Nominations for the Pennsylvania Dairy Industry Awards are now being accepted by the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and Center for Dairy Excellence. Four industry awards are given annually through an industry-wide program that recognizes leadership, stewardship and excellence in Pennsylvania’s dairy industry.
The four awards recognized through this program include:
- Pennsylvania Distinguished Dairy Producer Award – Recognizes dairy producers (either individual or farm enterprise) who have demonstrated superior management capabilities within their own dairy business and provide outstanding leadership and service to the dairy industry.
- Pennsylvania Distinguished Dairy Woman Award – Recognizes a dairy woman who has distinguished herself in her leadership and service to the dairy industry, both on the farm or to the broader industry.
- Pennsylvania Dairy Service Award – Recognizes an individual in the industry who has distinguished him or herself in serving the greater interest of Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its individual dairy farms.
- Pennsylvania Dairy Innovator Award – Recognizes an individual or business entity that has provided tremendous innovation to progress Pennsylvania’s dairy industry toward a brighter future, either by advancing the marketplace or creating new opportunities for innovation on the dairy farm.
All applications received are reviewed by a committee comprised of: two Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association board members, two Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania board members, two Center for Dairy Excellence board members, and one representative from the Penn State Extension Dairy Team.
The awards will be presented at the 2018 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit in State College, Pa. and the award recipients are added to the Dairy Hall of Fame located in the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Recognition for the awards will be through sponsors’ media and web-based outreach efforts.
Nominations are due by November 15, 2017.
Qualified nominees remain in the nomination pool for three years after being submitted for consideration. Nominators will be given the opportunity to update their nominations. Once a candidate is honored as a winner in a category, they or individuals representing them, are not eligible to win in any other category for two subsequent years.
To nominate an individual or organization, access the nomination form found at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org under “Programs and Events.” One letter of support outlining why the candidate is qualified to receive this award is needed. All nominations must be received by November 15, 2017, to be considered for this year’s awards selections. For more information on the nomination process, please contact Jayne Sebright at jsebright@centerfordairyexcellence.org or by calling the center at (717) 346-0849. Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/industry-awards/ for guidelines and complete details.
The Center for Dairy Excellence is a non-profit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2004. Bringing together people from more than 40 different dairy organizations in Pennsylvania, the center’s mission is to enhance the profitability of the dairy industry by empowering people, creating partnerships, and increasing the availability and use of resources. Learn more about the center at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org.
PDMP is a not-for-profit organization of progressive, positive-minded dairy producers and agribusiness leaders working together to advance the dairy industry in Pennsylvania through improved productivity and profitability. Programs offered by PDMP are designed by dairy producers for dairy producers. For more information on PDMP, visit their website at www.pdmp.org.
The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association was organized in 1871. As a non-profit, the Association supports Pennsylvania agriculture by funding agricultural scholarships, youth programs and education programs across the state. This support is generated through the Association’s sales of milkshakes and other dairy products at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and other events.
