FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marti Hogan
mhogan@idfa.org
(202) 220-3535

New focus on use of technology and industry partnerships

(Washington, D.C. – Sept. 5, 2018) Nominations are now being accepted for the 21^st Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year, an annual award co-sponsored by IDFA and Dairy Herd Management magazine. The winner will be honored at Dairy Forum 2019, January 20-23 at The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla. Nominations must be submitted by Sept. 28, 2018, and there is no fee to enter.

IDFA and Dairy Herd Management are seeking nominations of active U.S. dairy farms that have embraced innovation and technology, as well as industry collaboration and partnerships, to achieve greater productivity and growth. Nominees will be judged on current methods as well as their positioning to meet future economic and business challenges.

“After 20 years of rewarding excellence and innovation in dairy farming, we decided the 21^st year would be an appropriate time to expand the scope of the award in keeping with evolving on-farm practices,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “While still focused on innovators, the 2019 award will look for progressive U.S. dairy farmers who have employed new technology and welcomed industry partnerships to promote greater productivity, embrace sustainable practices, educate consumers and explore new paths to growth.”

The award recipient will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Dairy Forum to attend a special presentation ceremony held during the event. (Winner will be responsible for all tax liabilities.) The person nominating the winner will receive complimentary registration to Dairy Forum.

In addition, the winning operation will be highlighted in the January 2019 issue of Dairy Herd Management. Dairy Forum is widely recognized as the most important processor and producer conference of the year for the U.S. dairy industry. The 2018 event drew an impressive crowd of more than 1,000 industry participants.

The 2018 winner was Schrack Farm Resources LP of Loganton, Pa. Previous winners were Jer-Lindy Farms LLC of Brooten, Minn.; Holsum Dairies of Hilbert, Wis.; Hilmar Jerseys in Hilmar, Calif .; Milk Source, LLC, in Kaukauna, Wis.; McCarty Family Farms, Rexford, Kan.; Sweetwater Valley Farm, Philadelphia, Tenn.; Brubaker Farms of Mount Joy, Pa.; Haubenschild Dairy Farm, Princeton, Minn.; High Plains Dairy of Friona, Texas; Mason Dixon Farms, Gettysburg, Pa.; Clauss Dairy Farms, Hilmar, Calif.; Baldwin Dairy/Emerald Dairy, Emerald, Wis.; Si-Ellen Farms, Jerome, Idaho; Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, Kewaunee, Wis.; C Bar M Dairy, Jerome, Idaho; North Florida Holsteins of Bell, Fla.; KF Dairy of El Centro, Calif; Joseph Gallo Farms of Atwater, Calif.; and KBC Farms, Purdy, Mo.

Complete award criteria and a nomination form are available here.

#  #  #

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports nearly 3 million jobs, generates more than $39 billion in direct wages and has an overall economic impact of more than $628 billion. IDFA is the umbrella organization for the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA’s members range from large multinational organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. The diverse membership includes numerous food retailers, suppliers and companies that offer infant formula and a wide variety of milk-derived ingredients.  IDFA can be found online at www.idfa.org.