Are any of you planning to attend the 2010 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth, MI this week? This is my second year as a speaker at this conference, and I enjoy meeting with friends, discussing the important issues facing the industry and participating in an exciting conference! (Of course, you can always count on ice cream bars and flavored milk at all of the breakout sessions, bonus!)

I speak on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. where I will be presenting, “Table Truths in a New York Minute,” a guide for producers to habitually stand up, speak out and tell their stories. At the conclusion of my speech, I will serve as a moderator on a student panel, “Issues, Engagement, Impact,” where university students will share how they have become engaged on the front lines to speak up about industry issues and the impacts of their actions.

The next day, I will serve as a judge for the dairy ambassador contest, and on Saturday, I will take part in a youth workshop to teach these dairy kids how to always be proud of who they are and where they come from. Join me for a fun few days of friendship and forward thinking. See you in Frankenmuth, pending an avoidance of an oncoming blizzard, of course!