producers Federation: National trade association representing U.S. dairy producers, comparable as a higher-level industry support organization. Engages in policy, research, and farmer resources analogous to the Center's grants and educational programming, just at the federal level.
• United Dairy Industry Association: National federation of state and regional dairy promotion organizations. Offers a comparable umbrella structure for producer-funded dairy education and promotion work, with member organizations running analogous programs to those the Center operates directly.

Regional players

• Midwest Dairy: Regional checkoff organization representing dairy farmers across 10 Midwestern states. Similar mission of farmer-funded promotion, education, and school engagement programs (Discover Dairy equivalents), serving as a regional peer to the Center.
• Cornell PRO-DAIRY: Cornell University's dairy extension and applied research program serving New York dairy producers. Directly analogous to the Center's relationship with Penn State Extension, with comparable workforce development, applied research, and educational programming for a neighboring state's dairy industry.
• American Dairy Association North East: Regional dairy promotion checkoff organization covering the Northeast U.S. Comparable consumer-facing education, dairy promotion (analogous to Choose PA Dairy), and farm-to-consumer storytelling programs; geographically adjacent to and partially overlapping with the Center's consumer-education efforts.

Emerging players

• Center for Dairy Research: University of Wisconsin–Madison dairy research center that supports the dairy industry through applied research, training, and industry partnerships. Comparable as a dairy-focused support organization with educational programming and industry development, though oriented to dairy product innovation versus the Center's producer-services focus.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CtrDairyExcel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCg8b_bxJK6J141PeLQAeeUQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/centerfordairyexcellence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-dairy-excellence-pa
• Instagraminstagram.com/centerfordairyexcellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Dairy Excellence