The IDFA team on Monday joined Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Pa.) on his visit to Galliker Dairy Company in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The congressman met with Lou Galliker, the company’s chairman and president, for a tour and thorough discussion of dairy policy issues.

During the tour, the group discussed the importance of increasing consumption of nutritious school milk, ice cream co-product research funding and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program retail incentive to promote milk purchases.

Galliker and George Pisula, vice president for quality assurance, also provided a brief history of the company and the plant, which produces a variety of fluid milk, ice cream and other dairy products.

Rep. Thompson represents the fifth congressional district of Pennsylvania. He was first elected to Congress in 2008 and is currently serving a fifth term in Congress. He sits on the House Agriculture Committee, Natural Resources Committee and Education and Workforce Committee.

In the 115th Congress, Rep. Thompson serves as vice chairman of the Agriculture Committee and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Nutrition. Last year, he introduced the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017, which would allow schools to offer low-fat and fat-free milk, including flavored milk with no more than 150 calories per eight-ounce serving, in the federal school lunch and breakfast programs.

IDFA representatives who attended the tour were Tony Eberhard, vice president of legislative affairs, Colin Newman, manager of legislative affairs and political programs, and Donald Grady, manager of legislative affairs.

Hosting a Legislative Tour

As the November 6 election date nears, members of Congress will spend more time in their home districts, offering many opportunities for facility tours along their campaign stops.

“Hosting a plant tour for your legislator and his or her staff is an excellent opportunity to build relationships for your company and show firsthand how your business operates and what it needs to be successful,” said Newman. “With midterm elections on the horizon, IDFA members should seize opportunities to show members of Congress how policies crafted in Washington impact businesses in their home state or district.”

IDFA encourages members interested in arranging a plant tour for their legislators to contact Newman at cnewman@idfa.org or (202) 220-3518.

IDFA has also created a Congressional Plant Tour Guide to help facilitate questions.

For more information on IDFA’s political advocacy efforts, visit www.dairycounts.org and sign up for GRAND (Grassroots Action Network for Dairy).