I enjoyed the opportunity to be part of the planning for 2017-18 Dairy Iowa steering committee last week. The discussion resulted in three action items that will be meaningful to the dairymen of Iowa. Including: Telling Iowa’s dairy story with social media training; conducting a comparison of benefits to processors building/expanding in the Midwest plus the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana; and conducting business planning educational programs. All of these will be planned for the next 12-18 months.

Kurt Wierda from Plymouth Dairy in Le Mars is the new chairman of Dairy Iowa. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position and will not hesitate to “think outside the box” for Iowa’s dairy industry.

A SWOT program will be considered for later in the year to help determine strategies and goals for the future.

In the discussion concerning the annual program scheduled for June 8, I was impressed with the idea of inviting Tom Vilsack to speak and having him meet with processors that day. It shows our dedication to working with the processors and would be a major draw for new attendees.

In addition, the traditional “producer round table” will feature technology including herds using robots.

More information will be coming from Iowa State Dairy Association as the agenda is completed. Mark June 8 on your calendars, it’s shaping up to be a top-notch program!