Northeast Dairy Magazine | Q3 2024

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NORTHEAST DAIRY FOODS & SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATIONS

NDFSA Members Reflect on Their Journey

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

MEMBER PROFILE

ASSOCIATION EVENTS

HUMAN RESOURCES

As the 2024 Sessions End, Election Preparations Begin

QualiTru Sampling Systems is Committed to Innovation, Safety

Preview of the 2024 Northeast Dairy Convention

Exploring Recruiting Trends with KCO Resource Management

Third Quarter 2024

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contents Third Quarter 2024 • Volume 7, No. 1

FRONT DESK 6

FEATURE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE, NDFA Improving Your Sustainability Score Can Be Complicated

BY DANIEL LAUSCH

7

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE, NDSA

The Dairy Industry Continues to Be Innovative

BY MELISSA FRYER

8

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

All Focus and Attention Shift Towards the NDFSA’s Final Event of the Year

23 Current Trends Shaping the Dairy Industry

BY COURTNEY KLESS

25 NDFSA Members Reflect on Their Journey

BY ALEX WALSH

10 LEGISLATIVE REPORT

With the 2024 Legislative Sessions Over, Election Preparations Begin

BY ALEX WALSH

14 ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Economy, High Cost of Living are the Top Issues on People’s Minds

BY GARY LATTA

MEMBER NEWS 34 NDSA MEMBER PROFILE QualiTru Sampling Systems is Committed to Innovation, Safety

BY COURTNEY KLESS

36 MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS 39 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS 42 ASK YOUR BOARD

44 RECAP OF DAIRY DAY 46 RECAP OF THE BRUCE W. KRUPKE MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT AND CLAMBAKE 50 NORTHEAST DAIRY CONVENTION PREVIEW 60 LEANNE’S KITCHEN

TOOLS OF THE TRADE 54 EXPLORING THE LATEST TRENDS IN RECRUITING 56 SEACH ENGINE TRENDS FOR THE DAIRY INDUSTRY 58 OSHA UPDATE 4 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

contents

Third Quarter 2024 • Volume 7, No. 1

Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Alex Walsh BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER

Leanne Ziemba PRESIDENT

Daniel Lausch Lactalis USA – Commonwealth VICE PRESIDENT

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Visit The Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations online at ndfsa.org for current information on association programs and services, or call the association at 315-452-MILK (6455). Questions and comments may also be sent to the association at lz@nedairyfoods.org.

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NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 5

Front Desk

Improving Your Sustainability Score Can Be Complicated DANIEL LAUSCH PRESIDENT, NORTHEAST DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION

H

ow should you lower your carbon footprint and improve your sustainability score?

Those are two easy questions with a complicated and very involved set of answers.

First, there needs to be a baseline established—that perhaps has already been set up by a government agency or established by an individual company, corporation, or its stockholders. After that, someone will set target dates and reduction goals.

Then the work begins.

Making your containers 100% recyclable is a good first step. Many containers currently have some parts that can be recycled, but not all parts—for example, the lid vs. the wrap vs. the tub. When you change your product packaging to be 100% recyclable, don’t be shy and make the triangle “recycle” symbol and number code small and hidden. Instead, make it larger and more easily located by your consumers so they can read your container, even in poor lighting.

After that, the next step is to support the local community’s recycling program, which will collect and/or sort the recycled material. (If your community does not already have a recycling program, support starting one.) If your future consumers start purchasing the same product made by two different competitors based on ease of recyclability, it will be too late to start working with your package supplier, and your product sales will suffer.

I’m personally not a big fan of carbon offsets, as it feels like gaming the system to me. As an example, imagine we go ahead and plant 100,000 tree seedlings in an open field. Once all the 18-inch trees are planted, do we get to start claiming carbon credits based on the average lifespan of our trees?

What about the young trees within the first 10 years that die or are eaten by animals?

Then fast forward 80 years, and these same trees are ready to be harvested. If the trees are not harvested for lumber, then they fall over and decay, releasing their carbon just like they would if they were chainsawed and burned as firewood. But 6 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

who is going to remember 80 years from now that the carbon being released was claimed based on calculations over the last decades?

The other problem with this example is that they will likely be the same species of tree, which is not good for the forest's biodiversity. A well-managed forest has a mix of tree species and subspecies that better support climate change, water conservation, and wildlife living in our 100,000 trees.

Sustainability will be front and center as a topic at our 2024 convention and will be in future conventions as well.

Enjoy reading the rest of the third quarter issue, and we hope to see you at the association’s next networking event.

Catch up on previous issues of

Northeast Dairy Magazine

CLICK HERE

Front Desk

The Dairy Industry Continues to Be Innovative MELISSA FRYER PRESIDENT, NORTHEAST DAIRY SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION

I

f you have read any of my previous articles, you know I am very passionate about sustainability issues.

For several years, I have discussed how the dairy industry was sustainable and green long before it was fashionable to be so. For example, in a pasteurization system, 90% or more of the required heating and cooling is done with reused energy through regeneration. Pasteurization requires heating the raw product and cooling the pasteurized product. The raw product is preheated with the pasteurized product, which in turn pre-cools the hot, pasteurized product. How innovative is this? I don’t know when the practice started, but it was long before I joined this industry and was done mostly for cost-saving purposes and not necessarily the effect on CO2 emissions.

In hindsight, how much was saved in terms of emissions? If my calculations are correct, it is equivalent to planting hundreds of acres of trees annually.

The dairy industry continues to be innovative, and in the last 70 years, each gallon of milk has required 65% less water, 90% less land, and has decreased feed usage by 77%. This has been achieved through a variety of methods, including the genetics of dairy cows, improvements in animal health and welfare, manure processing and handling, reduced cleaning water and chemical usage in processing facilities, and improved efficiencies in manufacturing practices, to name a few. Both farmers and processors can speak to how these techniques have been used to improve their processes and decrease carbon emissions. It’s almost as if sustainable and greener outcomes in the industry are more of a consequence of these innovations and have not received the recognition they deserve.

If you would like to hear more about these and other topics, I would urge you to attend the NDFSA conference in Saratoga Springs from Sept. 25-27. Karl Czymmek, a climate leadership specialist from PRO-DAIRY, will discuss dairy and greenhouses gas emissions, challenges, and industry opportunities. This is a terrific chance for members of the NDSA and the NDFA to learn more about these opportunities and collaborate on how to transform them into reality.

The agenda for this year’s conference promises to be interesting and informative, with Czymmek as well as Maureen Ballatori from Agency 29 talking about consumer trends in the dairy industry; Al Dejewski from Milk PEP discussing how Milk PEP is modernizing milk; an update from Cornell Workforce Development; Dave Crowley from NonProfits, Inc. on advancing workplace safety using leading indicators; and finally a panel discussion on legislative and industry policy with leading New York State lawmakers. I believe this agenda provides something for everyone’s interest.

Saratoga Springs is a beautiful setting for these sessions and our conference. Our social activities have been moved to the afternoon on the second day, with a choice of golf at McGregor Links or a tour of historic Saratoga Springs. Make sure you try some of the spring water; it will certainly get your tastebuds going. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Saratoga Springs, and encouraging visitors to take a healthy gulp of this sulfur-y delicacy was a favorite way to induct newcomers to the area.

Maybe a stop at the harness track and casino is more your style, and perhaps you will go home a few dollars richer, or poorer, after a visit. Whatever you choose to do, the convention will be a couple of days packed with information, networking, and good times. I hope to see everyone there.

This will be my last article as president of the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, as my term will soon be up. It has been a pleasure serving our organization in this capacity, and I hope I have been able to make some small contribution to the success of the dairy industry in the northeast during this time.

Keep an eye out for our annual meeting this fall, where there will be elections for board positions and discussion of other topics important to the association. All members are encouraged to attend and have their voices heard. Please consider volunteering to ensure the continued success of our association and the dairy industry. While I may no longer be president, I intend to stay on the board and active within the organization, including continued attendance and support of our annual events.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 7

Front Desk

All Focus and Attention Shift Towards the NDFSA’s Final Event of the Year

BY ALEX WALSH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

T

he Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations have been busy the last couple of months, to say the least! Since the last quarterly issue, the legislative sessions in most states have concluded, and our events have been in

full swing.

Most state legislatures in the northeast concluded their official business for the year in June. While we are never out of the woods of surprise special sessions, especially during what is sure to be an intense and entertaining election year, the NDFSA team is always prepared for whatever may come at any moment. More on what happened in the final weeks of the legislative sessions, 2024 election forecasting, and what to expect for the remainder of the year can be found in the legislative update article on this issue.

The biggest industry event the NDFSA puts together, the day-long Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament and Clambake, took place and was another huge success, despite facing a couple of challenges. This year, there were a couple of other industry events throughout the country taking place simultaneously, which unfortunately caused some members to not be able to attend. Regardless, ticket sales still surpassed last year’s, as 907 tickets were sold, with more than 750 people coming through the gate! This is a true testament to the power of networking and engagement, with members, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers, all gathering to recognize and acknowledge each other’s contributions to the industry, enjoy companionship, and conduct some business in a casual setting.

I do believe that Bruce, the dairy gods, and whomever else you pray to, if anyone or anything, were looking down on us all on July 10. The weather forecast looked grim leading up to the big day. However, the golf tournament teed off on a warm and sunny morning and continued throughout 8 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

the afternoon. Clouds began to roll through in the afternoon during the clambake, and we had to wrap up early due to threats of possible tornadoes in the area, but everyone enjoyed themselves and the always delicious food and beverages.

On behalf of the staff and boards of directors, thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, and sponsored our events that day. Be sure to mark your calendars for July 9, 2025! The association will, of course, send out dates and details for all of next year’s events in the coming months.

With the golf tournament and clambake behind us, all focus and attention shift towards the NDFSA’s final event of the year: the annual convention. This year’s convention is sure to be attractive for everyone, for many reasons. This year’s site is the beautiful, historic, and fun Saratoga Springs, New York, from Sept. 25-27. If you haven’t checked out the speakers, agenda, sponsorship opportunities, networking, and details for it yet, visit ndfsa.org for more information!

Here’s a primer for you, though: • Engaging presentations and topics: Speakers at this year’s convention will cover topics impacting any type of business in the dairy industry that are sure to be interesting and improve operations: • Karl Czymmek, PRO-Dairy – Environmental and climate issues impacting the dairy industry.

• Maureen Ballatori, Agency 29 – Consumer trends in the dairy industry.

• Al Dejewski, MilkPEP – How MilkPEP is modernizing milk.

• Kim Bukowski, Hannah Moyal, Taylor Pelcher, Cornell University – Workforce development.

• Dave Crowley, HP Hood – Advancing workplace safety.

• Panel discussion hearing directly from policymakers:

Front Desk • New York State Senator George Borrello, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

• New York State Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

• New York State Assemblymember Chris Tague, ranking member of the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

• New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Deputy Commissioner Katie Howard.

• Member networking and sponsorship opportunities: • VIP/speed networking on night one.

• Cocktail hours and meals shared with NDFSA, NYSCMA, and PAMD members.

• Golf tournament or downtown Saratoga walking tour.

• Vendor table displays for suppliers to showcase their products and services.

Additionally, as a reminder, the more people from your company you send to the convention, the more you save!

Encourage others from your company to attend to learn and meet fantastic people from throughout the industry. Consider

“This year’s convention is sure to be attractive for everyone, for many reasons. This year’s site is the beautiful, historic, and fun Saratoga Springs, New York, from Sept. 25-27.” inviting your human resources, government relations, safety, marketing personnel, and any others who will be sure to find value in attending.

Beyond being the industry watchdog in the region and providing valuable events and resources to the membership, we proudly report that the NDFSA continues to grow. More processors, manufacturers, and suppliers continue to join the association for the many benefits we offer. Check out the new members and member news section and announcements from the association to learn more about our newest members!

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2/9/242024 1:19 PM NED Magazine • Third Quarter •9

Legislative + Regulations Report

With the 2024 Legislative Sessions Over, Election Preparations Begin

F

BY ALEX WALSH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

or most state legislatures in the northeast, legislative business in the state capitols has wrapped up for the rest of the year (with the exception of New Jersey). That’s not to say a special session won’t be called back to chambers to take on unfinished issues. I want to emphasize that, as I don’t want anyone to be surprised, and to also remind you that the association is not letting our foot off the gas when it comes to government relations. We will continue to monitor what is going on and keep our finger on the pulse, as well as remain in contact with legislators and policymakers.

The big news out of New York is that the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, or EPR, did not pass this year… yet. It did pass the Senate, but due to congestion pricing and other issues that sent the legislature into a tizzy, the EPR was sidelined. One Assemblymember made a comment describing the final days in Albany at the capitol as a “dumpster fire.”

That was conception about five years ago and is sure to be on the agenda for 2025.

While Pennsylvania is out of the purview of the Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations, what happens and is going on in the Keystone State is impactful to some members operations, especially those who have facilities there.

