Georgia Milk Producers to Host Georgia Dairy Conference in January

December 6, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Farrah Newberry, [email protected]m or 706-310-0020 Dec. 6, 2017 Savannah, Ga. - This upcoming Jan. 15-17, 2018, dairy farmers from the Southeast and eastern seaboard will come to the Savannah Riverfront Marriott in Savannah, Ga., for the 2018 Georgia Dairy Conference – the Southeast’s premier dairy conference and trade show. This three-day conference offers dairy farmers and industry the chance to listen to renowned national speakers, receive updates from their dairy organizations and engage with the nation’s leading industry suppliers at the tradeshow. “We are looking forward to another year of growth, fellowship and opportunity for our producers at the 2018 conference,” said Everett Williams, president of the GMP board of directors. “Our conference joins the Southeast dairy community to discuss the important issues facing our industry today.” With 81 dairies and over 103,000 cows represented at the 2017 GDC, the 2018 event will build on the success of previous years. The GDC agenda includes keynote speaker Dr. Robert Fox, Dairy Sector Manager for the Wells Fargo Advisors Group. Fox serves as a marketing consultant and risk advisor to commercial lending offices across the country. Although he covers a wide array of industries, he focuses mainly on dairy processing, coffee and cotton. Fox has spent 20 years working in agriculture and has held a variety of positions including Grain Market Analyst for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Senior Commodity Analyst for MF Global, Agri-business Educator for the University of Wisconsin Extension Service. He also owned and operated a 140-cow dairy farm in western Wisconsin. Fox will speak on “Dairy Trends in the Southeast, U.S. and Beyond” on Monday, Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. The agenda also features 13 other speakers who will present on topics ranging from technology use to management practices for consumer demands to management of employees. On Wednesday, the conference will close with a dairy leaders cooperative panel. A tradeshow featuring industry sponsors and exhibitors is held in conjunction with the conference and provides representatives with the opportunity to spark conversations with dairy producers. Last year, the GDC featured more than 60 exhibitor booths and will continue in growth this year. The fourth annual Southeast Dairy Student Symposium will take place during the GDC, welcoming dairy science students from Southeastern universities to learn about employment opportunities and practices in the dairy industry. Last year 43 students attended from the University of Georgia, University of Florida, Virginia Tech, Berry College, and North Carolina State University. An auction, fundraiser, and annual meeting of the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation will take place at the GDC to benefit Georgia’s youth who are interested in the dairy industry. Georgia Milk Producers Inc. is a producer-funded organization with the mission to support, sustain and grow the Georgia dairy industry through producer and public education. Updates and announcements about the 2018 Georgia Dairy Conference will be posted on the Georgia Dairy Conference website. Sponsorships and exhibit space are available and early reservations are recommended for prime options.

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