Northeast Dairy Magazine | Q2 2023

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BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER

Leanne Ziemba

DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS

Paul Harvey

PRESIDENT

Daniel Lausch Lactalis American Group

VICE PRESIDENT

Jodi Smith Krzysiak

Upstate Niagara Cooperative

TREASURER

Randi Muzumdar HP Hood LLC

SECRETARY

Ryan Elliott

Byrne Dairy

PUBLISHER/DIRECTOR OF SALES

Bill Brod billbrod@nedairymedia.com

EDITOR

Courtney Kless courtneyk@nedairymedia.com

CONTENT DIRECTOR

Steve Guglielmo steveg@nedairymedia.com

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Athena Cossette athena@nedairymedia.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Robin Barnes

SALES

Tim Hudson thudson@nedairymedia.com

Lesli Mitchell lmitchell@nedairymedia.com

Hannah Gray hannahg@nedairymedia.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Erika Anderson-Putman, Brian Bluff, Deanna Pellegrino, RSM US and Scott G. Smith

PRODUCED BY

Northeast Dairy Media

Editorial correspondence should be directed to courtneyk@nedairymedia.com

PRESIDENT

Melissa Fryer

Alfa Laval

VICE PRESIDENT

Paul Knoerl

Pactiv Evergreen

TREASURER

Ryan Osterhout KCO Resource Management

SECRETARY

Bruce Alling

Double H Plastics, Inc.

Advertising correspondence and materials should be sent to lmitchell@nedairymedia.com

An official magazine of the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc., a nonprofit organization. This publication carries authoritative notices and articles in regard to the activities and interests of the associations. In all other respects, neither the association nor the producer of the publication, Northeast Dairy Media, is responsible for the contents thereof or the opinions of the contributors.

The entire contents are © 2023 by Northeast Dairy Media. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. The association and Northeast Dairy Media reserve the right to print portions or all of any correspondence mailed to the editors without liability on its part and no such correspondence will be returned.

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

Northeast Dairy Magazine Team

Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc.

Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, Inc.

There Are a Lot of Trends Happening Within Our Industry

DANIEL LAUSCH PRESIDENT, NORTHEAST DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION

Once again, I find myself writing the NDFA President’s quarterly magazine article on a flight from Texas to New York. This issue will cover the subject of trends, which is far from a limited subject matter.

While sitting at the gate, the billboard across the hallway reads, “Dallas Fort Worth is the Largest Airport in the World to be Carbon Neutral without using purchased carbon credits.” The promotional message has rolling hills of green grass lined with wind turbines, indicating the airport’s source of electricity. Going green, going carbon neutral, and promoting more recycling are all very strong trends in our industries today.

I’m flying on United Airlines, which is pledging to source more of their jet fuel from renewable sources than other airlines, indicating they are leading their competition – and, naturally, hoping customers will choose to purchase their next flight from United Airlines to support their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actions. CSR covers a multitude of subjects that have been very trendy in recent years. It involves employees, their families, neighbors to our manufacturing and processing plants, and the whole city, town, or village where our businesses are located. Shrinkflation is actually headed in the wrong direction for CSR, because the smaller container size generally makes for more packaging material per pound of finished product.

Farm milk components have been on the rise in recent years. There are several factors pushing butterfat percentage and protein percentage higher: volume controls based

on pounds, improved genetics, most Federal Orders payment calculations to dairy farmers being based on Multiple Component Pricing, and the high price of grains, which has farmers purchasing and feeding less grain to their dairy cows.

The size of dairy farms continues the trend of fewer dairy farms, with each remaining active dairy farm shipping more milk. The only limiting factor keeping dairy farmers from adding more cows is the many volume controls or quotes that milk markets have in place to keep their milk supply from overrunning their milk plants.

The milk hauling trend is more single-stop dairy farms with a “pump on the farm” that allows to take weight and expense off the milk tanker, allowing for a larger legal payload. A properly sized pump on the farm roughly cuts the milk loading time in half, reducing the truck driver’s time and labor on the farm. A single-stop farm produces enough milk in 48 hours (or fewer) to fill a milk tanker by itself, without any help from neighboring dairy farms.