Pennsylvania recently passed its state budget, so it is important to note some important items: • Funding for new programs, such as the establishment of a new animal diagnostic and testing laboratory in western Pennsylvania ($6.0 million) and the new Agricultural Innovation Grant Program ($10.0 million).

• $31 million to help farmers impacted by the Hi-Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) crisis pay for testing and get reimbursed for losses.

• $10 million in agriculture innovation to help support new solutions and technologies, including energy and conservation endeavors, and to continue to build the future of American agriculture in Pennsylvania.

• $50 million for conservation to keep farm and food businesses leading the way in sustainability.

10 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

• The budget invests in a new state laboratory in western Pennsylvania that will provide much-needed testing capacity, helping with rapid diagnosis and mitigation of future HPAI outbreaks across the state.

• Funds the Pennsylvania Farm Bill.

• Funds Fresh Food Financing, PASS, and other food access initiatives.

• $500 million in site development, including $400 million to create the Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (PA SITES) program to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania.

While most state legislatures are on recess, there is always activity happening in Washington, DC. The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has released a proposed rule that requires employers to develop heat-related emergency response plans, train employees and supervisors on signs of heat illness, and provide paid rest breaks, shade, and water to protect workers in extreme heat. This proposed rule would not apply to sedentary or remote employees, emergency responders, or employees in indoor workplaces where the temperature is kept below 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The OSHA proposal would create a range of new protections based on two separate heat index thresholds. When the combined temperature and relative humidity hit 80 degrees, employers would be required to provide drinking water and rest areas that workers could use if needed. Then, additional protection would kick in when the heat index hits 90 degrees.

At that point, employers would have to provide a minimum 15-minute paid rest break every two hours. They would also need to have a system in place for monitoring their workers for signs of heat-related illness or symptoms.

Additionally, employers would be required to have a heat acclimatization plan for new workers or those returning to the job site after being away for 14 days or more. These employees would have their workload increased gradually so their bodies could adjust to the heat.

States such as New York and New Jersey have also been looking at implementing similar measures. The association

Legislative + Regulations Report has been relaying that while most employers already take appropriate steps to protect their employees from heat-related illnesses, these bills are too prescriptive and could jeopardize the ability of many different industries, including the dairy industry, to operate at full capacity during the summer months. In New Jersey, the state legislation was released by Senate and Assembly committees but had not yet made it to the full Senate and Assembly for floor votes before the Legislature recessed for the summer.

In July, the USDA issued its Recommended Decision in the recently concluded national federal order hearing. The Recommended Decision includes changes in the five general areas of milk pricing discussed during the hearing.

After an initial review of the USDA Recommended Decision, there are aspects of the proposal that are responsive to the facts and data presented at the hearings by members. For example, changes to the milk allowances will benefit members and offer a path toward balanced growth across the dairy supply chain. However, the Recommended Decision includes proposals that will significantly increase costs for our Class I members in particular. For example, the recommended decision reverts the Class I mover to the ‘higher of ’ for HTST milk, severely impacting the practical use of risk management tools by non-ESL fluid milk processors and their customers. It also raises the average Class I differential by $1.25 per cwt and an increase of 10.7 cents per gallon, raising consumer costs for beverage milk.

The NDFSA has been working closely with members and industry partners to ensure that FMMO proposals reflect a balanced, inclusive approach that is in the best interests of

“The Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations remain ready and engaged on the issues, voicing your concerns to lawmakers and others. The remainder of the year will still be busy as we prepare for the 2025 legislative sessions. As always, if there is anything the association can assist you with, we are here for you.”

the full dairy supply chain and consumers. The hearing process remained constructive, offering fact-based testimony, and continued to encourage the USDA to make necessary reforms that allow U.S. dairy producers and processors to compete and win in the national and global marketplace, benefiting processors, producers, and consumers.

As far as the remainder of the process goes, once the USDA releases the official version of the Recommended Decision, there will be 60 days to submit additional comments. The USDA will then make any updates to the Final Rule expected in the fall, and the USDA will then set a date for the farmer vote on the Orders as Amended.

Now that some of the major regulatory issues have been covered, the political landscape continues to be ever-changing and entertaining as we head into the heavy part of the election season.

Obviously, the biggest news is that President Joe Biden has announced he will

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Legislative + Regulations Report not be seeking a second term. As of this writing, the president remains committed to fulfilling and serving out his current term and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. So, after months of what seemed to be a rematch of the 2020 election, it will now look to be Vice President Harris, provided she survives any in-party challenges until the Democratic nominating convention, and former president Donald Trump. The entirety of the House of Representatives, as well as many state legislative offices, are up for election this year as well.

Having lived through a Trump presidency already, there shouldn’t be too many surprises for anyone when it comes to his policy positions should he win in November. However, should Harris come away with the victory, there may be more uncertainty as there have not been too many indicators to draw from. Her presidency could vary differently from what Biden’s has been over the last three and a half years. Here is some information, though, that we do know:

his mind after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. He has also said repeatedly as a candidate that he had no plans to ban fracking — and, as president, he has taken no steps to do so.

Trump has eagerly wielded fracking as a weapon against both Biden and Harris, especially using it as a rhetorical cudgel four years ago in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.

The issue takes on even more importance this year, given Pennsylvania’s status as one of the handful of states Biden would have had to win reelection — especially given Trump’s decision to choose Sen. JD Vance, a fossil fuel supporter from neighboring Ohio, as his own running mate.

Meanwhile, it would be difficult for a Harris administration to secure enough funding from Congress to add significantly to Biden’s $1 trillion-plus energy and infrastructure agenda. But she would face much the same challenge he had: persuading voters that the spending is benefiting their lives.

CLIMATE ISSUES

Both Biden and Harris have aligned with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on trade and took similar positions when they ran against each other during the 2020 primary. But some of Biden’s positions have departed from the stances he took as Barack Obama’s vice president.

As a Senate candidate in 2016, Harris opposed the TransPacific Partnership negotiated by the Obama administration amid criticisms from labor and environmental groups that it would move jobs to lower-income countries like Vietnam.

The trade deal never came to a vote in Congress, and Trump withdrew from the pact shortly after becoming president.

Biden, meanwhile, was a vocal supporter of the TPP as vice president. But during the 2020 presidential campaign, he said he “would not rejoin the TPP as it was initially put "forward"—instead, he would renegotiate the pact to give labor and environmental groups more influence over the final details of the agreement.

But Biden has not done that as president. Nor has he negotiated any other new free trade agreements.

Harris voted against the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), Trump’s replacement for NAFTA, saying it wouldn’t do enough to protect Americans’ jobs and the environment. (It passed the Senate 89-10.) “In a Harris administration,” she said at one point, “there would be no trade deal that would be signed unless it protected American workers and it protected our environment.”

Biden initially opposed the USMCA but changed his position after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi negotiated changes favored by Democrats.

In 2019, The New York Times reported that Harris’ advisers

Both Biden and Harris have proposed spending historic sums on combating climate change and retooling the U.S. economy to embrace clean sources instead of fossil fuels.

As a presidential candidate, Harris pitched a $10 trillion climate plan whose public and private investments would have dwarfed the total $1.6 trillion estimated federal cost of Biden’s major climate, energy, infrastructure, and technology legislation. Unlike the administration’s current policies, she also would have instituted a “climate pollution fee” and ended federal subsidies for fossil fuels.

As a senator, she was an original co-sponsor of the non-binding resolution defining the Green New Deal, a blueprint for a large-scale mobilization aimed at transitioning the U.S. to 100% clean energy within a decade, while providing people with job guarantees and “high-quality health care.”

Harris also said she was “prepared to get rid of the filibuster” to pass it in the face of GOP opposition to climate action.

And she said in 2019 that there was “no question I’m in favor of banning fracking,” the technology that has fueled a U.S. oil and natural gas boom and enriched economies in places such as North Dakota, west Texas, and Pennsylvania.

Republicans have labeled the Green New Deal a “socialist manifesto,” and Biden repeatedly said during the 2020 campaign that he didn’t support the entire package as written. His own climate policies have included some similarly sweeping provisions, however, including steps meant to achieve net-zero U.S. climate pollution by 2050 and create clean energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and mining jobs.

Biden long opposed abolishing the filibuster but changed 12 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

TRADE

Legislative + Regulations Report tried to persuade her to embrace free trade to distinguish her from Sanders and Warren. Instead, both she and Biden have tacked to the left on trade, hoping to give Trump less opportunity to win over union and other blue-collar voters.

ANIMAL WELFARE

How their views could differ: As California’s attorney general, Harris aligned with the state’s voters’ aggressive positions on animal welfare laws.

Those included appealing a federal ruling that struck down California’s ban on the sale of foie gras. She also defended state laws that said eggs sold in California must come from free-range or similarly humanely raised hens.

But in 2022, Biden’s Justice Department backed a move to block a new California livestock welfare law. His administration filed a brief to back two major agriculture groups’ challenge of the California law. The Supreme Court ultimately allowed it to stand.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, a close ally of the president, has since said that he favors Congress pursuing legislation to clarify that law to avoid chaos in the national markets.

Harris’ past position on the matter could put her at odds with politically powerful agriculture groups, including in key swing states. Many of those groups are still trying to overturn the California animal welfare law, which dictates how farmers elsewhere in the country can raise pigs and other animals destined to be sold inside the state’s borders.

Under a Harris presidency, she may be more inclined to direct the USDA to press Congress to allow the California law

and similar state measures to stand while pushing for new animal welfare regulations.

We’ve already witnessed an assassination attempt on former President Trump this election cycle. While hopefully there will not be anything else that extreme, we can be sure to see more of the usual political theatrics and entertainment until November. It’s important to watch debates, engage with candidates, and learn their position on issues before you head to the polls. There will certainly be some contentious races this year again, at all levels. These will be the office holders who will be shaping important policy decisions regarding dairy, agriculture, trade, taxes, business, and the environment—everything impacting your personal life and business operations.

The Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations remain ready and engaged on the issues, voicing your concerns to lawmakers and others. The remainder of the year will still be busy as we prepare for the 2025 legislative sessions. As always, if there is anything the association can assist you with, we are here for you.

Alex Walsh is the executive director of the Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations. You can contact him by email at alex.walsh@ndfsa.org.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 13

Economic Outlook

I

Economy, High Cost of Living are the Top Issues on People’s Minds

BY GARY LATTA

t is now certain that former President Donald Trump will face off against Vice President Kamala Harris in their run for the White House. We are reasonably familiar with Trump’s agricultural policies, but less is known about Harris’ stance. There is no doubt we will learn more about her agricultural leanings in the coming months, though many believe she will continue current President Joe Biden’s agenda. Time will tell.

The two candidates appear to be worlds apart on many issues, especially immigration. Some industry observers warn that Trump’s tough stance against illegal immigration could harm agriculture, which has become quite dependent on immigrant labor. A July 31 Farmers’ Advance report said that some 950,000 agricultural workers, or almost 45% of all workers, are migrants working illegally on U.S. farms and ranches.

In an article on farmersadvance.com, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) stated, “Immigrant labor accounts for 51 percent of all dairy labor, and dairies that employ immigrant labor produce 79 percent of the U.S. milk supply.”

The economy and high cost of living are the top issues on people’s minds, followed by immigration and poor government leadership, according to Gallup polls. These concerns are particularly important to voters in battleground states.

Harris is seen as pro-immigrant and a very pro-union supporter, whereas Trump is perceived as stronger on inflation and the economy. With global tensions escalating in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the South China Sea, the risk of war is on many voters’ minds. Tensions are running high between NATO, Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Israel, and North Korea.

14 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

The high cost of food in the U.S. continues to irritate consumers. Inflation is cooling, but consumers are seeing little relief in grocery or restaurant costs. According to an Industry Intelligence survey, 71% of corporate workers in the U.S. who go into the office on a weekly basis say they buy lunch at least three times a week, with half of those people spending $20 or more per lunch.

Many restaurants and foodservice vendors have started adding surcharges, which further aggravate consumers. Now fast-food restaurants and sidewalk vendors are placing “add a tip” on the customer’s bill.

Shrinkflation is a term used to describe the practice of reducing an item’s size but not its price. Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has released reports on his website and introduced a bill regarding shrinkflation. Even Cookie Monster has complained about the shrinking size of his cookies.

Consumers have become increasingly aware that even as inflation cools, food prices remain at high levels and are slow to come down. This is often referred to as “sticky” prices.

In late June, the White House released a report titled “Update: Grocery Price Inflation Has Cooled Substantially.” The report commented on the number of hours it takes to work for a week’s worth of groceries compared to pre-pandemic 2019. The White House claimed that wage growth has outpaced grocery price growth and that it takes less work to buy a bag of groceries compared to a year ago. However, a year ago, grocery prices were very high.

