Innovation in the dairy community was the central theme of Dairy Strong, a conference focused on the dairy industry held at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wis.
More than 400 people attended Dairy Strong, which featured two keynotes and multiple breakout sessions focused on a broad range of topics from sustainability to how the new presidential administration may affect dairy stakeholders.
“A lot of insight comes from the bottom of the organization and it’s important for leaders to talk less and listen more,” he said. “Leaders need to create a culture of accountability and safety in their organizations.”
Eggers retired from the U.S. Navy after serving more than 20 years as a combat veteran Navy SEAL in 2013 and served as a special assistant to the President for National Security Affairs for six years in both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.
Sustainability
Sustainability in dairy farming remains an important topic. Several Dairy Strong breakout sessions focused on what farmers can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
Farmers for Sustainable Food (FSF) is partnering with Edge and has a Climate-Smart Program, which launched last year. This helps farmers determine what conservation practices are most effective for their individual farms. It also provides tools to document their environmental and financial effects.
Fifty-three farms enrolled in the program’s inaugural year and enrollment is already full for year two.
“The first year of the FSF Climate-Smart Program shows promising results. This is part of a five-year effort to empower farmers and add value throughout the supply chain,” said Drew Kessler, scientist and principal of Houston Engineering, Inc. Participating dairies reduced enough carbon dioxide from the air “equivalent to powering 6,602 U.S. homes for one year or removing 11,467 U.S. passenger vehicles from the road.”
Patrick Maier, a partner in Maier Farms, LLC in Dane County, Wisconsin, participated in the Climate-Smart Program. He participated because he wanted to know more about how much carbon dioxide his farm produced.
Another farmer enrolled in the program is Kristin Quist. She was surprised to see her farm’s carbon score, adding it provided a good baseline for Minglewood Inc.
Industry economics
Immigration and tariffs are two top concerns the ag industry has relayed to the new presidential administration, said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmers Cooperators, during a keynote discussion on what to look for in federal policies in 2025.
Michael Torrey, president of the Torrey Advisory Group, a bipartisan consulting group focused on farm and ag issues, said renewing the tax cuts, which expire at the end of the year, will be another priority in Washington. He predicted the Republicans will need to work with the Democrats to get the renewal passed or include it as part of a larger bill, which also has some things in it that they support.
During a presentation on the dairy market outlook for 2025, Mike North, president of Ever.Ag, agreed tariffs are a big deal for farmers. He thinks it is something they should pay attention to. He said it is possible the government may supplement farmers’ income if tariffs hit the industry hard.
Looking at the dairy market in general, North said there has been a large increase in the amount of cheese being exported.
This year’s Dairy Strong conference brought over 400 attendees, representing over 150,000 cows, and industry professionals.