A huge thank you to Darin & Linda Dykstra, Eric Van Wyk, and everyone at Dykstra Dairy for hosting the annual June Dairy Month open house on June 25. We served more than 1,500 meals and visitors enjoyed the dairy farm tour and kids activities' tent.  Click Here to View Photos 

Thank you to the sponsors and all the volunteers who made the event possible and run smoothly.  And, a special thank you to Sioux Stockmen 4-H Club and Unity Christian FFA members who kept the parking and food areas well organized throughout the night.  

We also saw terrific media coverage, with two television stations and several newspapers covering the event.  This ensures that positive messages about dairy farming reach far more people than those who attended in person.

The next webinar series will feature Trevina Broussard of Humetrics who will present four sessions focused on managing your people so they will stay. Click here for program brochure. 

The first session is titled "Managing and Working with the Multigenerational Workforce." The past rules used in managing employees no longer work with the generations represented in today's workplace.  Employers and managers must learn new ways and creative approaches to balance, motivate and manage the clash between veterans, boomers, generation Xers and nexters.

WIDA producer members who want to purchase the webinar for viewing at their home or office will receive PDPW member pricing.  

Candidates from two WIDA member dairy farms will be competing in the 2015-16 Iowa Dairy Princess contest in August.  The contest will be held August 11-12 in Ankeny, with the coronation ceremony at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on August 12.

Paige Huitink, daughter of Harlan and Nelva Huitink of Huitink Dairy of Hospers, will represent Sioux County.   Kylie Burmeister, daughter of Kerry and Keri Burmeister, will represent Humboldt County.  Kylie works at Davis Dairy near Gilmore City.

The state dairy princess serves as a goodwill ambassador for the state's dairy farm families throughout the year.  Candidates can be nominated by a county promotion board, state breed association, or apply on their own if they live in a county that doesn't have an official promotion board organization.  For more details on the program, click here.  

 

Volunteer opportunities are available for dairy farmers at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 23.  Contact Chris Freland at cfreland@midwestdairy.com for details. 

 

And, WIDA is planning for our Dairy Day at Clay County Fair on Friday, September 18.  We will be looking for volunteers to help with food samples, education exhibits and kids activities throughout the day.

 

Contact LeAnne at 712-441-5308 or info@wiadairy.com to volunteer at any event, or if you would like support or dairy information materials at your county or regional fairs/events. 

It is no secret that chocolate milk is a terrific refuel beverage following a workout. With fall sports season around the corner, WIDA would like to make sure that chocolate milk becomes an important part of student athletes' training program.

WIDA has a budget for providing dairy products to school and community events.  In 2014, we provided chocolate milk for both teams following Unity Christian high school's home football games.  Thanks to Johnny Westra for suggesting the program and making the connection to school staff.  We received great feedback from the teams and would love to reach out to more schools and programs.

If you are interested in setting up a similar program in your towns or schools, please contact LeAnne at 712-441-5308 or info@wiadairy.com.

The Dairy Good cookbooks are now available.  The hardcover book provides recipes and stories about dairy farm families across the country.  WIDA has purchased some cookbooks for event promotions.

The cookbook retails for $25.  Bulk discounts for 10 or more copies are available. Contact LeAnne at 712-441-5308 or info@wiadiary.com by July 24 if you would like to place a bulk order on your own, or if you would like to combine an order with other WIDA members to receive the discounted pricing.

Our dairy checkoff colleagues in Florida recently translated DMI's consumer-tested Telling Your Story key messages in Spanish. These key messages cover topics related to animal care, environment, food safety, nutrition and more.  

Click here to download materials.