Food prices have become a favorite talking point for politicians in the media. While Democrats claim prices have sta-

Economic Outlook bilized and are coming down, Republicans claim the purchasing power of the dollar has eroded under the present administration. The White House report has some good images: Shoppers are using creative ways to stretch their food dollars. Many are simply buying less, using coupons, opting for private labels, shopping online, and going to bulk stores. Keep in mind that grocery shopping typically includes nonfood items like plastic bags, paper towels, laundry detergent, aluminum foil, shampoo, razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, body soap, and pet supplies. All these household items have increased in price since 2019.

In late July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service (ERS) published its Food Price Outlook for 2024 and 2025. The report used Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers. The PPI is the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services.

CPI June 2024 vs. June 2023

CPI 2025

Food-at-home

+ 1.1%

+ 0.7%

Away-from-home

+ 4.1%

+ 3.0%

All food

+ 2.2%

+ 2.0%

The report mentions that food prices increased 5.8% in 2023. At-home was +5%, and away-from-home was +7.1%. In 2022, food prices increased by 9.9%. Food at home was +11.4%, and away from home was +7.7%. The increase in 2022 was the sharpest since 1979. In 1979, retail food prices climbed 0.9%, and the overall rate of inflation was 11.3%.

In early August, the Greenville News published an article titled “Survey: Majority Report Financial Stress.” The research reported an online survey of 2,000 Americans representing the general population. Their findings revealed that consumers experience anxiety and frustration of some expenses over others. Overall, housing is the largest monthly cost, followed by NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 15

Economic Outlook transportation. However, these are not the categories that irritate consumers the most. It was the cost of food and groceries that respondents said was the most annoying. Many consumers express their frustration and anger on social media.

How all this will play into the race for the White House is yet to be seen.

Following the Canadian dairy snubbing last year of honoring their obligations under USMCA, which candidate would hold Canada’s feet to the fire?

Hoard’s Dairyman reported that cheese exports have been strong, especially to Mexico, as U.S. prices continue to trend below those of international competitors. Domestic cheese and butter sales also remain brisk. U.S. butter prices are currently too high for exports, but domestic demand continues to be firm despite record high prices. Weaker milk production and lower overall export sales are keeping a balanced market and helping to keep prices at decent levels for producers, around $20-22 per hundredweight.

16 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Decreased demand from Southeast Asia has been taking a toll on U.S. dairy exports. Southeast Asia is comprised of 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. These countries are north of Australia and just south of China. Sales to Southeast Asia have been slipping this year, and the U.S. has lost some market share to competitors, like New Zealand. Price has become a factor as U.S. dairy prices climb higher. Also, the stronger U.S. dollar erodes the purchasing power of these countries. Mexico remains by far the top importer of U.S. cheese.

In late July, the USDA’s Economic Research Service published a report titled “Structure, Costs, and Technology Used on U.S. Dairy Farms, No. (ERR-334).” The report dives deep into the changes in dairy farm structure and shifts in milk production over the past 20 years. Fewer farms are producing more milk as they embrace new technology and improved management practices. The report also explains the

Economic Outlook geographic shifts in milk production by region over the past two decades.

The report offers up several excellent graphics that depict the top 10 dairy states, their individual contribution to national milk production, as well as sales dollars by herd size.

Also in late July, Farm Credit East published its “2023 Northeast Dairy Farm Summary & 2024 Mid-Year Outlook.” The Outlook is a wonderful analysis of the region’s dairy industry, covering milk production, expenses, productivity, cash flow, assets, and net worth. The report also displays several excellent tables and graphics (you can download the colorful 56-page report by visiting its website).

We are not surprised to hear that Congress continues wrestling over the new farm bill. In early August, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its official cost estimate

of the House Agriculture Committee’s proposal, declaring it to be $33 billion over budget and falling short of paying for crop subsidies. An irritated House Ag Committee Chair, Glenn Thompson (Republican – Pennsylvania), has been pushing back on the CBO for several months. Thompson has also been sparring with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (Democrat – Michigan), who accuses Thompson of using “magic math and wishful thinking” in developing his bill.

One sticking point is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). More than 42 million people rely on SNAP monthly. SNAP takes up most of the farm bill’s funding.

Optimism for a new farm bill this year is fading among leaders in Washington. With the presidential race in full

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 17

Economic Outlook

steam now, Congress will likely have to provide another extension. The current extension ends on Sept. 30, 2024.

The latest milk production figures from the USDA show the top 24 major states were down 0.8% in June 2024 vs. June 2023. The same comparison for May was down 0.7%, and for April it was down 0.2%.

The July report shows every state in the northeast down or flat in milk production during the second quarter of 2024 vs. 2023.

According to the July Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, the cost of the main feed inputs has been trending lower than last year. Corn is down 18 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Economic Outlook

$2.03 per bushel, alfalfa hay is down $77.00 per short ton, and soybean mean is down $34.93 per short ton, according to the ERS. The all-milk price for May averaged $22.00 per hundredweight, which is up $2.90 from May of last year. The USDA reported the May milk-feed price ratio was up 0.84 points from May of last year.

The USDA mentioned that these higher margins could incentivize producers to expand their herds. This factored into their logic when raising the forecast estimates for the remainder of 2024 and 2025.

Higher wholesale prices and a tighter NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 19

Economic Outlook

milk supply situation are forcing the USDA to raise its forecast. Cheddar cheese, dry whey, butter, and nonfat dry milk were all raised. Class III and Class IV are both raised accordingly, and the all-milk price for 2024 is now forecast at $22.25 per cwt, up $0.65 from last month’s forecast. For 2025, the all-milk price is adjusted to $22.50 per cwt, up $1.00 from last month’s forecast.

The USDA published a Recommended Decision on Amendments to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders on July 15 in the Federal Register. The industry will have 60 days (until Sept. 13) to review the recommendations and submit formal comments.

After 49 days, 12,000 pages of testimony, and 21 proposals, the USDA has narrowed it down to five primary recommendations: 1. The base Class I milk price (higher of) 2. Class I and Class II differentials 3. Class III and Class IV formula factors 4. The surveyed commodity prices 5. The milk component factors

20 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Accompanying the Recommended Decision was a Regulatory Economic Impact Analysis from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). This report is a relatively short eight-page analysis of the expected impacts of the recommended changes to each of the 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Additional reading on the National Federal Milk Marketing Order Pricing Formula Hearing can be found at ams.usda.gov.

July’s Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook included an update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Detection in Dairy Herds. As of July 17, there were 160 herds in 13 states with confirmed detections. The USDA will provide financial assistance for eligible dairy producers who incur milk losses due to HPAI in their operations.

Gary Latta is a dairy product specialist consultant for the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc. He has more than 30 years of experience in providing economic analysis, statistics, and information to the dairy processing industry.

Feature

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If you’d like to feature your company catalog in the next Northeast Dairy Connection newsletter contact Lesli Mitchell: lmitchell@nedairymedia.com.

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Feature

22 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Feature

Current Trends

Shaping the Dairy Industry

BY COURTNEY KLESS

S

ustainability has certainly received a lot of attention in the past few years. These are some of the trends that are currently shaping the dairy industry:

THE NET ZERO INITIATIVE

The Net Zero Initiative is the dairy industry’s commitment, through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, to reach greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.

“We’re still 25 years away from that,” said Karl Czymmek, the associate director of Cornell University’s PRO-DAIRY. “As processors and milk handlers look at their systems and try to figure out how to reduce fossil energy, my stance is that that’s going to be a big focus for those groups.”

The initiative also includes a dairy farm component.

“After the milk leaves the farm gates, there’s an additional GHG footprint associated with getting it to the plant, getting that milk heated up and processed, whether it’s into fluid milk or other things,” said Czymmek. “For fluid milk, anyway, around 70-80% of that greenhouse gas footprint is from cradle to farm gate. And so, what goes on at the dairy farm is really important in terms of managing greenhouse gas emissions from dairy.”

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY ISSUES

The Net Zero Initiative isn’t just about being greenhouse neutral by 2050; it also aims to optimize water quality through improved nutrient management and more efficient water use.

“We are going to pay more attention to water use, I think, especially in irrigated areas, but even in areas where we’re blessed with a lot of natural rainfall,” said Czymmek. “We’re going to have to pay attention to how we’re using water, whether that’s at a plant or at the dairy. I think that’s going to feature more prominently in how we manage dairy farming and dairy processing in the coming years.”

ANIMAL CARE

Another important area is animal care.

“The FARM program emphasis on high standards of animal care on dairy farms will continue to be an important focus,” said Czymmek. “There are industry experts in extension, governmental agencies, and the private sector that can help farms keep up with and implement the best animal care practices. This is definitely a topic that’s going to continue to be with us.”

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 23

Feature BIODIVERSITY

In Europe—and beyond— Czymmek is seeing a growing emphasis on biodiversity (it essentially evaluates how well farmers are maintaining biological diversity in and around their fields).

“We have more questions, I think, than answers, but you have to ask the questions to know the answers,” he said. “I think the good news for New York and the northeast is that many dairies have multiple crops in their rotations; we have different fields and soil types that require different management and sometimes different crops in them. So, we have a decent handle on biodiversity here by virtue of how we handle and manage our soil resources. But we’ll learn more with time.”

Looking Ahead to the 2024 NORTHEAST DAIRY CONVENTION

Czymmek will cover some of these trends during his presentation.

“What I intend to do is a little bit of a ‘greenhouse gas 101’ in a dairy context,” he said. “So, what the GHG footprint looks like on a typical dairy farm, and some of the things that we can do now to try to manage it. I also want to help people understand the incredible progress that we’ve made in the last 50 years or so—our improved milk production per cow, higher quality forage, better nutrition—and how all of those things are contributing to a really good story. A recent scientific paper calculates that over a 50-year period (1971-2020), northeast dairy farmers have reduced the GHG intensity of milk by over 40% and absolute GHG emissions by 24%, while total milk production in the region has increased by 5 billion pounds annually!”

“We have an amazing story to tell at the dairy farm side of this, and now we have to roll up our sleeves and do more work toward being more efficient and continuing to drive down greenhouse gas emissions.”

What is PRO-DAIRY?

PRO-DAIRY is a dairy-directed extension program funded by New York State.

“Our focus is New York state dairy,” said Czymmek. “We have experts in environmental systems, agronomy, forage production and manure management, herd health, farm business management, and a youth development program, where we’re helping young people develop leadership skills while exploring careers in the dairy industry. So, we have a number of experts on staff who focus on these different areas of need, and we work closely with dairy producers and organizations to make sure we are filling important gaps.”

But the organization’s reach goes beyond state boundaries.

“The PRO-DAIRY team works with other Cornell colleagues to prepare a 16-page inset called 'The Manager' for the Progressive Dairy magazine,” said Czymmek.

“Many of us work with colleagues in nearby states to develop programs for dairy farmers, and over time, PRO-DAIRY staff have served on various committees that have a national and even international impact.”

For more information about PRO-DAIRY, visit cals.cornell.edu/pro-dairy.

24 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Feature

NDFSA Members Reflect on Their

S

Sustainability Journey ustainability is a topic that’s on the minds of many NDFSA members. So, for the third quarter issue of Northeast Dairy Magazine, we decided to ask them more about it.

ALFA LAVAL

Sustainability is at the heart of everything Alfa Laval does – and it has been that way for more than 140 years.

“Alfa Laval began its life in dairy, where it created more efficient ways to process milk and has been a leading innovator in separation, heat transfer, and fluid handling since,” said Sheldon Young, sustainability solutions specialist – food and water division. “We see our role as accelerating change for a more sustainable future and design our products to support that goal, using less energy and water, improving productivity, and taking careful consideration to the entire lifecycle of the products we create.”

In recent years, the company has introduced: a revolutionary mixproof and drain valve controller designed to cut water and chemical waste during CIP by up to 95%; an advanced tank cleaning technology that reduces cleaning media and time by up to 60% or more in some cases; and a new centrifuge design for specific applications that low-

ers energy consumption by up to 75% compared to previous models.

During that time, Alfa Laval has also devoted a tremendous focus to its own sustainability journey, committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and setting goals that align with the Science Based Target Initiative.

“Initiatives have been launched at our sites around the world to lower the impact of producing Alfa Laval products, including replacing natural gas as a heating source at applicable production facilities, shifting to renewable electricity, installation of solar panels, and many other projects,” said Young. “We take a proactive approach to sourcing from suppliers with a lower carbon footprint, and carefully analyze how we manufacture and transport our products, seeking methods that reduce emissions.”

Editor’s Note: The information in this article was submitted by members who responded to two questions: 1. What does sustainability mean to your company?

2. Briefly tell us about your company’s efforts in this area over the past five years.

Thank you to all who participated!

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 25

Feature ANDERSON-NEGELE As a top provider of sensors and instruments for hygienic process control, Anderson-Negele knows that sustainability is important not only to its operations but to the products and solutions it delivers to its customers.

“Under the slogan ‘Every drop counts,’ we offer a variety of sensors and solutions that enable dairy processors to achieve their sustainability goals,” said Ryan Fitzgerald, head of product management. “Anderson-Negele exists to help reduce product, chemical, and water waste to protect the environment while maintaining safe beverages and food” Reliable and accurate measurements enable automation and optimization of production processes. With that in mind, Anderson-Negele provides the right products and expertise to help food and beverage manufacturers save energy, reduce material costs, and minimize food waste.

