More than 1,000 dairy leaders are expected to convene at Dairy Forum 2019 to discover ways to move dairy forward and position the industry in the year ahead. Administration officials, renowned experts and industry leaders will share their insights and perspectives on a wide variety of relevant topics to advance dairy on the path forward to growth and prosperity.

Dairy professionals that are not able to attend can register at no cost to view two featured sessions that will be broadcast live online from Orlando, Fla. IDFA and Dairy Foods magazine have partnered to offer these broadcasts on Monday, Jan. 21.

Leading Dairy Forward

Could a successful future for dairy really hinge on the relationships we forge and the collaborative efforts we undertake on joint causes and concerns? The answer for Michael Dykes is a resounding “Yes.” One strong example: The industry’s collaboration on the farm bill proved to be just what Congress needed to see for dairy to gain what it wanted. IDFA and others are working collaboratively and constructively with the administration and agencies to move the needle in the right direction on school milk, trade, standards of identity and labeling, food safety and more important issues for dairy. In this session, Dykes will outline the industry’s many successes and explore new ways we can work together to lead dairy forward. It will air at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time.

Women Leading Forward

Women represent nearly half of the U.S. workforce, but just a handful hold leadership positions in dairy. IDFA believes the industry can learn a lot from these trailblazing leaders and has assembled a panel of distinguished women leaders to share their stories of success. The leaders will share their unique stories and ideas for encouraging more women to follow in their footsteps. They’ll also discuss the challenges they faced, the drive and determination they have and the opportunities that helped to shape their careers and many contributions to the dairy industry. This session will air at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

It will feature:

  • Miriam Erickson Brown, President and CEO, Anderson Erickson Dairy Company;
  • Beth Ford, President and CEO, Land O’Lakes, Inc.;
  • Barbara Glenn, Ph.D., CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture;
  • Marilyn Hershey, Owner Operator, Ar-Joy Farms LLC, and Chairwoman, Dairy Management Inc.; and
  • Patricia Stroup, Global Vice President and Head of Commodities, Nestlé S.A.

Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs, will moderate the panel.

To watch the broadcasts, register for free online.

Join the #DairyForum Conversation

IDFA is also posting real-time highlights and breaking news from Dairy Forum 2019 using #DairyForum on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Members are encouraged to visit IDFA’s social media platforms to see latest #DairyForum posts and use the hashtag to join the conversation.

IDFA’s accounts can be found on:

Dairy Forum 2019 will be held January 20-23 at The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. Registration is now open online.

For more information, contact Melissa Lembke, IDFA director of programs and partnerships, at mlembke@idfa.org.