A huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped us celebrate Dairy Day at the Clay County Fair on Friday, September 18.  

We hosted more than 200 students through the Ag-Citing field trip program, handed out more than 1500 food samples and talked to hundreds of people about dairy farming and dairy nutrition.  The Dairy Boot Camp obstacle course was once again a hit with the kids and we also gave away three copies of the Dairy Good cookbook.  Even a little rain couldn't stop the fun!   Check out photos on our Facebook page here.

Special thanks to AMPI for donating cheese curds for sampling and to the Hy-Vee in Spencer for allowing us to use coolers to store products.  

When WIDA signed an agreement with Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) last year, one of our goals was to bring the leading edge programming that PDPW is known for closer to our members.  We're excited to announce that WIDA will sponsor a PDPW Calf Care Connection workshop on October 21 on the campus of Dordt College in Sioux Center.

Designed for calf managers, calf feeders, and any dairy team member involved in the overall health and well-being of calves, the interactive workshop will cover the latest research findings, technologies and best practices that can help calves achieve optimal growth and health.  

WIDA dairy farm members will receive exclusive pricing for the workshop. The PDPW member registration rate is $125 per person, but WIDA will pay the first $100 for all our dairy farm members, meaning you can receive a full day of top quality programming for just $25.  The non-member registration rate is $250.

Participants will attend one general session and rotate through three small group, hands-on breakout sessions.   Click here to see the full program.

Walk-in registration will be taken, but space is limited, so you are encouraged to sign up early.  Registration can be completed at www.pdpw.org.  Contact LeAnne at 712-441-5308 or info@wiadairy.com for questions or details. 

WIDA will be placing a bulk order of the Dairy Good cookbooks at the end of this month.  The 250-page hardcover book features 115 recipes along with feature stories about dairy farm families across the country.  The cookbooks retail for $25.00, but dairy organizations can purchase at a discount.  If you are interested in purchasing cookbooks for $13 each, please contact  LeAnne at 712-441-5308 or info@wiadiary.com no later than September 30.

Thanks to the WIDA members who have shared product donation program information with schools and community organizations.  This month, WIDA has provided milk or dairy products at athletic events at Unity Christian and Cherokee schools, agriculture field trips sponsored by the LeMars Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Iowa Nutrition Conference, and several other requests.

Take a look at the program information here and share with your friends and neighbors!

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. 

Sessions in September and October will focus on management and team building skills.   Visit WIDA's events listing for more details.

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