“Over the past five years, we have been consistently examining and optimizing our processes for sustainable production and distribution; however, we can make an even greater impact by helping our customers achieve their sustainabil-

BYRNE

Byrne applies its philosophy of continuous improvement to every aspect of its business.

“Sustainability is no exception,” said Ashley Casey, sales and marketing specialist. “We are constantly striving to implement better sustainable practices throughout our operations and align with industry best practices.”

There’s a lot in motion, especially at the company’s facilities. For starters, Byrne is continually optimizing efficient energy use for the essential utility systems (i.e., water, compressed air, steam, and refrigeration equipment).

And then there’s wastewater. “Our investments in wastewater treatment operations have resulted in improved pre-treatment of our effluent (liquid waste) while using fewer chemicals in the process,” said Casey.

After the milk is processed, the resulting sludge waste is repurposed in various ways; for instance, it can be used as 26 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

ity goals,” said Fitzgerald. “For example, a dairy processing customer of ours was able to avoid losing 120 liters of milk during each phase transition by switching from time-based control to turbidity measurement on a UHT system. Another dairy reduced its entire water consumption for equipment cleaning by 10% through the optimization of CIP processes with our turbidity and conductivity sensors. In both cases, the reduction of milk and water waste amounted to several thousand liters per year.”

natural fertilizer by farms or converted into renewable natural gas by municipal treatment facilities.

When it comes to the company’s industry partners, Byrne keeps a close eye on the recycled content in packaging and monitors the key performance indicators for its suppliers’ and customers’ program development.

“Our partnerships with local farms demonstrate commitment to responsible animal welfare practices, conservative use of chemicals, and minimizing over-the-road travel with their proximity to our processing facilities,” concluded Casey.

CDF CORPORATION

At CDF Corporation, sustainability is about much more than environmental stewardship; the company places a strong emphasis on social responsibility and economic viability, too.

Feature “Our approach encompasses various practices and goals aimed at reducing environmental impact while supporting the communities in which we operate,” said Kate Connors, marketing manager.

Through several key initiatives, CDF Corporation is actively working to minimize its ecological footprint. For instance, the company is recycling and reusing raw materials during its production processes, installing full-roof solar panel systems at each of its facilities, and developing products that reduce the use of plastics, greenhouse gases, and the resources needed for transportation and storage.

The company also firmly believes that sustainable practices and economic success should go hand-in-hand.

“By focusing on innovations like the Cheertainer®, AirAssist®, and our full range of IBC and Drum & Pail liners — which offers logistical and cost benefits by reducing material use and improving transportation efficiency—we aim to provide value to our clients while adhering to our sustainability principles,” said Connors.

DART CONTAINER

Dart Container has three sustainability commitments: Innovate, Inspire, and Invest.

“Our approach to product development combines first-use performance with sustainable next-life options,” said Bob Motter.

So, Dart Container created the ProPlanet seal to recognize those that adhere to its “highest sustainability standards.” To earn this seal, products must meet at least one of the following criteria: contain recycled material, be commercially compostable, or be designed for recycling.

But the company’s sustainability efforts aren’t limited to product innovations; Dart Container has also earned a significant milestone in its operations.

“Our U.S. manufacturing facilities achieved Operation Clean Sweep Blue recognition, meeting the gold standard for preventing plastic pellet, flake, and powder from escaping into the environment,” the company said. “We’re actively seeking additional innovative ways to further reduce our carbon footprint.”

EMERSON

Ted Reppi, a flow and density consultant, said that Emerson takes sustainability “very seriously.”

The company’s approach is structured around three pillars: Greening Of Emerson, Greening By Emerson, and Greening With Emerson.

The second highlights how Emerson has supported its customers in their own sustainability journeys. To bolster these efforts, the company acquired Flexim, a top provider of clamp-on ultrasonic flow measurement, in 2023.

“One of the major benefits of this technology is its ease of implementation to meet sustainability goals,” said Reppi.

“For businesses like dairy processing facilities, they use large amounts of energy (water, compressed air, natural gas, etc.), so they are always looking to improve efficiency and reduce cost, which will quickly and easily reduce their carbon footprint for the sustainability goals they set. Flexim is a great solution to achieve these challenging goals.”

Under the other two pillars, Emerson has earned a CDP Climate Change Score of A-, cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 52% since 2021, sourced 49% of its electricity from renewable sources, and joined 15 hydrogen associations around the world, according to its 2023 sustainability report.

“As we move forward, we remain committed to deploying impactful technologies that advance both our net zero ambitions and those of our customers, fostering a more sustainable future for all,” said Mike Train, chief sustainability officer.

ENERGY PARTNER CONSULTANTS

ENERGY PA R T N E R C O N S U LT A N T S Since its founding in 2009, Energy Partner Consultants (EPC) has worked with thousands of businesses to more effiNED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 27

Feature ciently manage their energy expenses and usage.

“For companies unwilling or unable to invest in or accommodate solar panels, EPC identifies community solar projects for them to join,” said CEO Wendy Martin. “Since their tax dollars already fund these initiatives, there is no additional participation cost, and enrollment through EPC is straightforward. Most clients opt for this route, saving 5-10% on their electricity costs while helping to fulfill the government’s green requirements.”

Martin also spearheaded the largest renewable natural gas initiative, teaming up with seven Central New York farms to turn manure into liquid gas.

ENGIE

carbon footprint, and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility while meeting our clients’ needs,” the company said. “We strive to create a circular economy by maximizing resource efficiency, reducing waste, and promoting renewable materials.”

FINANCING One way Epallet achieves this is by THE using reconditioned and remanufactured pallets.

“The refurbishment process generates fewer emissions and consumes less energy, further lowering the products’ carbon footprint and promoting environmental sustainability,” the company said.

Epallet also turns its waste materials into useful products like animal bedding, fuel, and mulch.

“By working closely with our partners, suppliers, and customers, we aim to set new standards for sustainable practices,” the company concluded. “Together, we can make a real difference and build a healthier planet for future generations.”

DAI RY

INDUSTRY

Over the years, solar energy has become a key pillar at ENGIE. The company’s mission is to help shape a sustainable VERTICALLY INTEGRATED AG BUSINESSES future built on clean, affordable, resilient energy, with a focus PROCESSING AND MARKETING EQUIPMENT • VALUE-ADDED AG BUSINESSES on renewable energy.

DAIRY SERVICE AND INPUT BUSINESSES • PARTNER WITH OTHER CAPITAL PROVIDERS “Sustainability is woven into the fabric of our business,” FARM CREDIT EAST said Lenny Tilton, business development manager.

Protecting biodiversity is a top priority in each of ENGIE’s projects; that’s why the company has supported the local ecosystems at its North American solar sites.

800-562-2235 | FARMCREDITEAST.COM In 2021, ENGIE planted pollinator-friendly vegetation Sustainability isn’t exactly a new concept for Farm Credit around its solar arrays, bringing the total to 1,120 acres.

East.

Then in 2022, the company joined the American Solar “As a financial cooperative owned by the customers we Grazing Association to manage vegetation naturally at some serve, sustainability is one of Farm Credit East’s core princiof its utility-scale solar projects (grazing livestock, like sheep, ples,” said David Lane, SVP of sustainability and corporate remove overgrowth that could block sunlight from reaching initiatives. “Sustainability is integral to the industries we serve, the panels). as farming, the forest products industry, and fisheries under“We are a global leader in low-carbon energy stand how a healthy environment is critical to their success. supply and related services. By focusing on effiIn other words, sustainability, often thought of in terms of cient, long-term carbon-reducing solutions, we are people, planet, and profit, is central to our success as a coopmeeting the challenges of climate change,” said Tilton. erative and to the industries we serve.”

Farm Credit East has spent the past five years integrating sustainability into its strategic pillars, making it a point to EPALLET communicate and recognize its efforts along the way.

“We continue to provide reliable credit and value-added Epallet envisions a future in which logistics and sustainfinancial services to support customers as they evolve their ability are intertwined. operations to include sustainable and regenerative practices,” “We’re dedicated to eco-friendly innovations, reducing our said Lane. “By example, we have ramped up our grant-writing 28 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Feature capacity to assist farmers in accessing federal, state, industry, and philanthropic capital.”

Additionally, Farm Credit East collaborates with (and finances) programs that recognize producers’ sustainability efforts, like the Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award.

“We do this as it’s important for the public to understand the environmental benefits that agriculture provides, in addition to the food, fiber, and energy that we depend on every day,” concluded Lane.

GREINER PACKAGING

Sustainability is at the core of Greiner Packaging’s strategy and operations.

“The company aims to become a fully circular business by 2030, emphasizing the importance of reducing, reusing, and

recycling materials,” said Jörg Sabo, global director marketing & innovation. “By incorporating recycled materials, developing reusable packaging solutions, and reducing carbon emissions throughout the supply chain, Greiner Packaging strives to minimize its environmental impact and contribute to a sustainable future, just in line with its motto, ‘Join the circular revolution.’”

Greiner Packaging has addressed sustainability from multiple angles over the past five years, developing products that encompass various aspects of eco-friendliness. Two of the most notable are the K3® r100, a plastic cup with a cardboard wrap that separates during waste collection (improving recyclability), and the IML Lightweight Cup, which reduces material usage and, ultimately, CO2 emissions.

But Greiner Packaging’s sustainability efforts extend beyond its product offerings. The company has teamed up with people and institutions to help forge an environmentally friendly future. Since 2016 for example, Greiner Packaging has been involved in the UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation, through which they are supporting the transition to a circular economy.

“This partnership aligns with our broader circular economy strategy, emphasizing product recyclability, innovative materials, and collaborative efforts to minimize plastic waste,” said Sabo.

HUHTAMAKI

Huhtamaki’s approach covers the three ESG pillars: environment, social, and governance.

“For us, sustainability means considering our impact, both positive and negative, throughout our entire value chain and pro-actively working on becoming a leader in all three pillars by minimizing the negative impacts of our operations and products on the environment while maximizing the positive

impacts on our stakeholders, consumers, and society,” said Ashley Grills, account manager and salesforce administrator.

Huhtamaki aims to be the top choice for sustainable packaging solutions. To that end, the company follows a product stewardship approach that shapes how it designs its products, sources materials, operates, engages with its stakeholders, and contributes to a circular economy.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 29

Feature “Offering a paper-based package option for refrigerated dairy serves as the latest addition to our commitment to putting sustainability in everything we do,” said Grills.

“Where packaging comes from is just as important as where it ends up. All the paperboard used in our dairy containers is sourced from sustainably managed forests.

Choosing a paper-based cup supports efforts to reduce plastic waste.”

Huhtamaki’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t end

with its paperboard dairy cup, though.

“ICON® is our new, breakthrough paper cup technology, enabling the recycling of both the cup and the lid in communities with paper product recycling programs,” said Grills. “This innovation is the first of its kind—making pint-sized ice cream fully recyclable. In fact, 21 tons of paperboard will be removed from landfills for every 1 million cups that are recycled. Simply put, it’s bringing a smaller environmental footprint to the freezer section.”

HYDRITE

As Hydrite approaches its 100th anniversary, its commitment to sustainability only grows stronger.

“Hydrite is focused on providing sustainable ideas and solutions that ensure collective long-term success for our customers, employees, and partners,” said Amanda Hansen, sustainability program manager. “This is realized through a three-part environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approach, setting ambitious goals that support our sustainability vision of empowering employees to positively impact the environment and the communities in which we live.”

As part of its Vision 2025 strategy, the company is working 30 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

towards two environmental goals: climate action (reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions per pound of product sold by 10% from a 2022 baseline) and water efficiency (reducing water withdrawn per pound of product sold by 5% from a 2022 baseline).

Hydrite has achieved several important milestones in the last five years, including: • Helping customers save an estimated 1 billion gallons (or more) of water through process and chemistry improvements.

• Installing a truck wash at its La Crosse, Wisconsin, loca-

Feature tion, eliminating 40,000 miles of travel each year.

• Constructing the company’s first on-site solar array at its Visalia, California location, generating 16% of the facility’s electricity.

• Operating a waste heat recovery system at its Terre Haute, Indiana location which has reduced natural gas consumption by 32% so far.

• Constructing a new corporate office that earned a Green Globes® building certification for its sustainable design and environmental performance.

“In addition to minimizing our environmental footprint, Hydrite has achieved success in areas like safety, volunteerism, supply chain management, and other important ESG principles,” said Hansen.

LOCHHEAD MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Lochhead Manufacturing Company is deeply committed to two things: social responsibility and the promotion of sustainable farming practices.

“Through our internal and external sustainability initiatives, we aim to ensure we have the water and resources to protect human health and our environment,” said Northeast Rep Sage Lochhead. “Our internal practices are carried out in our daily lives. The heat in our facilities is turned down during off-hours, and lights are kept off in unoccupied areas.

