Staff members dedicated to supporting young dairy farmers from various cooperatives came together on May 19-20 to explore ways to better nurture the dairy industry’s emerging leaders.
The two-day conference took place in Middleton, WI, with Foremost Farms USA serving as host. Seventeen staff members from nine different member cooperatives participated, joined by representatives from industry organizations such as the American Jersey Cattle Association, Professional Dairy Producers, Dairy Girl Network and Dairy Management Inc.
Conference attendees shared successful strategies and discussed various approaches to enhance young farmer participation in cooperative programs and to find and obtain sponsorship funding. The gathering also featured a presentation by Courtney Berner from the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, who outlined methods cooperatives can implement to facilitate smoother leadership changes and provide better support for up-and-coming leaders in the dairy sector.