The Great Resignation has lots of employees moving to a different job or changing careers to a completely different business. It’s very easy to conclude that your current employees are more likely to leave than stay with your company. Work from home is something we did not even talk about five years ago, but now it’s one of the top three reasons that employees are looking to change jobs. New hires are looking for quick rewards and promotions early in their careers, not years in the making.

We have lots of trends happening within our industry that are changing the playing field now and will continue to do so in future years.

2023 Dairy Blender

May 17 | 3-7 p.m.

The Aloft Hotel | Buffalo, New York

This year’s Dairy Blender will have a little of something for everyone and is a great opportunity to learn about the manufacturing process and get introduced to the management teams of our presenting NDFA companies. Registration is open to Northeast Dairy Foods, Northeast Dairy Suppliers, and New York State Cheese Manufacturers Association members.

From 3-5 p.m., you will learn about HP Hood, Lactalis American Group, Perry’s Ice Cream, and Upstate Niagara Cooperative operations. You will hear directly from their management teams on what they look for in suppliers and vendors as partners to their business. Today, being competitive takes more than a good price. Manufacturers look

for much more, and understanding your prospect’s needs is critical information as you prepare to present your offer, and more importantly, prepare yourself to successfully service your prospect’s business for the long term.

Immediately following the presentations, from 5-7 p.m., our event will flow into the networking part of our Dairy Blender, where our presenters will mingle with all attendees in a very casual atmosphere, allowing you an opportunity to make new connections or build on those you already have. There will be multiple attendees from these companies, along with members of the Northeast Dairy Foods Association and New York State Cheese Manufacturers Association.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We are excited to announce we have a new look!

The NDFA and NDSA have a new logo, a new website ( ndfsa.org), and a new mailing address: 5701 E. Circle Drive, Suite 108 #277 Cicero, NY 13039.

Reflecting on Business Trends Throughout the Years

MELISSA FRYER PRESIDENT, NORTHEAST DAIRY SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION

As I enter my 27th year in the dairy and food industry, I have found myself reflecting on the numerous business trends seen throughout the years. Some product trends have become staples, while others have come and gone. In either case, we are all anxious and eager to take advantage of the opportunities the latest industry trends will present. This includes being positioned to service the industry with any equipment and services these trends may require, for however long they last. Consistently throughout my career I have found that, despite economic downturns, consumers dependably drink milk, eat cheese, and drink beer. This trend should be encouraging to the dairy industry as we continue to navigate a challenging economic period.

A trend that is certainly here to stay is that of plant-based products. While some see these products as detrimental to the dairy industry, I believe there is room for and a place in the market for both products. For people who cannot tolerate dairy products due to allergies and intolerance, plant-based alternatives provide a suitable substitute. With the worldwide population hitting eight billion last fall, there continues to be a focus and concern on how to feed our ever-growing world. Supplementing dairy products with plant-based products may provide a sound solution to meet an individual’s nutritional needs, as well as provide positive economic growth for our industry. What should not happen to meet this goal is to demonize one product for the benefit of another.

Consumers should be provided with scientifically based, factual information so they may make informed and knowledgeable decisions. The recent FDA draft ruling on allow-

ing plant based products to be called milk lacks some of this information and knowledge. It states that consumers are not confused with the fact that plant-based products do not contain dairy as a basis for this decision. However, the next paragraph states that many consumers are not knowledgeable about the differences in the nutritional composition of these products. Furthermore, the draft ruling only recommends putting the plant based source, such as soy or almond, in front of the word milk. I think the question that needs to be asked of consumers is: would you still purchase this product knowing that the nutritional qualities are substantially different or substantially diminished? Again, the draft ruling only calls for voluntary nutritional labeling when the product contains lower levels of nutrients than found in dairy milk. Hopefully, consumers will be curious enough to make scientifically based comparisons, and we as an industry should work to make the comparison ease.