We recycle all paper, cardboard, and plastic, and we have made all our packaging materials recyclable. We also produce zero food waste. By using the whole vanilla bean, we ensure that no parts are being thrown away.”

The company’s external initiative, the VanWell Project, supports the vanilla farmers it partners with in Madagascar’s SAVA region. The goal is to improve those farmers’ lives— and ultimately, their vanilla production—by providing fresh drinking water.

“This project has been received as a tremendous success,” said Lochhead. “Each well supplies clean water every day to up to 2,000 people. Along with the VanWell project, we look forward to purchasing high-quality vanilla beans from farmers for years to come. The Lochhead family continues to visit Madagascar to view the vanilla bean crops and identify more villages for freshwater wells.”

PERRY’S ICE CREAM

“Our commitment to the ‘Good Stuff ’ goes beyond the cone,” the company said. “It’s about sustaining our communities and nurturing the environment, ensuring each scoop reflects doing good in every way.”

Perry’s Ice Cream details its strategies in the 2023 Good Stuff Report.

One of the company’s long-term goals is “to be recognized as a ‘zero landfill’ operation and maximize the value of [its] resources through improved efficiencies, productivity, and utilization of technology.” And it is making progress. In 2023 alone, Perry’s Ice Cream released 160 fewer tons of CO2, and since 2013, it has repurposed 816 tons of corrugated boxes.

As part of a second commitment to “continuously improve [its] processes to eliminate waste,” the company has switched to electronic trip sheets and mileage forms, saving 5,000 sheets of paper each year, and adopted paperless training materials, quizzes, and forms.

“Perry’s Ice Cream is committed to actively managing our impact on our communities and the environment through responsible business practices,” the company said.

STANPAC

“Generally, when Stanpac makes decisions on new products, product improvements, and facility upgrades, we do so to ensure we are competitive in the markets we serve,” said Murray Bain, VP marketing. “In most cases, this will also provide benefits to the environment and satisfy consumer trends around sustainability.”

These days, the company’s customers are more curious than ever about its past, present, and future initiatives.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 31

Feature They fall into three main categories: 1. Transportation: This covers everything from receiving raw materials from suppliers and shipping finished goods to moving materials within the company’s facilities. Stanpac upgraded its fleet to fuel-efficient trucks, switched from trucks to rail for all of its paperboard, and is transitioning to electric forklifts.

2. Facilities: As part of its sustainability efforts, the company has made several upgrades to its build-

ings and processes, including: installing energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors; eliminating hazardous chemicals; and replacing compressed air with regenerative blowers wherever possible.

3. Products: The development of sustainable products has been another area of focus for Stanpac. For example, it introduced paper non-round lids, switched from plastic to paper lids for novelty-size ice cream packaging, and replaced PE-coated cups with Dispersion Barrier Coated cups, eliminating polyethylene.

QUALITRU SAMPLING SYSTEMS®

QualiTru Sampling Systems defines sustainability as meeting the needs of its current customers without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

“We focus on decisions that consider the long-term impact on the environment, society, and our business, striving to maintain a balance that ensures resources are preserved for future use,” said CEO Ian Davis. “Like the dairy industry, we are dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint and creating a positive impact. Through innovation and collaboration with our customers and supply chain, we relentlessly work to implement sustainable practices that benefit our customers, our employees, and the world around us.”

The company has streamlined its packaging to reduce waste and conserve resources, aligning their operations with their goal to minimize their environmental footprint while maintaining quality.

“Our commitment to sustainability is reinforced through our fully recyclable septa packaging, promoting a circular 32 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

economy and minimizing waste,” added Davis.

In the past five years, QualiTru has also moved from ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization to gamma radiation, a safer and more eco-friendly alternative.

Is your business celebrating an anniversary in 2024?

Let us know and be a part of the milestone issue of Northeast Dairy Magazine!

Below is our current list of members with anniversaries in 2024. If your company is missing, please contact courtneyk@nedairymedia.com.

COMPANY

NUMBER OF YEARS IN BUSINESS

NUMBER OF YEARS IN BUSINESS

COMPANY

Hersey Creamery Company

130

TWINCO, Inc.

55

Agri-Mark Cooperative

105

Double H Plastics

50

Saputo Dairy Foods USA

70

Losurdo Foods

65

Jefferson Bulk Milk Cooperative

60

Vermont Creamery

60

Natural Dairy Products Corp.

30

Cayuga Milk Ingredients

10

Fairlife

10

HVF Bottling LLC

5

New York State Cheese Manufacturers’ Association

160

CHR Hansen

International Food Products Corporation

50

All American Poly

45

Dairy Concepts Inc.

45

Air Temp Heating & Conditioning

40

Burkert Fluid Control Systems

40

Custom Fabricating & Repair

40

Klass Ingredients

40

Viking Food Group

40

150

AFCO

35

Surpass Chemical Co.

110

Baer & Associates

35

Corbion

105

Industrial Food Ingredients

35

Oliver M. Dean

105

Atlas Automation

30

Green Spot Packaging

90

ECOM Cocoa

30

Stanpac

75

MAC LTT

30

T.C. Jacoby & Co

75

Sterilex

30

Wadhams Enterprises

75

Superior Ice Cream Equipment

30

DCC Automation

70

Tim Eutsler, Inc.

25

ErgonArmor

70

Clear Solutions

20

Feldmeier Equipment

70

DSM Food Specialties

20

Pentair Südmo

70

Hygenix

20

Osgood Industries, A Syntegon Company

65

Profile Food Ingredients

20

Packaging Corp. of America

65

Energy Partner Consultants

15

Ace Sanitary

55

KCO Resource Management

15

Agri-Services Agency

55

Trucent Centrifuge Parts & Repair

5

Rich Dairy Products

55

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 33

NDSA Member Profile

QualiTru Sampling Systems is Committed to Innovation, Safety

Q

BY COURTNEY KLESS

ualiTru Sampling Systems began its journey with one product and a staff of two people.

Fast forward 41 years, and it has become a leader in aseptic and representative sampling, offering its services to dairy farms, haulers, and food processing plants in more than 30 countries around the world.

“From farm to table, the dairy industry exemplifies hard work, passion, and a commitment to delivering delicious and nutritious products that enrich our lives,” said Darrell Bigalke, founder of QualiTru Sampling Systems. “We strive to embody these same values every day and play our small part in this great industry.”

The company that Bigalke established in 1983 was originally known as Quality Management Inc. Two years later, the dairy industry faced back-to-back foodborne illness disasters, both resulting in sickness and loss of life. The first was a Salmonella outbreak in northern 34 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

Illinois and the second was a Listeria outbreak in southern California.

“These incidents highlighted the urgent need for stringent process monitoring standards in the dairy industry, which had previously focused only on final product testing,” said Bigalke.

That’s when Bigalke stepped in. Drawing on his expertise in microbiology and his position as a dairy safety consultant, he was instrumental in expanding aseptic sample testing to better manage contamination concerns.

Those early efforts also laid the foundation for QualiTru’s ongoing commitment to innovation and safety.

“When Darrell started this company four decades ago, he championed what are now common industry practices of using aseptic inline sampling on dairy farms, milk hauling trucks, and in dairy processing plants,” said Ian Davis, the current CEO. “The result of his efforts elevated both the quality of these products as well as consumer safety to even higher standards than had been experienced at the time.”

NDSA Member Profile “Our mission at QualiTru is to promote food safety and quality by providing innovative aseptic sampling solutions. We strive to empower our customers with accurate, reliable data that ensures the highest standards of product safety and quality in the dairy and liquid food industries.”

– Darrell Bigalke, founder of QualiTru Sampling Systems

“Today, in light of continued outbreaks of dairy-related Listeria and Salmonella, as well as serious contamination issues such as the recent infant formula crisis, we see that the need for rigorous inline process sampling and testing for the liquid food and dairy industries remains as critical as ever,” Davis continued. “We are honored to continue delivering upon Darrell’s vision and commitment to food quality and public safety and extending the company’s impact by launching additional new technologies for the industries we serve.”

QualiTru’s product portfolio spans the dairy supply chain.

“Our systems perform inline aseptic sample testing and quality checks from the milking parlor to truck transport, raw and pasteurized storage silos, and throughout commercial dairy and liquid food processing operations,” said Bigalke.

“QualiTru’s sampling systems allow for effective process monitoring for issues such as somatic cell counts, milk stratification, spore-forming bacteria, and bacterial counts to help ensure superior dairy product production. The ability to

identify and isolate bacteria, including heat-resistant bacteria, is vital to safe and efficient operations for milk processors.

This comprehensive approach allows these industries to have accurate microbiological and chemical data, building transparency and confidence in product quality.”

However, providing top-notch products and services “that exceed customer expectations” is just the start; during its more than 40-year history, the company has established itself as a leader in education and training.

“Our experienced team works closely with our sampling systems end-users to ensure their inline process monitoring programs are successful by providing on-site training and support with an extensive library of training and educational materials on our website,” said Barbara Grayes, vice president of sales at QualiTru. “Additionally, we collaborate with industry experts to produce blogs, white papers, newsletters, webinars, verification and case studies, and other educational materials, allowing us to publish relevant and meaningful information for our end-users, industry partners, and the dairy and liquid food industries in general.”

The company’s small size also fosters a collaborative relationship with its customers.

“This close partnership ensures that our solutions are precisely tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients, enhancing their process monitoring programs,” said Davis.

“With over four decades of experience and a deep commitment to quality and safety, we leverage our strong industry relationships and expert knowledge to provide reliable, cost-effective sampling systems. Our ability to quickly adapt and respond to customer needs sets us apart, making us a valued partner in the dairy and liquid food industries.”

Courtney Kless is the Managing Editor of Northeast Dairy Media.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 35

Member News

MEMBER AND INDUSTRY NEWS NORTHEAST DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION, INC. LACTALIS USA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH FEEDING AMERICA®

Lactalis USA recently announced a partnership with Feeding America® to further their shared commitment to ending hunger, increasing access to nutritious dairy products, and strengthening local communities. Lactalis is committing to help provide the equivalent of 1.5 million meals to people facing hunger, along with additional product donation and initiatives for employee volunteerism and giving.

“As a dairy industry leader, providing access to delicious and nutritious products to our neighbors in need is central to who we are,” said Esteve Torrens, chief executive officer of Lactalis USA. “This partnership represents a collaboration of business and non-profit to help make a positive difference in local communities across the United States. We’re proud to begin this partnership with Feeding America to help end hunger in our communities while advancing Lactalis’ global purpose of ‘Nurturing the Future.’”

Lactalis USA has a history of supporting the Feeding America network and fundraising initiatives. This includes the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, through which Lactalis raised nearly $50,000 in 2023, providing more than 450,000 meals for people facing hunger. Following the tragic mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York in 2022, Lactalis also donated more than 100,000 pounds of 36 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

dairy products to FeedMore WNY to support community members impacted by the store’s temporary closure.

BEECHER’S HANDMADE CHEESE, CABOT CREAMERY RECOGNIZED BY AMERICAN CHEESE SOCIETY

In July, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese’s Flagship Reserve received third place in the “Best of Show” category at the American Cheese Society’s 2024 Judging & Competition.

The company’s Extra Aged Flagship (first place, “Mature Cheddar – aged 48 or more months – all milks”), Marco Polo Reserve (third place, “Cheddar with Flavor Added – all milks”), and Plain Cheese Curds (second place, “Cheese Curds – all milks”) were also recognized. There were 1,596 entries, according to a press release.

“We’re so proud of our whole team, particularly our amazing cheesemakers,” the company said in a LinkedIn post. “We couldn’t make delicious cheese without them, or without the love and support from our fans.”

Cabot Creamery took home several awards, including first place for its Salted Butter, Extra Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and White Oak Cheddar; second place for its Alpine Cheddar and New York Extra Sharp Cheddar; and third place for its Unsalted Butter.

“We are so proud of our award-winning #cabotcreamery products and the Cabot team that makes them, from our farmer-owners to our cheesemakers and beyond,” the company said in a LinkedIn post.

Member News STEWART’S SHOPS TEAMS UP WITH AMERICAN RED CROSS ON GIVE A PINT, GET A PINT CAMPAIGN

Stewart’s Shops partnered with the American Red Cross for the ninth consecutive year to encourage more people to donate blood during the month of June, when the pace of blood donations typically slows.

Throughout the campaign, Red Cross donors across upstate New York received a certificate for a free pint of pre-packaged Stewart’s ice cream or gelato.

“Our partnership with the Red Cross is so important because there is such a critical need for blood donors,” said Chad Kiesow, chief operating officer of Stewart’s Shops. “The more people we reward with a pint of ice cream for their pint donation, the better.”

GREAT LAKES CHEESE ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGES

Great Lakes Cheese announced that Bob Sarver has been named the successor to president and CEO Dan Zagzebski.

