More than 1,500 members and guests gathered in Kansas City for Dairy Farmers of America’s (DFA) 19th annual meeting, which emphasized what sets them apart and those ideals, values that matter most to members, leaders and employees.

“We’re proud of who we are and what we do, and we want to show the world why,” said Randy Mooney, chairman of DFA’s Board of Directors. “We want to show them what’s behind our pride in our name, pride in our family farmer owners, pride in our businesses, pride in our products that deliver everyday simple pleasures to millions of consumers and pride in our role in society reflected in communities across the country.”

Mooney, who operates a dairy farm in Rogersville, Mo. and also serves as chairman of National Milk Producers Federation. He talked about the importance of the dairy community working together as well as the Cooperative’s ongoing efforts with trade negotiations and regulatory issues impacting the dairy industry.

DFA President and CEO Rick Smith highlighted financials for 2016 as well as how the Cooperative strives to take advantage of positive market trends, while also protecting its members from unpredictable market risks.

“Our dairy farmer members are at the heart of everything that we do at DFA, which is why we want to show the industry, as well as our customers and consumers, why being a part of DFA matters,” said Smith. “As we look to the future, we will continue to look for ways to maximize the milk check, while also identifying growth areas for our commercial businesses and providing on-farm services that make it easier and more profitable for our members to farm.”