Sustainability is one of those trends that is fast becoming (if it has not already) a way of life in the dairy and other industries. It is possible to develop processes and engineer equipment that cuts costs, while providing a benefit to the environment. Plant-based products utilize sustainability as a selling feature against dairy products. Unfortunately, the substantial amounts of energy savings garnered through sustainability practices on dairy farms and at processing facilities seem to go completely unnoticed and unreported in the headlines. For example, there are farms converting manure to fuel that is then used in vehicles transporting raw milk to processing facilities. Research is also being done on animal feed and breeding to reduce methane emissions from cows.

There is continuous improvement in the efficiency of processing equipment that reduces energy and water usage, as well as chemical and other products utilized in processing plants. These trends will have a direct benefit on farms, processing plants, suppliers, and ultimately, consumers and the environment.

Non-product related trends involving the economy, political landscape, labor, and regulatory changes all need to be paid attention to in 2023, and certainly as we move in to 2024. Many of these topics go hand-in-hand, and directly affect how our industry operates. New York state, where I reside, just recently adopted new farm labor wage standards relating to overtime rules. Without question, this will have a negative effect on New York state dairy farms, and experts studying this issue expect farms across the state to shrink or potentially close altogether, jeopardizing the entire New York dairy industry. New laws and regulations are often enacted in the name of sustainability or labor fairness, seemingly without due regard for the impact they will have on dairy farms and

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Annual Dairy Customer Appreciation Clambake and Pig Roast and the Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament

the dairy industry. The effects go beyond the direct economic impact to dairy farms, but also spread to the various ancillary businesses that depend on a strong and robust dairy industry to survive.

The upcoming association events will provide all members a good opportunity to share and discuss trends in the dairy industry. The Dairy Blender, being held at the Aloft Hotel in Buffalo on May 17, and the Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Golf Outing and annual association Clambake, being held on July 12, provide excellent settings for professional exchange.

On behalf of the entire Board, thank you for your continued support of our association and we hope to see you all at these events.

ASK A BOARD MEMBER

In your segment, what is the biggest trend impacting the industry now – and in five years?

For this issue, we asked board members from the Northeast Dairy Foods Association to describe some of the trends impacting their segment of the dairy industry. This is what they said.

And make sure to read the Q3 issue for our next “Ask a Board Member” column!

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

Amie Gabriel, VP Sales and Marketing, Cayuga Milk Ingredients

The biggest trend impacting the industry now is the focus on high protein and low sugar formulations. Consumers are looking for ways to increase their protein intake as well as keep their sugar intake in check. Dairy ingredients are well positioned to meet this demand from consumers.

Daniel Lausch, Director, Milk Procurement, Lactalis USA Inc.

Now: Price inflation is all around us. In five years: Availability of skilled labor to replace and fill the jobs of the folks retiring after decades of working in their dairy plants.

Tony Nassar, Senior Dairy Procurement Manager, Chobani Hauling

• The lack of drivers.

• The age of drivers (average age is over 50 years old). A couple possible solutions:

• Larger tank sizes.

• Having dairy processing plants set up with drop and hooks.

Smaller Size Dairies

• Being able to adapt and transition into F.A.R.M. compliance.

• The future of tie-stall dairies going away.

• Being profitable on smaller margins.

• Dealing with high fertilizer costs.

• The consolidation of the dairy industry will continue (larger fewer farms).

SAVE THE DATES

2023 MEMBER EVENTS

Nathan Pistner, Plant Manager, Great Lakes Cheese

The biggest trend impacting the industry now is new dairy plants affecting the cheese and powder markets. The regulatory landscape, climate tech, and China’s transition away from zeroCOVID policies are also affecting the industry.

Five years: Exports have set records the last several years, and we should continue to see pound for pound increases, but those growth rates will be difficult to maintain.

MAY 17

Northeast Dairy Blender

THE ALOFT HOTEL

Buffalo, New York

READ MORE ON PAGE 7

JULY 12

Annual Dairy Customer Appreciation

Clambake and Pig Roast

THE SPINNING WHEEL

EVENT CENTER

N. Syracuse, New York

Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Golf Tournament

ROGUE’S ROOST GOLF COURSE

Bridgeport, New York

AUG 16-18

Annual Dairy Convention

MOUNT AIRY CASINO

Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania

It is Official: COVID is Over… Almost

BY PAUL HARVEY, DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS

After three years and two months, the COVID-19 pandemic is officially over, at least as is recognized by the federal government. On April 10, President Joe Biden signed legislation that ended the national emergency caused by the COVID-19 virus. This ends certain waivers for federal healthcare programs, including tele-health and provider guidelines, that were instituted as the pandemic started. The ending of the national emergency will also end relaxed eligibility standards for in-home caregivers through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Housing and Urban Developments’ COVID-19 mortgage forbearance program.

