The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

Of all the voices clamoring for change in how food is produced, one voice must be heard…the voice of the professional dairy producer. The dairy community is controlling its own destiny and addressing the ongoing needs through the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation competitive grant program. PDPF funds educational programs and initiatives that develop its people and maintain public trust in production practices, like animal care, environmental stewardship and food safety.

The following programs will receive funding:

• Wisconsin Center for Agriculture and Environmental Resources (WiCAER) to help farmers better understand the goals and objectives of regional watershed programs. This program provides education and training about how agriculture impacts water quality so that farmers can begin to document the adoption of practices that protect and enhance water quality. WiCAER serves as a bridge between farmers and the public to improve the understanding of what agriculture is doing to protect water quality.
• Altoona-Blair County Agricultural Career Day 2018 will expose 1400 seventh grade students to various agricultural careers and industries at Kulp Family Dairy in Martinsburg, PA. New this year, a video will help to establish a dialog between teachers and students as they prepare to attend the Ag career day on the farm. The video will provide career information to a wider audience and educational information about farming in general.
• Peninsula Pride Farms, Inc. is working with agencies and industry to reduce nutrient, sediment and pathogen loss to ground and surface water in the Southern Door and Kewaunee Counties. The initiative works with farmers to implement conservation practices that are protective of ground and surface water. Peninsula Pride Farms will continue to develop and expand information and education programs for farmers and their community.
• Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance (LASA) is a farmer-led, nonprofit organization committed to faithful and sustainable stewardship of the natural resources in Lafayette County, WI. The grant will help LASA continue its aggressive but critical campaign toward progressive agriculture practices that are protective of water quality. LASA will utilize field days, annual meetings and organization meetings to increase the knowledge base of its members. In so doing, members will grow professionally and be positioned to continue their farming legacy.
• The North Carolina Association for Dairy Stabilization and Growth will present an ON-Farm Dairy Processing Symposium. In response to increased inquiries from producers regarding on farm processing, the symposium will feature a producer-processor speaker panel and an expert panel with a focus on farm processing. Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience among processors and producers is the first step in determining the resources and tools needed throughout the southeast.