Randy Greenfield, Vita Plus Corporation dairy specialist, spoke on feedstuffs and provided alternatives to challenges being faced following the 2012 drought. Brant Groen, director of dairy wellness at Form-A-Feed, Inc., followed with a discussion on udder care management and a dissection of the udder. The afternoon concluded as Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discussed the future of the Farm Bill and federal dairy policy.

Throughout the meeting, 39 scholarship recipients were recognized with nearly $30,000 awarded to cooperative members and their children. Katie Martin from Rubicon, Wis. then gave a special presentation on her experiences in an Africa dairy community – an international opportunity that allowed cooperative members a glimpse into dairy production across the globe.

Members also heard from Steve Etka, coordinator for the Midwest Dairy Coalition, who spoke on the 2012 Farm Bill and the challenges facing Congress. Following the presentations, the delegate members discussed and passed a number of resolutions which form the foundation on policy direction for the organization. Resolutions on federal milk order reform, international trade and standards, consumer awareness, dairy product utilization and promotion, dairy inspections, tax policies, environmental quality, power line siting, farm safety, animal health, right-to-farm laws, guest worker and raw milk were approved by delegate members.