This is different from the public health emergency declaration that will, at least for the time being, end on May 11. The ending of the public health emergency declaration will affect the healthcare of millions of Americans as expanded Medicaid eligibility guidelines for coverage of free COVID-19 testing and vaccinations will end (ending the public health emergency will

end these mandates for private health insurance options as well). The ending of the public health emergency also ends other policies or procedures put One such policy is Title 42, an immigration policy that required immigrants from Central and South America to remain outside of the United States while their asylum applications were processed.”

Over the summer, I definitely expect to hear more discussions, conversations, and rhetoric surrounding immigration and related issues. The true measure of success, of course, is whether Congress will actually take actionable measures to solve the massive challenges that our country faces in this particular area.

THE PERFECT STORM

This year, legislators and New York Governor Hochul are facing a number of differences on financial and policies issues, which has delayed New York State’s budget yet again. Now going into its second week, Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie may finally have reached an agreement on bail reform

and housing, the two issues that have been taking up most of the space at the negotiation table. However, there are three larger issues that have not been discussed as much that are still significantly impacting our industry as well as other businesses across New York state.

On March 1, I had the distinct opportunity to visit and speak with eight legislators in Albany, along with other agricultural-based businesses throughout New York through the Council of Agricultural Organizations, about issues facing our industry here in New York State. I was able to have conversations with legislators and their staff about the continuance of paid COVID sick leave here in New York state. This is despite the end of the national health emergency and the soon ending of the public health emergency on May 11.

The second issue that we discussed with legislators is the unemployment loan that New York State failed to repay to the federal government by September 30, 2022. Since New York State failed to repay the loan on time, all New York State businesses are now contributing approximately an additional $30 per employee to cover the accrued interest

on this loan from the federal government. Many of the assembly members and senators seemed to be aware of the situation, but a few were very surprised that this was an issue. We must be persistent in reminding our state legislatures that given the current economic headwinds still persisting, this could have been avoidable if there had been better leadership and fiscal policy before the bill came due.

Another issue we discussed was the various proposals to increase the minimum wage. In her 2023-2024 Executive Budget, Governor Hochul has proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour across the state, with a 3% inflation adjustment cap. The other proposal, by Senator Jessica Ramos, would increase the minimum wage by approximately $2 every year until 2026, when the minimum wage would become $21.25 per hour in upstate counties, and $22.00 per hour in New York City and the surrounding metro counties. There would also be an inflation adjustment mechanism once the new minimum wage is achieved, but it is left up the labor commissioner to determine what that adjustment would be.

Finally, we discussed the plans by the Governor and the state senate to implement an Extended Producer Responsibility program in New York. While there are several key differences between the state senate’s plan and the governor’s plan, one of the biggest differences is that the governor’s plan would provide a 10-year exemption for dairy food processors before they would have to comply with EPR goals. The state senate’s plan would not grant such an exemption.

RAW MILK

Rhode Island and Massachusetts have both introduced bills to legalize raw milk in their respective states. New Hampshire has also introduced legislation to increase the amount of raw milk that can be produced and sold without a permit. As always, we will be monitoring this legislation on behalf of the association.

UPCOMING EVENTS

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events here in the next month. We have our Dairy Blender on May 17 at the Aloft Hotel in Buffalo, New York. Dairy Day is on May 23 in the Well or the Legislative Office Building in Albany, New York.

And as always, we have our monthly legislative update calls the first Tuesday of each month for NDFA members. I look forward to seeing everyone in person again soon!

Paul Harvey is the director of regulatory affairs for the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Inflation, Labor Shortages, Supply Chain Continue to Challenge U.S. Agriculture

BY GARY LATTA

On Wednesday, March 22, the U.S. Federal Reserve continued its battle to tame inflation by raising key interest rates another one quarter point amidst concerns that higher borrowing rates might elevate the anxiety surrounding the collapse of two major banks.

