FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jenny Martin, IDFA
jmartin@idfa.org
(202) 220-3536
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2019 – The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced today that nominations are now being accepted for the 22nd 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 2020, January 26-29 at The Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. Nominations must be submitted by Sept. 30, 2019, 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.
“There is a story of innovation, sustainability and smart growth happening in the dairy industry, and much of that story begins with dairy farmers,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “We are excited to highlight and honor those farmers who through the use of new technologies, partnerships, and sustainable practices, are making important contributions to the future of the dairy industry.”
The award recipient will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Dairy Forum 2020 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 2020.
In addition, the winning operation will be highlighted in the January 2020 issue of Dairy Herd Management. Dairy Forum is widely recognized as the most important conference of the year for dairy industry leaders. The 2019 event drew an impressive crowd of 1,000 industry participants.
The 2019 winner was Foster Brothers Farms near Middlebury, Vt., nominated by Ed Townley, CEO and president of Cabot Creamery Co-op. Previous winners were Schrack Farm Resources LP of Loganton, Pa.; 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 on the IDFA website.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $159 billion in wages and $620 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent 90 percent of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.