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December 16, 2024
GREEN BAY – Because of the success and popularity of last year’s event, once again, the Dairy Strong Conference is coming to Green Bay.
The Dairy Business Association (DBA) event will take place Jan. 15-16 at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay.
“This is the 11th year of the conference,” Laura Hensley, director of marketing and communications with Voice of Milk (a policy organization representing dairy farmers), said. “This is our opportunity to bring together dairy farmers and then those who do business with dairy farmers.”
The DBA is Wisconsin’s leading dairy advocacy group, focused on championing smart and sensible regulations affecting the dairy community.
The nonprofit organization is comprised of farmers, milk processors, vendors and other business partners who work collaboratively to ensure dairy farms of all sizes have the support they need to keep America’s Dairyland strong.
“(The conference brings) together a collective of folks within the dairy community to not only have a chance to talk with one another but to learn from speakers and influencers we bring in,” Hensley said.
The event at the KI Convention Center last year, she said, “was very well received.”
“Previous to that, it was generally held in Madison,” she said. “We decided to move it to Green Bay (last year), and we had a really great reception from farmers around the state. We have the advantage of using Lambeau Field (for our Wednesday night kick-off event), which is always a great place to gather. Because of the great turnout last year, we decided to replicate the venue again this year. We invite folks from throughout the Upper Midwest to attend this event. We’ll have people from out of state (who attend) as well.”
Rightly timed
Hensley said the conference is coming to Green Bay “on the heels of a very important federal election.”
“One of our main missions is to be a voice for that federal body,” she said. “We’re bringing in folks who work right in Washington, D.C., to talk to the audience and the farmers. What does it mean in this new administration? What can they expect to see in the second (President Donald) Trump administration that will impact their farms? We’re going to bring in some experts who can really speak to that with the dairy farmer and what those policy goals might look like.”
Hensley said the other big issue on the minds of dairy farmers is sustainability.
“What that means to them on their farm, and what that means to the processors who buy their milk,” she said. “Because of its importance, we have a session specifically talking about sustainability.”
Hensley said leading political analysts, agriculture experts, innovative farmers and business strategists will be among the featured speakers at this year’s Dairy Strong Conference.
This year’s keynote speaker, she said, will be Jeff Eggers, a senior policy advisor, author and organizational performance expert.
Hensley said Eggers is the former executive director of McChrystal Group Leadership Institute and has 20-plus years of experience managing strategic efforts and leading high-stakes, high-performing teams during his time with the White House, Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy.
In his opening keynote presentation, Eggers said he will use these experiences to share how farmers and businesses can adapt to change and embrace innovation to overcome challenges.
“Human beings are innately resistant to change,” he said. “And yet, we find ourselves in one of the most transformative periods in history, and farming is no exception. Business owners must learn to fight complacency, embrace rapid change and drive innovation.”
Hensley said Eggers has a broad view of business, the economy and other aspects in regard to the dairy industry.
“I think it will be important for the audience to learn from others,” she said. “One of the things we like to do at Dairy Strong is think outside the dairy community – what can we learn from others in the business space?”
Other speakers at the conference, Hensley said, include:
- Drew Kessler from Houston Engineering Inc. who will lead a discussion with participants completing their first year of the Farmers for Sustainable Food Climate-Smart Program.
- Farmers Michael Crinion and Patrick Maier who will share their learnings and outcomes and how they plan to incorporate the information into their management plans for the future success of their farms.
- Dana Coale, deputy administrator of Agriculture Marketing Service who will be joined by other Federal Order Milk Marketing officials to discuss the progress and expectations of the final FMMO rule.
- Cassandra Kuball, vice president of the Torrey Advisory Group, who will provide an outlook on dairy policy in Washington, D.C., for 2025.
- Edge Director of Government Affairs Karen Gefvert who will discuss Edge’s policy priorities for the upcoming year.
- Agriculture economists Mike North and Marin Bozic who will discuss their predictions and insights for the milk marketing landscape, particularly in the Upper Midwest where supplies may be tighter in the new year.
For a complete list of speakers, other agenda details and registration information, visit dairystrong.org.
Be that voice
As a policy organization, Hensley said, Voice of Milk collectively represents dairy farmers
“Then, each of our individual organizations has their own distinct vision and goals within their organization,” she said.
The organization, Hensley said, works on behalf of dairy farmers, both at the federal and state levels.
“We also hear their voice on legislation that matters to them on their farm,” she said. “Issues like workforce in immigration, trade, taxes and those sorts of things that happen in a federal atmosphere, that will have a direct impact on the individual farms. Likewise, in the state arena of Wisconsin and Minnesota, we do a similar positioning for those dairy farmers in the state capitals. We’re their voice when it comes to state policies and regulations that might impact the dairy farmers.”
One of the biggest challenges dairy farmers face, Hensley said, is inconsistent milk prices.
“Milk prices are so inconsistent because it’s sold as a commodity, so prices fluctuate monthly,” she said. “We hope they don’t fluctuate too much. When there’s a surplus of milk on the market, the price might drop lower than what we would like to see it. At the end of the day, farmers market their products where the supply and demand will dictate things.”
The country’s ever-fluctuating milk price, Hensley said, will for sure be a topic of discussion at the conference.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin’s dairy industry produces 14% of the country’s total milk production and 27% of all U.S. cheese.