While the Fed assures the country that the banking system is stable, it also warns that the collapse of these banks is likely to spawn tighter credit conditions, weighing on economic activity, hiring, and inflation. The Fed also signaled they may be nearing the end of their crusade of raising interest rates to tame inflation. Policymakers hinted of perhaps one more increase in their key rate, from its current 4.9% up to 5.1% in the next few months.

In its March 22 statement, the Federal Reserve stressed that its battle to tame inflation was far from over, but it expressed confidence that it can ease inflation by raising loan rates a bit

more, while simultaneously relieving the anxiety gripping the banking system with emergency lending programs and other measures.

Business analysts caution that these latest moves by the Feds will cause some small and mid-size banks to become more cautious in their lending, which will further slow borrowing and investments. Traders on Wall Street are hoping that slower growth and a weaker economy will encourage the Fed to begin lowering interest rates later this year. The U.S. economy remains stable and strong, with a low 3.6% unemployment rate.

European banks have reacted to the collapse of the two U.S. banks by taking similar measures. Following the U.S. announcement, the Bank of England was preparing for its 11th straight rate hike to tame its annual inflation rate of 10.4%. UK food inflation in February hit its highest level in more than 45 years (up 18.2% through the year), and it is the sharpest rise since the late 1970s. The European Central Bank has taken similar action where inflation is

running at 8.5% across the EU.

Inflation, interest rates, energy costs, labor shortages, climate change, supply chain, extreme weather, and other high input costs continue to challenge U.S. agriculture, from farming to manufacturing, and in retailing. While overall inflation in the U.S. show signs of abating, food prices remain an exception. Americans are cutting back on many non-essential items to free up their money for food.

During interviews at Reuters, executives at Walmart and other retailers explained how Americans are shifting their shopping habits and searching for bargains in the face of the highest inflation in a generation. At Walmart, the world's biggest retailer by revenue, Americans are still spending, but are more “choiceful, discerning, thoughtful,” global CEO Doug McMillon told Reuters. Food cost increases have outstripped broader inflation for nearly a year in the U.S. and remain the most stubborn of all the categories, according to Walmart.

In the March Food Price Outlook, the USDA reported that food prices are expected to grow more slowly than in 2022, but still at above-historical average rates. In 2023, food-at-home prices are predicted to increase 7.8%, while food-away-from-home prices are predicted to increase 8.3%. Dairy product prices are predicted to increase 6.4% in 2023.

USDA Food Price Forecasts for 2023

In its latest Food Prices and Spending report, the USDA explained that retail prices reflect not only increases in farm prices, but many other costs and component increases picked up along their way to consumers:

“Retail food prices partially reflect farm-level commodity prices, but packaging, processing, transportation, and other marketing costs, along with competitive factors, have a greater role in determining prices on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.”

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Food-at-home prices increased 11.4 percent in 2022 compared with 2021

Another noteworthy chart (on the next page) in the USDA’s report shows the share of disposable income spent on food in the U.S. over the past 60 years. The drop in percentage share spent on food has been quite dramatic since the early 1960s, especially for at-home food expenditures. Much of this trend has been driven by a combination of advancements in agricultural productivity and annual increases in disposable personal income.

In this latest Food Prices and Spending report, the USDA shows that the all-food CPI climbed 20.4% from 2018 through 2022, and was a greater increase than the all-items CPA, which was 16.5%. Food price increases were greater than other key categories, like housing, medical care, recreation, education, and apparel, and were only eclipsed by the remarkable 26.4% increase in transportation costs.

Domestic dairy demand was quite strong in the U.S. last year, despite higher prices. The March issue of the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook reported that January 2023 domestic use for dairy products had slipped compared to the same month in 2022 on both a milk-equivalent milk-fat basis and skim-solids basis. While overall domestic use showed a slip in January this year compared to January last year, restaurant sales are showing signs of improvement. According to the National Restaurant Association, operator optimism regarding sales in 2023 is growing as more consumers are dining out. The USDA believes the expected expansion in restaurant performance in the next six months of 2023 may help reduce the expected large supplies of cheese. We could add increased butter to this assumption mix since restaurants also use lots of butter.

