IDFA and Cornell University are teaming up again to offer the second annual NextGEN Symposium, October 6-8, in Ithaca, N.Y., for the next generation of dairy leaders. The symposium is designed to enhance personal and professional networks, increase self-awareness and improve leadership skills in a way that can drive change within an organization.
This year’s agenda includes a personality assessment workshop, a session on cultivating innovation at your company, pathogen control in dairy plants, dairy economics 101 and several concurrent sessions, including two plant tours. View the full agenda here.
The tour schedule this year features both dairy farming and processing, with facility walkthroughs offered by Sunnyside Farms, Inc. and Cayuga Milk Ingredients.
Sunnyside Farms
Neil Rejman, co-owner and dairy manager at Sunnyside Farms, Inc., and vice chairman, Cayuga Milk Ingredients, will guide participants though the 3,900-cow dairy farm located in Southern Cayuga County, N.Y. The business started with 13 milking cows in 1939, and today operates on about 5,000 acres of cropland. The farm has a 100-cow rotary parlor, a 950-cow free-stall barn, a newly renovated maternity calving area, an on-farm feed mill, dry cow housing and additional milking stalls. The farm also raises all baby calves and heifers onsite.
Cayuga Milk Ingredients
Kevin Ellis, CEO, and Kevin Bucklin, COO at Cayuga Milk Ingredients (CMI), invite NextGEN Symposium attendees to tour their processing facility in Auburn, N.Y. CMI is a highly specialized milk-protein and powder plant owned by 21 local dairy farmers, and it focuses on high-quality, highly-customizable milk products. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the 108,000 square-foot facility and observe the how the locally supplied milk is processed into ingredients, such as milk protein concentrates, milk protein isolates, 42 percent butterfat cream, skim milk powder and whole milk powder.
Both tours will run 3:00-5:00 p.m., October 7, and attendees will choose which tour they want to attend. Registration for the NextGEN Symposium and tours is now open here.
NextGEN Dairy Network
The NextGEN Dairy Network was created by IDFA to help professionals with less than 15 years of experience in the dairy industry to connect with industry peers, enhance their careers and prepare for leadership opportunities within their companies and the industry. The IDFA website features a password-protected section specifically for network members that includes a member spotlight, photo gallery, articles of interest on marketing and professional development, guest columnists and more.
To learn more about the NextGEN Symposium or the NextGEN Dairy Network, contact Robin Cornelison, IDFA trade show director, at rcornelison@idfa.org.