Sarver joined the company in 2018 and has since held multiple leadership roles in operations, sales, and continuous improvement. Most recently, he served as the executive vice president of packaging.

“The Board selected Bob for the role of President and CEO because of his commitment to fostering long-term relationships with our key partners, expertise in food manufacturing, and his dedication to the Great Lakes Cheese ownership culture,” the company said in a LinkedIn post. “Our company’s passion for excellence remains steadfast, with the best leadership guiding us forward.”

NORTHEAST DAIRY SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION, INC. NELSON-JAMESON CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF JEROME, IDAHO DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Nelson-Jameson, the premier single-source supplier for food, dairy, and beverage processing plants, opened its advanced distribution and fulfillment center in Jerome, Idaho

in January 2024, relocating operations from its former Twin Falls, Idaho location. The official grand opening events on May 3 were open to the public and included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house.

The Jerome facility is the company’s fifth U.S. distribution center, built to support its year-over-year growth and strategic reach across the country, including more than 1,000 vendors and 78,000 curated products. The 45,000 square foot Jerome distribution center encompasses approximately 1.5 million cubic feet of combined storage, office space, refrigerated storage areas, and a service and maintenance area. Its sustainable design includes architecturally embedded energy-saving features, such as insulated concrete tilt wall panels, LED lighting and occupancy sensors, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and electronically-controlled warehouse ventilation. This execution is in accordance with the company’s environmental goals to reduce its carbon footprint and advance sustainability within the broader food processing sector.

“The Jerome distribution center grand opening signifies a key turning point in the company’s history,” said President Mike Rindy. “The center was built to carry Nelson-Jameson’s values forward – operating in an ethical manner with respect for people, the community, and the environment, and upholding the highest standards of food quality and safety. At the same time, it marks a new era of technological advancement and enhanced service, and we’re excited to be celebrating this milestone in Jerome.”

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ► NED Magazine | Fourth Quarter 2023 • 37

Member News WESTROCK MAINTAINS TOP INDUSTRY POSITION IN FORTUNE 500 RANKINGS

For the second consecutive year, WestRock Company, a leading provider of sustainable fiber-based packaging solutions, has ranked first in the Packaging and Containers industry category on the Fortune 500 list compiled by Fortune Magazine.

The prestigious list recognizes the 500 largest corporations in the United States by total revenue for the 2023 fiscal year. WestRock rose to the top of its industry in 2022 and maintained its position in 2023 with $20.3 billion in annual revenue.

BERRY GLOBAL RECOGNIZED AGAIN ON USA TODAY’S LIST OF AMERICA’S CLIMATE LEADERS

Global sustainable packaging leader Berry Global Group, Inc. has been named to USA TODAY’s 2024 list of America’s Climate Leaders for the second year in a row.

The prestigious list is a “data-driven recognition of companies that cut their carbon footprint in recent years” developed by market research firm Statista. Based on reductions in operational greenhouse gas emissions, this recognition underscores Berry’s commitment to significantly cutting its carbon footprint to combat climate change.

“As a global plastic packaging leader, we have a responsibility to minimize the impact of our products, value chain, and operations around the globe,” said Rob Flores, vice president of sustainability. “Our inclusion in USA TODAY’s list of America’s Climate Leaders 2024 is a testament to our steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship and ongoing efforts to pave the way for a circular, net-zero economy for plastics.”

HYDRITE EARNS WISCONSIN SAFETY COUNCIL CORPORATE SAFETY AWARD

Hydrite, an integrated manufacturer and supplier of industrial chemicals and related services, has been named a 2023 Wisconsin Safety Council Corporate Safety Award Winner for Excellence in Safety and Health.

Hydrite’s 30th Annual Corporate Safety Award win is due to the leadership team’s decision in 2020 to challenge the status quo and reimagine safety as a core value—a Hydrite build38 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

ing block—creating a strong foundation for the way their teammates live and work. More specifically, they introduced their safety vision, mission, and values into an existing, robust safety program with the intent to reinvigorate and drive a One Hydrite safety culture across the organization. Hydrite also transitioned from lagging safety indicators to leading indicators, which focused on identifying the language, actions, and behaviors of their employees and teams.

“Hydrite is very proud of this accomplishment and this award validates the commitment and effort of the Hydrite team and motivates us to work harder to continue to improve,” said Ryan Griffin, executive director of safety and environmental compliance.

TREMCAR ANNOUNCES EXPANSION AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Tremcar Inc. is moving forward with the construction of a new 135,000-square-foot facility in Granby, Quebec, manufacturing aluminum tanks dedicated to DOT 406 fuel trucks and pneumatics. The foundations have been poured; the plant should be operational in January of 2025.

The construction project is conducted simultaneously with the expansion of Tremcar’s stainless-steel facility. The company seized the opportunity to expand an extra 50,000 square feet of production space. Now with just under 200,000 square feet of surface area in operations, the stainless-steel plant in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has the extra capacity to accelerate deliveries and double the food grade & DOT 407 tanker-trailer fabrication.

Member News C.A. REED WINS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE COATINGSPRO CONTRACTOR AWARD IN INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE

C.A. Reed recently won its fifth consecutive award at the CoatingsPro Magazine 2024 Contractor Awards in the Industrial Concrete category. The 56,000-squarefoot project at Seidel Group USA, a world leader in anodized aluminum finishes located in Waterbury, Connecticut, was completed in a 10-day timeframe.

Have you recently won an award?

Do you have any new products coming out?

Are you planning an expansion?

Email courtneyk@nedairymedia.com with more information.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The following new members recently joined the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc., or the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, Inc. For more information about the benefits and services available from both the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, Inc., and the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc., contact Leanne Ziemba at 315-452-MILK (6455) or leanne.ziemba@ndfsa.org.

HEEREMA COMPANY Jeff Heerema

MIDDLEBURY COOPERATIVE

Jheerema@ heeremacompany.com

Cassie Campbell

200 Sixth Ave.

Office Manager

Hawthorne, New Jersey

middleburyoffice@gmail.com

heeremacompany.com

301 E. Main St., Room 3 Knoxville, Pennsylvania

DAIRY PRODUCTS, INC.

FOGG FILLER

INTEGRITY COST CONSULTING

Matt Corum

Karl Walby

Steve Thompson

NOSHOK

Dairy Merchandiser

Director of Sales

President

Mark Klumpp

mcorum@dairyproductsinc.com

Karl.Walby@promachbuilt.com

steve@integritycostconsulting.com

Product Manager

10400 Viking Drive, Suite 460

3455 John F Donnely Drive

PO Box 2794

mklumpp@noshok.com

Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Holland, Michigan

Liverpool, New York

15 Krueger Drive

dairyproductsinc.com

foggfiller.com

integritycostconsulting.com

Reinholds, Pennsylvania

middleburycooperative.com

noshok.com

ENDRESS + HAUSER

GREAT LAKES MILK PRODUCTS

KERRY

Gary Ratajczak

Eric Hallstead

PAINTERLAND SISTERS

Regional Industry Manager –

Charles Randall

Sales Director

Hayley Painter

Food and Beverage

Sales

eric.hallstead@kerry.com

Co-CEO/Co-Founder

gary.ratajczak@endress.com

crandall@greatlakesmilk.com

842 6th Ave. North

hayley@painterlandsisters.com

16 E. Elm St.

3000 West North Ave.

Onalaska, Wisconsin

27 Lititz Run Road

Broadalbin, New York

Melrose Park, Illinois

kerry.com

Lititz, Pennsylvania

us.endress.com/en

greatlakesmilk.com

painterlandsisters.com

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 39

Member News NEW PRODUCTS KROHNE CORIOLIS OPTIMASS 1400 MASS FLOWMETER IDEAL FOR MILK RECEPTION WITH ENTRAINED GAS

KROHNE, a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of solutions in industrial process instrumentation, introduces an application of its OPTIMASS 1400 C Coriolis mass flowmeter for use in milk reception with entrained gas. The meter reduces time and costs required for unloading aerated milk from road tankers and provides continuous and reliable flow measurement, eliminating unplanned shutdowns caused by equipment failure.

Made of stainless steel and with hygienic Tri-Clamp connections, the KROHNE twin straight tube (DN50) Coriolis OPTIMASS 1400 C mass flowmeter helps the dairy processing plant accurately measure milk quantities at the raw milk reception. Featuring Entrained Gas Management (EGM™), the OPTIMASS 1400 C provides reliable readings even in the event of gas entrainment in the foamy raw milk. Foam pro-

duced due to movement and vibration of large road tankers delivering milk had caused other meters to completely stop measuring – interrupting unloading and even causing commercial disputes over the quantity of milk delivered.

WE BUILD

QUALITY TANKS Since 1962

Since 1962

SINCE 1978

INDUSTRIAL EPOXY & POLYMER FLOORING

locations to 3 better serve you

1 United Tank Trailer, MICHIGAN 2 Stainless and Repair, WISCONSIN 3 Tremcar USA, OHIO

✔ We Lease ✔ We Sell ✔ We Service

WE HAVE MULTIPLE FOOD GRADE TANKS

IN STOCK

Meet The Team

FRANK SCHNABEL

PETE TURKALJ

ALEX LAFOREST

ANDY MULVEY

THANK YOU TO OUR DAIRY PROCESSING CUSTOMERS!

TOM GIOVANNI

1- 800 363-2158 • TREMCAR.COM

40 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

www.careed.com | 800.462.6149

Member News CHOBANI AND LA COLOMBE RELEASE PUMPKIN SPICE PORTFOLIO

Chobani, a next generation food and beverage company known for Greek Yogurt, and La Colombe, a leading coffee roaster, are getting into the festive fall spirit with the reveal of their 2024 pumpkin spice collection, which includes two new seasonal products – Chobani® Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt Drink and Chobani® Pumpkin Spice Barista Oatmilk.

“Pumpkin spice has gone from a seasonal trend to a highly anticipated staple, and we at Chobani and La Colombe couldn’t be more excited to release these quintessential fall flavors now,” said Niel Sandfort, Chobani’s chief innovation officer.

“We are pleased to introduce our new innovations, Chobani Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt Drink and Pumpkin Spice Barista Oatmilk, as well as bring back our tried-and-true pumpkin offerings that embody the fall season.”

PERRY’S ICE CREAM PARTNERS WITH PITTSBURGH PIRATES

FINANCING THE

DAIRY

INDUSTRY

VERTICALLY INTEGRATED AG BUSINESSES PROCESSING AND MARKETING EQUIPMENT • VALUE-ADDED AG BUSINESSES DAIRY SERVICE AND INPUT BUSINESSES • PARTNER WITH OTHER CAPITAL PROVIDERS

800-562-2235 | FARMCREDITEAST.COM

Perry’s Ice Cream has a new addition to its product portfolio. It partnered with the Pittsburgh Pirates to create Bucco Batter, “a delicious yellow cake batter ice cream packed with crème filled cookie pieces.” A percentage of each sale will be donated to Pirates Charities.

“When crafting Bucco Batter, we wanted the flavor to be delicious and innovative while paying homage to the team and dedicated Pirates fans,” said Nichole Buryta, senior brand manager at Perry’s Ice Cream.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 41

Ask Your Board

F

ASK YOUR BOARD

or this issue, we asked board members from the Northeast Dairy Foods Association and the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association the following question: What value do you find in attending the convention and other NDFSA events?

This is what they said.

And make sure to read the Q4 issue for our next “Ask Your Board” column!

Editor’s note: These answers were edited for clarity.

ers in the industry, whether during a round of golf or dinner and drinks, have enabled me to make lasting professional and personal connections. Each year, the NDFSA works hard to organize events that bring us together as an association and highlight how truly great the dairy industry is to work in.

Glenn Emory, General Manager, Weidenhammer New Packaging

Melissa Fryer, Director of Sales and Marketing, Exergy LLC

Attending the NDFSA convention and other events has allowed me to stay current on topics important to the dairy industry. For me, there has been substantial benefit in keeping up to date on the newest proposed legislation, upcoming facility or plant expansions, new product trends, the overall state of the industry, and most importantly, who the participants and decision-makers are attending our events. The industry knowledge I have gained and the personal connections I have made by attending the seminars and taking advantage of networking opportunities with other industry experts have been invaluable in working to address the equipment and product needs of the industry. The opportunities to socialize with oth42 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

While not necessarily new, the growing complexity of consumer activism and expanding governmental policy encroachment are applying focused pressure on the entirety of the production chain for the dairy-related industry.

Associations such as the NDFSA formulate a tailored industry viewpoint and have direct connections to policymakers and agencies. Their role is to exchange points with the agencies and project the voice of the industry. To this end, as members, we are very well represented.

However, from the view of the membership, the dissemination of status and the impact of initiatives may still feel too linear between any singular company and the association itself. By providing a multitude of member meeting opportunities (clambake, convention, Dairy Blender, webinars, etc.), members gain a wider field of view with their colleagues.