According to the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), 2022 was the third straight record year for volume and the second highest year for dollar value. Export volume has now reached the equivalent of 18% of U.S. milk production. Export value in 2022 was up 25% to $9.6 billion (it was the first time it has ever crossed the $9-billion mark). In recent years, U.S. dairy prices have been price competitive on the global stage. Considering the fact that oth-

er international dairy exporters continue to face headwinds and lackluster production growth, U.S. dairy is poised to become the leader to meet growing global demand.

USDEC reports the top markets by product in 2022 were: Mexico accounted for 27% of U.S. cheese exports, 43% of NFDM/SMP, and 30% of U.S. MPC; China accounted for 30% of U.S. whey sales and 26% of lactose; Canada represented 43% of U.S. butterfat sales; and Taiwan accounted for 38% of U.S. fluid milk and cream exports. Mexico is the #1 market for U.S. dairy products, followed by Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is a group of 11 countries that include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Congress has been busy lately examining the many parts of the Farm Bill and holding hearings and listening sessions across the country. The current Farm Bill was enacted in 2018 and is supposed to expire at the end of September. The Farm Bill is a massive complex collection of issues beyond what space will allow for discussion here. There are many excellent sources on the internet which go into detail. Essentially, the Farm Bill authorizes spending in two categories: mandatory and discretionary. The charts below portray mandatory outlays that make up about 99% of discretionary spending that is spread out among four major titles: conservation (6.8%), commodities (7.3%), crop Insurance (8.9%), and nutrition (76%).

In figure 2, with nutrition removed, we see the sub-sections

Economic Outlook

Figure 1:

Figure 1. Projected Outlays in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, by Title (Five-year projected mandatory outlays at enactment, billions of dollars, FY2019-FY2023)

Outlays in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, by Title (Five-year projected mandatory outlays at enactment, billions of dollars, FY2019-FY2023)

Budget Issues That Shaped the 2018 Farm Bill

Budget Issues That Shaped the 2018 Farm Bill

Figure 1. Projected Outlays in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, by Title (Five-year projected mandatory outlays at enactment, billions of dollars, FY2019-FY2023)

Source: CRS. Compiled from CBO, “Baseline Projections,” April 2018; at the title level (unpublished); and CBO cost estimate of the conference agreement, December 11, 2018.

Figure 2. Projected Agriculture Outlays in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Five-year projected mandatory outlays at enactment, billions of dollars, FY2019-FY2023)

Source: CRS. Compiled from CBO, “Baseline Projections,” April 2018; at the title level (unpublished); and CBO cost estimate of the conference agreement, December 11, 2018.

Figure 2: Projected Agriculture Outlays in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

(Five-year projected mandatory outlays at enactment, billions of dollars, FY2019-FY2023)

Figure 2. Projected Agriculture Outlays in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Five-year projected mandatory outlays at enactment, billions of dollars, FY2019-FY2023)

of the crop insurance, commodities, and conservation outlays. The outlays are expressed in billions of dollars and represent the Farm Bill currently in place. Some numbers will no doubt change when the new bill is in place later this year or early next. Many of the benefits of these outlays cross over to other facets within agriculture, but it is humbling to see just how small a slice is directed specifically at dairy Since nutrition programs account for 75% of the Farm Bill, it can become a sticking point in negotiations. Recall back in 2018 that Congressional Republicans wanted to separate nutrition programs from the bill. That effort was met with Democratic opposition. If separating nutrition from the Farm Bill is attempted again in 2023, it will face solid opposition in the Democratcontrolled Senate. Another potential area of contention is the conservation and climate-related issues of the Farm Bill. Democrats may be less pressured to add funding in these areas since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed in August of 2022, allocating $19.5 billion for “climate programs.”

Sources: , April 2018; at the title level (unpublished);

Notes: PLC = Loan Deficiency Payments, EQIP = Environmental Quality Incentives Program Conservation Stewardship , RCPP = Regional Conservation Partnership Program, FFP = Food for Progress, NAP = Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program

Sources: CRS. Compiled from CBO Baseline for USDA Mandatory Farm Programs, April 2018; at the title level (unpublished); and CBO cost estimate of the conference agreement, December 11, 2018.

