Event Coverage

Last year has been noted as one of the most economically challenging years in the last 30 years. In his last Dairy Day address before retiring as a University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist at the end of the year, Mike Hutjens reviewed lessons learned in 2009 and throughout his extension career.

There was some good news for producers in the state. Illinois ended the year with the same number of cows as it had when it started.

More than 75 dairy producers and allied industry leaders convened in Seattle, Washington, for the sixth annual Managers Academy.

The three-day event included executive-level training by business coaches Dr. David Kohl and David Parker and a day of tours to agricultural businesses in the Seattle area, including Werkhoven Dairy Farm in Monroe, Washington; Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery and Pike Place Fish Market in downtown Seattle.

Every year, organizers of the Vita Plus Corporation Dairy Summit use a mountain theme to encourage the dairy producers in attendance to set goals and place their operations in a position to obtain those goals. However, from the time producers left the previous Dairy Summit in early December 2008 until this year’s summit, December 2 and 3, the dairy industry shifted so much that in 2009 Vita Plus begged the question “Who moved my mountain?” to set the stage for its event.

Desire in early November for another wave of dairy farmer action morphed into strategizing among dairy farmers from all regions of the nation for a “Dairy Does D.C.” day.

The Southern Region Dairy Challenge was held November 19-21 in Russellville, Kentucky. Students from all over the southeast quarter of the U.S. participated in the event.