Such gatherings allow for the greatest leveraging of industry

Ask Your Board best practices, eliminating repetition of common learning mistakes as new initiatives are introduced, and building energy within the industry so that our future is bright. I find each of these three major advantages of association gatherings have been most acutely applied to our efforts over the last years at employee attraction and retention.

This year’s convention is an excellent avenue for supporting the common goals of the association.

Daniel Lausch, Director of Milk Procurement, Lactalis USA

The first benefit is in-person networking with many industry people we do business with on a regular basis.

The second benefit is for new employees to be introduced to other folks in the dairy industry. The third benefit is to learn what other companies do or what services or products they could possibly offer.

Ryan T. Elliott, Esq., Management, Byrne Dairy, Inc.

The Northeast Dairy Convention, as well as other association events, provide the right mixture of entertainment, networking, and learning among some of the top professionals in our industry. Quite frankly, I’ve yet to find another regional event that matches the value provided by the NDFSA in terms of its venue selection, entertainment, industry connections, and structured programming.

Tony Nassar, Director of Dairy Procurement, Chobani LLC

Tons of value! Engaging with a Who’s Who in the dairy industry in the Northeast. I would have to travel many, many miles to be in front of all these folks. Further

Turn to page 44 for a recap of Dairy Day

strengthening current relationships as well as creating new ones. Some of my team members attend, and it’s great that they can put a face to the voice. Networking at its best!

Nathan Pistner, Plant Manager, Great Lakes Cheese

The value I have received from attending the NDFSA events is the relationships that you form. Those relationships have provided opportunities to learn best practices from other companies, an alternate resource during a downtime event, and maybe most importantly, new friendships – you also get to know who is a good golfer so you can try to get on a winning team.

Darren Schochner, Director of Sales, Farmland Fresh Dairies

By attending the NDFSA functions, I learn a lot about all the different industries that make up that gallon of milk in our refrigerator. There are so many moving parts, from maintaining farms to the transportation of raw materials to producing a finished product. Each step of the way has several components that are needed to ensure the quality of the products we distribute to consumers throughout the region and beyond. By going to events, I get to network and become more aware of what it takes to create the products of our industry.

Adam Seybolt, Director of Manufacturing, Stewart’s Shops

Attending the convention and other NDFSA events is invaluable for networking with industry professionals, fostering relationships with suppliers and peers, and staying updated on the latest trends and innovations.

Turn to page 46 for a recap of the Bruce Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament and Clambake

Turn to page 50 for a convention preview NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 43

2024 Events

Dairy Day

A

gricultural organizations and New York State lawmakers once again came together to celebrate Dairy Day on May 29 in Albany.

The event was co-sponsored by the Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and New York State Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

“Another important event organized by NDFSA is Dairy Day at the New York State Capitol, where we recognize and highlight the significant contributions the dairy industry makes,” said Alex Walsh, executive director of the Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations. “From our hardworking producers, dedicated processors, manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers, supportive industry and government partners, it’s a true collaboration that makes the dairy sector in the region strong, and a national leader as an economic generator and providing thousands of jobs. This continues to be a strong relationship building event between the industry, legislators, and agency officials.”

44 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

2024 Events

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 45

2024 Events

Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament and Clambake

T

he Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations held its annual Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament and Clambake on July 10. The day kicked off with a round of golf at Rogues Roost Golf Club, followed by a clambake and pig roast at the Spinning Wheel Event Center in North Syracuse.

“This year’s Bruce Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament and Clambake was another extremely successful day of events for our members!” said Executive Director Alex Walsh. “With more than 200 golfers, and more than 900 tickets sold to the clambake, our annual summer event continues to prove to be a valuable day of networking. This is a true testament to the power of engaging with other members and recognizing each other’s contributions to the industry and conducting business in a casual setting. Thank you to the staff, volunteers, sponsors, and donors who make the day possible.”

46 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

2024 Events

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 47

2024 Events

48 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

2024 Events

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 49

2024 Events

2024

NORTHEAST DAIRY

CONVENTION

Preview

Northeast Dairy Convention Wednesday, Sept. 25 – Friday, Sept. 27 Holiday Inn (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Join us for three days of educational business sessions on key industry topics, a panel discussion, dairy industry networking, and some fun while visiting beautiful Saratoga Springs, New York.

NEW THIS YEAR: EARLY BIRD AND MULTIPLE ATTENDEE REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS

Hotel room reservations are to be made directly with the hotel. The room rate is $314 including taxes for two nights (up to two people). The room block is not guaranteed after Aug. 26.

REGISTER NOW

# Attendees

Register through 8/26

Register 8/27 to 9/13

1

$725

$755

2

$1450

$1550

3

$2100

$2250

4

$2700

$2900

5

$3250

$3500

Registration closes at 5 p.m. on Sept. 13 REGISTER NOW

50 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

https://youtu.be/vvACsv5_umo?si=xMtO1VY40GfuqBrt

2024 Events

Agenda WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25

noon – Vendor table setup 3 p.m. – NYSCM board meeting and hotel check-in 5:30 p.m. – VIP networking and cocktail party 6:30 p.m. – Dinner

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26

7 a.m. – Breakfast 8 a.m. – Business Session - Dairy and greenhouse emissions, challenges and opportunities 8:45 a.m. – Vendor tables/exhibits 9:30 a.m. – Business Session - Consumer trends in food and beverage and the dairy industry - MilkPEP and how it helps the industry noon – Golf tournament or Saratoga walking tour 5:30 p.m. – Cocktails 6:30 p.m. – Dinner

FRIDAY, SEPT. 27

7 a.m. – Breakfast 8 a.m. – Business Session - Workforce development - Workplace safety 9:30 a.m. – Panel discussion - Legislative and dairy policy 11 a.m. – Vendor table teardown NDFA board meeting PAMD board meeting

We will start our tour at the Old Bryan Inn, rich in history that goes back to the Revolutionary War and hear stories about the ghosts that are rumored to haunt it. After some food sampling we will continue to some of Saratoga’s most interesting food establishments such as Saratoga Olive Oil Company, Saratoga Tea & Honey, Comfort Kitchen, Hatties, Whitman Brewing, and others who provide not only delicious tastings but also their time in explaining the story behind their foods.

We will end the with a tour of the famous Saratoga Racetrack.

Space is limited.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 51

2024 Events

MEET THE

Speakers THURSDAY BUSINESS SESSIONS Karl Czymmek – PRO-DAIRY

Key areas of focus include soil management and carbon sequestration, enteric methane reduction strategies, and manure management strategies, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing economically favorable solutions for dairy producers.

Karl Czymmek has a strong background in production agriculture and training in agronomy and law. He served the New York dairy industry for more than 20 years as a PRO-DAIRY nutrient management specialist, where he focused on nutrient management, environmental sustainability, and regulatory issues of importance to the New York dairy industry.

In 2021, Czymmek left PRO-DAIRY to work on the Environmental Research team at Dairy Management Inc. and then with Land O’Lakes subsidiary Truterra on the Dairy and Livestock Services team. Both positions involved efforts to support the U.S. dairy industry toward meeting environmental stewardship goals established by the Innovation Center for US dairy, including greenhouse gas emissions. Effort as a dairy climate leadership specialist for PRO-DAIRY will focus on interactions, communication, and training for dairy producers and industry advisors, scientists, governmental agencies, and regulatory agencies to improve sustainability by helping the dairy industry find economical ways to improve practices while protecting the environment.

Maureen Ballatori – Agency 29

We’ll take a highly visual look at some of the consumer trends in the dairy industry, including trending marketing campaigns, branding trends, and plant52 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

based beverages. We’ll also explore a couple of case studies on branding and marketing to explore new and different ways to engage consumers.

Maureen Ballatori is the founder and CEO of Agency 29, a creative agency for food, beverage, and agriculture companies. Maureen’s experience in brand strategy helps companies scale business growth, define their unique marketing message, and attract their ideal audiences. She grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York, and Maureen’s rural roots are the source of her passion for food and agriculture. (Agency 29 was formerly known as 29 Design Studio).

Al Dejewski – MilkPEP

Learn how the marketing arm for the fluid milk industry is reaching consumers and positively impacting attitudes toward milk. MilkPEP’s SVP of marketing, Al Dejewski, shares the award-winning integrated programming that’s driving the reconsideration of milk as a modern performance beverage. He’ll also share how processors can leverage MilkPEP programs, insights, and category leadership offerings for their brands.

Al is a successful CPG sales and marketing executive with more than two decades of expertise in go-to-market, consumer, and commercial roles with renowned brands like Chobani and PepsiCo. Throughout his career, he has created impactful and engaging marketing campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences and deliver value for stakeholders.

As the senior vice president of marketing at MilkPEP, Al leads the marketing and communications initiatives for the national dairy milk promotion program, which aims to increase the consumption and demand of fluid milk in the U.S. His leadership has resulted in award-winning integrated marketing programs across consumer, commercial, category, and shopper.

FRIDAY BUSINESS SESSIONS Kim Bukowski, Hannah Moyal, and Taylor Pelcher – Cornell University

Join us for an update from the Cornell Workforce Development for Food and Dairy Processors team, highlighting their latest progress and breakthroughs in workforce development for dairy processing. Discover how their collaborative initiatives have transformed training

2024 Events approaches, improved the skills of participants, and forged enduring partnerships across the state. Learn about success stories, pivotal insights, and plans and strategies for the year ahead.

Kimberly Bukowski is part of the Dairy Food Science Extension team at Cornell University, where she provides leadership for the Dairy Foods Certificate Program and Workforce Development, including program oversight, marketing, and development. Two years ago, Dairy Foods Extension saw a need for workforce development and educating the public on the great jobs in the dairy industry. Through this need, a workforce bootcamp was developed for graduating high school students and underemployed/unemployed adults. Through grant funding, the team has grown to include Taylor Pelcher and Hannah Moyal.

Taylor Pelcher is a workforce specialist on the Dairy Foods Extension team. Taylor is dedicated to driving positive change and fostering growth within the industry. Her advocacy for agriculture and the dairy sector is evident through her commitment to innovation and collaboration. With her colleagues, Taylor is at the forefront of identifying trends and implementing solutions to address the evolving needs of dairy processing.

Hannah Moyal is a workforce specialist on the Dairy Foods Extension team at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Ithaca, New York. Hannah has a passion for helping people realize their potential in the dairy processing industry. She accomplishes this through strategic partnerships with community organizations, education, and skills training.

With a proven record of fundraising and employee development, Hannah has helped expand the initiative to serve more job seekers and employers. Her ethos is to identify talented and motivated individuals and lead them to pathways into fulfilling careers in dairy manufacturing.

Dave Crowley – HP Hood

In recent years, advancing workplace safety has developed two key measures— those being lagging and leading indicators. Lagging metrics involve core OSHA measures, such as recordable injuries and lost time cases. Leading indicators are newer measures in recent years; these involve measuring proactive efforts, the true prevention efforts at the facility level. This presentation will highlight the opportunity that exists for dairy processing firms to advance workplace safety by using leading indicators to enable workplace safety to advance and protect employees.

Dave Crowley holds an Associate Degree in Science from the New England Institute and a BS in Toxicology from Northeastern University in Boston. He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), and a Safety Trained Supervisor (STS), and has worked as an Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) professional for over 38 years. For the past 24 years, he’s worked for HP Hood LLC, the nation’s largest contract manufacturing dairy processing firm, and he currently serves as their Vice President of EHS & Sustainability.

Dave is also Founding Director of Safety for NonProfits, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes the fundamental human right to a safe and healthy workplace and focuses on delivering pro bono workplace health and safety services to nonprofit and charitable organizations.

FRIDAY PANEL DISCUSSION: LEGISLATIVE AND INDUSTRY POLICY Hon. George Borrello

New York Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member

Katie Howard

New York Department of Agriculture and Markets Deputy Commissioner

Hon. Donna Lupardo

New York Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair

Hon. Chris Tague

New York Assembly Agriculture Committee Member

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 53

Human Resources

E

Exploring the Latest Trends in Recruiting

mployee recruitment has changed a lot over the years. So, Northeast Dairy Magazine recently asked KCO Resource Management’s Alysia Huffman, Alyssa Sparrow, Jill Ryan Osterhout, and Ryan Osterhout about what candidates are looking for, the current trends, and the role that artificial intelligence is playing in it all.

DOES THE DAIRY INDUSTRY OFFER ANY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB SEEKERS? ARE YOU SEEING ANY CHALLENGES SPECIFIC TO THE INDUSTRY?

The KCO team members said the industry has “great opportunities” for job seekers.

“Dairy is a commodity, so it does go through its ups and downs, but overall, compared to other food trends, it stays relatively stable,” they added. “If you specialize within the dairy industry, your skills will be highly valued and sought after because it’s not congested like other more ‘popular industries’ 54 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

(i.e., the tech industry). Specializing in a dairy function in higher education will most likely guarantee you an industry job out of college.”

But the industry isn’t without its challenges, too.