Source: Congressional Research Service Report (CRS)

Still, there are many pieces of the Farm Bill in which Republicans and Democrats are aligned. Among these are commodity and crop insurance programs that include Dairy Margin Coverage. Another is bipartisan support for the development and adoption of new farm technologies. Dairy groups are also aligned in their support for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a food distribution program.

Notes: PLC = Price Loss Coverage, ARC = Agricultural Risk Coverage, LDP = Loan Deficiency Payments, EQIP = Environmental Quality Incentives Program, CRP = Conservation Reserve Program, CSP = Conservation Stewardship Program, ACEP = Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, RCPP = Regional Conservation Partnership Program, FFP = Food for Progress, NAP = Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program

Budget Issues That Shaped the 2018 Farm Bill - EveryCRSReport.com

Another is the expansion of U.S. markets globally and is listed as a top priority of both Democrat and Republican members of Congress. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee is credited

Projected

with this statement: “When it comes to agriculture, for every five customers we have in the U.S., 95 customers exist outside our country. A top priority must be to open more markets in which they can sell their commodities.” Democrat representative Jim Costa (D-CA) said: “Opening and growing new markets for American-made products is critical to building our agricultural economy. Food is a global issue, and we must do all we can to reverse disruptions in trade and grow our new partnerships that help deliver American products around the world.”

Most dairy groups appear to be on the same page supporting the reauthorization or making permanent key issues that will be addressed in the new Farm Bill, such as dairy margin coverage, dairy forward pricing programs, indemnity payment programs, milk donation reimbursement programs, dairy donation programs, dairy business initiative programs, and others. A few dairy groups are asking that Congress mandate periodic plant cost of processing studies followed by updates in milk pricing formulas to keep current.

There is still little news to report regarding the second USMCA challenge against Canada’s continuing violation of its dairy obligations in the agreement. Jan. 31 was when the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) filed another complaint. The U.S. was awarded a victory after the first complaint was ruled. That ruling however has been ignored by Canada, and it continues to sidestep its dairy quota pledges under the agreement. Many members of Congress and officials, including Secretary Vilsack, have issued statements. There seems to be little progress toward a resolution. President Biden spent a few days

with Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, at his home in Canada in late March. One can only wonder if the USMCA dairy issue was ever brought up for discussion when the Trudeaus served the president his favorite dessert: ice cream. The name of the flavor was “friend-chip” ice cream that was made in a local Canadian shop.

Federal Milk Marketing Order reform could be on the horizon as the National Milk Producers Federation’s Board of Directors finalized and endorsed their proposal to modernize the system. Among their proposed changes is returning to the “higher of” for the Class I mover formula, discontinuing the use of cheese barrels in the protein component formula, updating the component factors in Class III and IV price formulas, more frequent reviews of plant cost studies, updating price formulas, and updating Class I differentials.

In response to FDA’s proposal to allow non-dairy products to be labelled “milk,” a bipartisan group of Senators are fighting back by introducing a bill known by its short name, the DAIRY PRIDE Act. The name is a shortened acronym for the cumbersome Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act. This act would prohibit plant-based products from using terms like dairy and/or milk. If passed, the FDA would have 90 days to develop new labeling guidelines for non-dairy products marketed as “milk,” “cheese,” or “yogurt.” The Act would also require an FDA report to Congress two years after the law was enacted with an update on its enforcement progress.

Lawmakers, mostly Republicans, were quick to respond to a USDA proposal to reduce the amount of milk

available to families receiving benefits under the program Women Infants and Children (WIC). More than 6 million lower-income families rely on WIC benefits for a large part of their nutritional needs, and dairy fills a major part of this. The idea that an estimated 43% of all infants in the U.S. rely on WIC benefits is alarming. Many nutrition and agricultural groups and members of Congress have expressed opposition to these proposed dairy reductions in WIC food packages with both the Biden Administration and USDA Secretary Vilsack.

