Attendees of the celebration at Lamb Farms joined together for a milk toast in honor of Dairy Month.
By Charlie Elrod, NEAFA Vice-President
Celebrating Dairy month in June is always a great time to appreciate the great industry that we are all fortunate to be a part of. Once again this year, the leadership of Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance, Northeast Dairy Producers Association, New York Farm Bureau, Upstate Niagara Cooperative and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) gathered at Lamb Farms in Oakfield Corners to share their thoughts on the state of New York’s dairy industry. Commissioner Ball of NYSDAM kicked things off by relating how vital the dairy industry is to New York state. He shared a story of Governor Hochul calling him in on the day after she was inaugurated and telling him that she would do whatever he needed to make sure the department and the industry had the full support of NYS government. He saw this backed up by her active engagement in advocating for the Fairlife plant to be sited in NY. I believe we’ve also witnessed this commitment to the dairy industry in the Governor’s budget and the additional funding supported by the NYS legislature.
From the representatives from NEDPA we heard about the momentum and optimism within the dairy community. We heard how the increasing capacity of processing plants around the state, plus the Fairlife plant, have made producers feel more confident in making investments in their facilities and new technologies to make them more efficient, productive, profitable and sustainable. They are encouraged by the increasing number of FFA chapters across the state, which will help drive youth to consider careers in the dairy industry. The strength of organizations like NEDPA and the active collaboration between the likes of NEAFA and NYFB strengthens their voice in government and in telling their story of animal welfare and sustainability to the wider public.
Technology was at the forefront of many comments, especially as we sat in the observation room above the Lamb’s 72-stall robotic carousel milking parlor, the first of its kind in the Northeast. The Lambs and a few of their employees spoke about the continuing need for employee development to engage with higher and higher levels of automation, technology, genetics and other advances in dairy management. The celebration was then wrapped up with snacking on some of the Lamb’s Mexican-style cheeses produced from their milk and a toast with milk provided by Upstate Niagara Cooperative. This was a great opportunity for industry leaders to network and share their insight into what makes our industry hum. A special thanks to the Lamb family for hosting and to Tonya Van Slyke, NEDPA’s Executive Director, for hosting and organizing this great event.