“Dairy manufacturing facilities are historically in rural locations with low populations, and with more and more people valuing remote work and remote work being available, people don’t have to live in these rural locations, which has led to labor shortages within dairy facilities,” said the KCO team members. “Certain functions/roles within the dairy industry also require a specific type of technical skill or education with years of experience; people with this experience are highly coveted in the dairy industry, which makes recruiting for certain roles competitive.”

WHAT ARE CANDIDATES LOOKING FOR?

It probably won’t come as a surprise that flexibility is high on the list.

“Office work within the dairy industry can provide that,

Human Resources and some dairy companies are offering hybrid schedules with admin or sales roles,” said the KCO team members.

Job seekers are also moving away from the old norm of one or two weeks of paid time off (PTO).

“Three weeks or unlimited PTO is becoming the new standard for starting with a new company,” said the KCO team members.

For younger employees, especially Gen Z, growth within a company is becoming a bigger priority.

“They want to understand what the projected career path would be,” said the KCO team members.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TRENDS THAT YOU’RE SEEING IN RECRUITING?

FOCUS ON FIT These days, it isn’t enough for candidates to have the required skills and experience; they also need to be a cultural fit for the team. “This cultural fit is becoming more elusive as people subjectively know what they are looking for but won’t vocalize any of it specifically for fear of stepping out of legal bounds,” added the KCO team members.

INTERVIEW PROCESS Video interviews saw a resurgence during COVID— and they’re still being widely used, even though the pandemic has ended. That may soon change, though. “I think we are starting to see some kind of awareness around that and at least trying to pare it down,” said the KCO team members.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS Employers are working to create “enticing” job descriptions that highlight their vision, growth opportunities, competitive salaries, benefits, and team environment.

“They are really trying to market themselves as a great place to work,” said the KCO team members.

HIRING MANAGERS The KCO team members are seeing more and more hiring managers becoming “heavily involved” in the recruitment process. “This is a good thing because they are living within the function that is being recruited for, but they are not in HR, so they may be driving a process and not really understanding recruiting trends or the market,” they added. “So, it’s a double-edged sword.”

WHAT ROLE (IF ANY) IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PLAYING?

More companies are using Al to screen resumes. But there's a catch.

“They are often discovering that AI misses nuances that human readers of resumes can pick up,” said the KCO team members. “There was absolutely an initial fear when AI first came out, but what has been discovered is you can’t take the humans out of this process. The industry and companies need people reading and interpreting resumes and asking questions that the resumes might not fully answer, and at this point AI misses too many good people/resumes.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR JOB SEEKERS IN 2024?

The KCO team members advise job seekers to stick with tried-and-true methods: thoroughly review job descriptions, research the hiring company, and tailor your resume, cover letter, and/or pre-recorded video to each company and role.

“The world and job market have shifted away from an old school mentality—companies are trying harder than ever before to hear what job seekers are valuing these days in terms of company culture, benefits, and growth opportunities, but some key things have stayed the same,” they said.

“You still need to show you are highly interested in the company/their goals and what value you can add to their team.”

One way candidates can do that is by asking insightful questions that go beyond compensation and benefits.

“Always be prepared for the interview; dressing appropriately does matter and be keenly aware there is a lot of competition for each job, so take it seriously because recruiters and hiring managers can tell who wants their job,” said the KCO team members. “Writing thank-you notes is becoming more of a lost art, and it truly does matter too!”

And don’t be afraid to contact the hiring manager or recruiter on LinkedIn. “Some roles get so many applications—applications can be lost in the mix,” said the KCO team members. “Reaching out to someone on LinkedIn forces them to look at your profile. Make sure your LinkedIn profile has key words in it to match the roles you are looking for.”

But above all, candidates should approach their job search with thoughtfulness and intention.

“Someone will notice if you are applying for the roles that you have the skills for,” said the KCO team members.

KCO Resource Management is a member of the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association. For more information about the company, visit kcoresource.com.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 55

Sales + Marketing

Search Engine

TRENDS

for the Dairy Industry

P

art of developing a comprehensive digital marketing campaign is understanding how customers and potential customers are using the Internet to find your products and your website. The graphs and information below all come from Google Trends, which analyzes the popularity of queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The graphs scale “Interest Over Time,” which represent search interest relative to the highest point in the chart for the given region and time-period. So, a value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term.

Another alternative is Google Keyword Planner. To

use this tool, you must have a Google Ads account. The Keyword Planner lets you search keywords and suggests other words or phrases related to your products and services. It lets you research the trend information for how often certain words are searched and how those searches have changed over time and also gives you suggested bid estimates for each keyword, so you can determine your advertising budget.

In today’s digital environment, we strongly encourage members to capitalize on this growing trend and ensure that your company is visible in the place where people search the most.

WHIPPING CREAM

Average Search Volume has increased 16.7% YoY Average Search Volume has increased 52.9% over the past five years 56 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

RELATED SEARCH QUERIES 1.

2.

3.

4.

Heavy cream Heavy whipping cream Half and half Whipped cream

Sales + Marketing WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

Average Search Volume has increased/decreased 0% YoY Average Search Volume has decreased 17.5% over the past five years

RELATED SEARCH QUERIES 1.

2.

3.

4.

Wastewater treatment process Industrial wastewater treatment plant Water treatment plant Wastewater treatment plant process

LOW SODIUM COTTAGE CHEESE

RELATED SEARCH QUERIES

Average Search Volume has decreased 15.5% YoY

1.

2.

3.

4.

Low fat cottage cheese Low sodium cottage cheese brands Best cottage cheese Cottage cheese protein

Join the Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations Dedicated to the growth and advancement of the dairy processing, manufacturing and distribution industry in the northeast U.S.

VISIT NDFSA.ORG NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 57

OSHA UPDATE The OSHA On-Site Consultation Program

T

he Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses.

EMPLOYERS CAN USE CONSULTATION SERVICES TO:

• Find out about potential hazards at their workplaces and how to fix them; • Get advice for complying with OSHA or State Plan standards; • Improve their occupational safety and health programs; and • Get training and education for employees.

Consultation services are provided by highly trained safety and health professionals called consultants, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Consultants work in On-Site Consultation programs located within state agencies or universities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories. Consultation services are separate from OSHA or State Plan enforcement. However, employers must agree to correct any serious or imminent danger hazards identified by consultants in a timely manner.

58 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

GETTING STARTED

Since consultation is a voluntary activity, consultation services can only be provided at the request of the employer. To make a request, contact your state’s Consultation program.

The consultant will discuss your specific needs with you and set up a consultation visit based on priority, your availability, and the preparation time needed to assist you. We recommend an assessment of your entire workplace, but you may limit the visit to one or more specific safety or health issue.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN ON-SITE CONSULTATION VISIT? Step 1: Opening Conference When the consultant arrives at your workplace for the scheduled visit, they will be joined by you, management, and the employee representative(s) in an opening conference.

During the conference, the consultant will explain their role as well as employer’s rights and obligations, confirm the scope of the visit, and gather other important information such as injury and illness records.

Step 2: Walkthrough Together, the employer or an authorized representative,

OSHA Updates employee representative(s), and consultant will examine conditions in your workplace. We strongly encourage maximum employee participation in the walkthrough. Well-informed employees can more easily work with you to find and fix potential hazards in your workplace. Also, talking with employees during the walkthrough will help the consultant identify and assess the nature and extent of any hazards.

The consultant will assess your entire workplace or the specific areas you’ve requested help with and discuss any hazards and applicable OSHA or State Plan standards with you.

The consultant will also point out any safety or health risks that might not be covered by OSHA or State Plan standards and discuss actions to protect your employees. Employees may receive safety and health training during the visit and schedule a formal training session after the visit. The consultant will discuss their observations of your workplace safety and health program and how to make it better.

Step 3: Closing Conference After the walkthrough, the consultant will review detailed findings with you in a closing conference. You will learn not only what you need to do to improve, but also what you are doing right. At that time, the consultant will review any hazards identified during the walkthrough and how to fix them.

You and the consultant will mutually agree to reasonable timeframes to fix any serious or imminent danger hazard that you couldn’t fix during the consultation visit. In rare instances, when the consultant finds an “imminent danger” situation during the walkthrough, you must take immediate action to protect and remove all employees from exposure to the hazard until it’s fixed.

BENEFITS

Employers that use consultation services will see the benefits of an effective workplace safety and health programs, including: 1. Having employees who better understand their roles and responsibilities under the program and what they need to do to effectively carry them out.

2. Complying with safety and health requirements that apply to your workplace.

3. Recognizing and removing hazards from your workplace before they cause an incident.

4. Protecting your employees from injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

5. Improving employee morale.

6. Increasing productivity rates and assuring product quality.

7. Improving the bottom line by lowering injury and illness rates, decreasing workers’ compensation costs, reducing lost workdays, and limiting equipment damage and product losses.

Source: OSHA.gov

Step 4: Written Report to the Employer and Hazard Correction After the closing conference, the consultant will send you a detailed written report explaining the findings. The report will include the List of Hazards which typically includes any serious or imminent danger hazards and the hazard correction due dates. The List of Hazards must be posted in your workplace where it is easily accessible to all employees, electronically or hardcopy. This posting must be for three days or until the listed hazards are corrected, whichever is later.

Ultimately, you must fulfil your obligation to correct hazards and verify with the consultant that you have done so in a timely manner, so that each consultation visit achieves its goal — effective employee protection.

Northeast Dairy Media is looking for an OSHA Consultant!

Email courtneyk@nedairymedia for more information.

NED Magazine • Third Quarter 2024 • 59

Leanne’s Kitchen

Comfort Food Made with Delicious Dairy

PB SWIRL ICE CREAM PIE FOR THE PIE CRUST

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

• 2 ½ cups pretzels (5 ounces minis or snaps)

• ⅓ cup hot fudge topping

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate-covered pretzels

FOR THE ICE CREAM • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

and extras

FOR THE TOPPING

• ½ cup original malted powder

• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

60 • Northeast Dairy Foods and Suppliers Associations • ndfsa.org

PIE CRUST INSTRUCTIONS 1. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until they are coarse crumbs or use a plastic bag with a rolling pin to crush them. You should have a little more than 1 ½ cups of pretzel crumbs.

2. Mix together the crushed pretzels and sugar. Pour in the melted butter and stir until everything is coated.

3. Dump the buttery crumbs into a 9- or 9 ½-inch pie plate. Starting with the sides, press the crumbs firmly around the edge of the pan. Use the bottom of a spoon or measuring cup to press the center down evenly and firmly.

7. Beat the cream cheese until nice and creamy. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk and beat the mixture until creamy.

8. Fold in the whipped cream and chocolate-covered pretzel pieces.

9. Place the hot fudge and peanut butter into two microwave-safe bowls. Heat for 15 seconds. Stir until creamy.

10. Spoon half the ice cream mixture into the prepared crust. Drop half of the hot fudge and peanut butter on top of the ice cream. Swirl gently with a knife.

4. Refrigerate until ready to fill. It will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days, if you need to make it ahead of time.

11. Spoon the remaining ice cream on top gently until it reaches the top of the crust. You will have a little bit of ice cream leftover, so put it in a separate container and freeze it.

FILLING INSTRUCTIONS

12. Add the remaining hot fudge and peanut butter and swirl. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

5. Make and refrigerate the pretzel crust in a 9 ½-inch deep-dish pie plate at least 30 minutes before filling.

(See note below if you don’t have a pie plate.)

6. Beat the malt powder and whipping cream until soft peaks form. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

13. Beat the remaining whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

14. Use a piping bag with an icing tip 1M to swirl the whipped cream around the edges of the pie. Top with extra chocolate-covered pretzels.

Many of our members may know Leanne Ziemba as the business operations manager for the Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations.

But we’ve discovered she also is queen of the kitchen, as she has some delicious recipes that include fresh, wholesome dairy products.

Northeast Dairy Online Buyers guide

A self-service communication platform for NED Members directory.ndfsa.org ACCESS NOW

NED Magazine • First Quarter 2024 • 61

NDFSA members shared these posts on LinkedIn and Facebook

Vermont Creamery Agri-Mark, Inc.

The site of our first milk house, 40 years ago.

We are thrilled to announce our 8 oz. dairy bars will be packaged using 30% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material starting late 2024. This change is a step forward in our sustainability journey, and the best part is that this packaging requires no additional steps from consumers.

We thank the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NEDBIC) at the AGRICULTURE, FOOD & MARKETS, VERMONT AGENCY OF for the Dairy Product Packaging Innovation Grant that funded our work including comprehensive studies on shelf-life, feasibility, and consumer perceptions to ensure the best packaging solution. Stay tuned for this exciting transition coming late 2024!

Tremcar Tank Trailers We had a great day at the Northeast Dairy Farm Credit East, ACA Foods & Suppliers Associations clam bake in Syracuse, NY. Luckily we had no rain!

It’s our birthday! Farm Credit is committed to

supporting all types of agricultural producers.

From land and equipment purchases, to crop insurance and everything in between – Farm Credit is there to help. #FarmCredit108