The IDFA board member fly-in last week in Washington, D.C., provided IDFA the perfect opportunity to host a successful fundraiser for Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and a key decision-maker in the upcoming farm bill. The board members and several IDFA staff members enjoyed dinner with the chairman while discussing priority issues for dairy, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the farm bill and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“Chairman Conaway shares IDFA’s view that a thriving agricultural industry is healthy for the American economy, and he understands the significant role that the dairy industry plays,” said Dave Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy. “We were pleased to recognize his ongoing efforts to introduce a new and improved farm bill in the next year, and we appreciate his years of work representing agricultural interests on Capitol Hill.”
Attending the dinner were representatives from:
- California Dairies, Inc.
- Dean Foods Company
- H-E-B
- Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.
- HP Hood LLC
- The Ice Cream Club, Inc.
- Leprino Foods Company
- Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Inc.
- Schoep’s Ice Cream Co., Inc.
- Tate & Lyle
In addition to Carlin, the IDFA staff members who attended were Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO; Tom Wojno, senior vice president of innovation and member advancement; Tony Eberhard, vice president of legislative affairs; and Colin Newman, manager of political programs.
IDFA looks forward to hosting more members of Congress at future events. To learn more, contact Newman at cnewman@idfa.org.