Industry News & Events
Here’s the latest news on dairy promotion programs in the Mid-Atlantic region and across the country. See how we are working to increase demand for milk and sales of dairy products on behalf of dairy farmers.
Learn About Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Established in 2008, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy is the first organization of its kind to align the collective resources of the industry around its barriers and opportunities so that we can offer consumers the dairy products and ingredients they need for a healthy and productive lifestyle. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy provides a forum for everyone in dairy to better deliver nutritious dairy foods, beverages and ingredients for the health of people, communities and the earth.
The industry is working together to decrease the environmental footprint of dairy products, with an initial goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for fluid milk by 25 percent by 2020. That’s equivalent to taking 1.25 million passenger cars off the road every year.
According to Cornell University, the dairy industry has reduced the carbon footprint of its products by 63 percent over the past 60 years, thanks to improvements in animal breeding, feeding rations, animal health programs, cow comfort and overall farm management practices. In fact, more milk is produced today with only 9 million cows than with 23 million cows in 1944.
U.S. dairy continues to build on that history with its Sustainability Commitment. Dairy farmers have always practiced good land stewardship and community involvement. They build on a legacy of caring for the land and the environment while producing and delivering fresh, wholesome foods.
It is what’s best for our environment, our communities, our families — and it makes good business sense for the dairy industry, too. To learn more about the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy visit www.usdairy.com.Hear the Latest Dairy Checkoff News at Upcoming Meetings
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program want to be sure that dairy farmers are well-informed about their dairy promotion investment. As such, your checkoff staff members participate in numerous producer meetings to let you know “what’s new” with promotion programs.
This month, hear about your dairy checkoff investment at the following meetings: Southwest Dairy Day in Greensburg, Pa., March 4; Farmers Union Milk Producers Cooperative Annual Meeting in Meadville, Pa., March 9; and Land O’Lakes district meetings, various locations, March 15 through 23.
If you would like a dairy checkoff representative to speak at an upcoming producer meeting, please contact Cindy Weimer at 814-498-2058 or via e-mail.Key Components to New Animal Well-Being Program Now Online 
Dairy producers now have online access to key components of the new National Dairy FARM ProgramSM: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management. The National Dairy FARM Program Animal Care Manual details best management practices for a variety of issues including animal health, environment and facilities, animal nutrition, and transportation and handling. The content of the manual is consistent with the principles and guidelines of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative, which was introduced in 2008. The companion Animal Care Quick Reference User Guide is a condensed version of the manual for on-farm use and implementation. Download your copy at www.nationaldairyfarm.com.
Created by National Milk Producers Federation, with support from Dairy Management Inc., the National Dairy FARM Program is a voluntary, nationwide program designed to bring consistency and uniformity to animal care through education, on-farm evaluations and objective third-party verification.Workshops Can Help Dairy Farmers ‘Tell Your Story’
As a dairy farmer, you have a great story to tell. The public wants to hear how you care for your animals and natural resources, how you produce wholesome and healthy dairy products for them, and how your family business contributes to the community. One way to accomplish this is through the checkoff-funded “Telling Your Story” training program.
This program helps you build positive relationships with your neighbors, community, the media and consumers through three training modules: “Connect with Your Community” (community outreach training), “Capture the Crowd” (presentation training) and “Control the Questions” (media training). Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association is pleased to offer all three modules to you.
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association has partnered with the Center for Dairy Excellence to launch the Speakers Bureau program, where we present the “Capture the Crowd” presentation training. Over the past 12 months, five training workshops have been held with 39 dairy farmers participating. The Speakers Bureau program includes the services of a “scheduler” – an individual who will work with the trained participants to identify local community groups, book speaking engagements, and handle follow-up evaluations. In addition, two “Connect with Your Community” community outreach training workshops were held in 2009. In April, 50 bovine veterinarians participated in a workshop held in Frederick, Md. and in July, 25 dairy farmers and industry representatives took part in a Garrett County, Md. workshop.
For more information, or to schedule a training workshop for a group of dairy enthusiasts in your area, please contact us.
Dairy Industry Adopts Animal Care Guidelines
In an effort to reinforce the importance of caring for dairy cattle at all stages of their lives, dairy industry leaders created a basic educational poster that will be distributed to all dairy producers across America. The barn-safe plastic poster will serve as common industry guidelines for dairy farmers to follow when they need to handle, transport or cull their dairy animals. …more