Charlie Elrod, Ph.D. – President, NEAFA
August 12th was a really beautiful day in central NY which saw a record number of golfers show up at the Shenandoah Golf Course at Turning Stone for our annual Golf for Good Works Tournament. I hope you’ll read Sue Van Amburgh’s article recapping the winners, sponsors and beneficiaries of this great event. With 118 registrations, sponsorships and the return of some of the prize money, we will have $12,000 for the Good Works Committee to work with this year supporting students who are launching into their careers in agriculture.
As you read this, the NY State Fair will have just kicked off and will run until September 7. Unfortunately, the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, long a highlight of the fair will not be at the fair this year. However, the Mobile Dairy Experience, will be on hand to provide an immersive look into what it takes to produce nature’s most nearly perfect food. If you haven’t had a chance to explore the mobile dairy experience, be sure to check it out at the west end of the fairgrounds this year.
This summer, the Education and Conventions committees have been working together to build a combined Annual Meeting and Herd Health and Nutrition Conference. And yes, we are still trying to come up with a formula that best suits NEAFA’s members in their objectives to network and share camaraderie with other members, hear some thought-provoking speakers and address our obligation to hold a business meeting for the election of board members and officers. This year, on Tuesday March 9, 2027, we will have a great afternoon session looking at the application of AI and robotics in the dairy industry, a Dairy Markets Outlook, Why Chobani is choosing to invest in the Northeastern US dairy industry and lastly a panel discussion on workforce development. At the reception to follow we will present this year’s Distinguished Service Award to ……… 😉 The following morning will kick off the Herd Health and Nutrition Conference, a joint venture of PRO-Dairy and NEAFA. This will also prove to be a very informative day of speakers and networking with your colleagues.
Coming up, NEAFA’s board of directors will meet on September 9th. If you have any input for items we might address, or issues which are facing your business, don’t ever hesitate to reach out to any board member so they can bring your topics of interest to the board. That’s why we’re here!