A piece of federal legislation that may be of interest to the northeast, known as the Protect Local Farms Act H.R. 353, was introduced by Congressional representative Brandon Williams (R-Syracuse/Utica) in mid-January. It is a reintroduction of a bill initiated by former Congressman Chris Jacobs, who did not seek reelection in 2022. The bill would establish a federal standard for agricultural employees that would mandate hours could not be reduced below 60 per week. The federal mandate would supersede state decisions and level the playing field across the nation. The bill has a growing list of cosponsors, all Republican, from various states. New York’s Farm Laborer’s Wage Board, a tiny trio of unelected bureaucrats, determined in January that the overtime threshold for farm workers be lowered from 60 to 40 hours a week. Congressman Jacobs and the bill sponsors have said, “Albany is out of touch and this Act is to combat that ignorant decision.”

Speaking of farm labor, on Friday March 17, the Vermont Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs received public testimony on S.102, a bill that would allow agricultural and domes-

tic employees to collectively bargain for wages and working conditions. Vermont law presently follows the federal standard 1935 National Labor relations Act and does not allow agriculture and domestic workers to collectively bargain. The bill was favorably voted out of the 13-member committee after testimony. The advocacy group Migrant Justice testified in favor of the bill. Migrant Justice, a nonprofit farmworker-driven human rights group from Burlington, Vermont, created the Milk with Dignity Program. This program seeks to bring together farmers, employees, milk buyers, and consumers in seeking $ premiums for milk. A Milk with Dignity Code of Conduct has been established that outlines the standards for compliance.

Two reports were published in March detailing interesting statistics on individual states’ per capita milk production. One was published by Hoard’s Dairyman and the other by the office of the Central Milk Marketing Administrator. The two reports have maps and tables showing state milk production in relation to that states’ population. It is a portrayal of how many potential consumers there are in the state in relation to the milk supply generated within the state. Some states are net exporters of milk and dairy products, while others are net importers, depending on their production per capita. State population and milk production both change over time, therefore, milk production per capita is constantly evolving. Per capita milk production is also an indicator of how individual states can structure in-state programs to benefit their producers. States with large populations in relation to their milk production have greater flexibility to create programs that benefit in-state producers without

harming consumers or running afoul of interstate commerce rules. States with substantial milk supplies, but a small number of citizens, must look to export most of their surplus to other states or countries at competitive prices. Exports could be in the form of bulk or value-added finished products.

The top 6 states in per capita milk production in year 2022 are:

Vermont is in fact fourth among the top five states nationally.

February milk production for the 24 major producing states was up 1% from February 2022. This increase was the result of a seven-pound increase in the average output per cow and 54,000 more cows than February 2022. Compared to February of last year, New York milk production was up 2.9%, Vermont was down (-1.0%), and Pennsylvania was down (-0.1%). Wisconsin was up 0.3%, while the largest milk producing state of California was down (-0.9%). Idaho was up 3.4%, Texas was up 5.5%, Ohio was up 2.1%, and Florida was down (-11.4%).

Both the USDEC and USDA report that U.S. dairy products are still priced competitive internationally. However, some reports say that prices are falling in some regions that compete with the U.S. Butter prices for Oceana and Western Europe are presently trending below U.S. butter prices. The U.S. price remains competitive globally for cheddar cheese, nonfat dry milk, and dry whey.

Among the northeast states, Vermont stands clearly out in front as the top milk producing state per capita.

The USDA is forecasting just under 1% growth in milk production for 2023, with fewer cows but an increase in average output per cow. The projection for exports is down in 2023 on both a milkfat and skim solids basis. While the U.S. remains globally competitive with exports, competitors’ milk production is growing, and their prices are falling. The USDEC, USDA, and some economists feel the 2023 export market could be more challenging for the U.S. than it was in 2022. Imports for 2023 have been estimated higher on both a milkfat and skim solids basis. Domestic use forecasts have risen on both a milkfat and skim solids basis. Restaurant sales are expected to pick up and remain robust in 2023.

USDA projections for cheddar cheese were lowered, while dry whey, butter, and nonfat dry milk were raised. The lower expected average price of cheese lowered the Class III price forecast in 2023 by $0.32 to $17.56 per cwt. The Class IV price was raised $0.05 to $18.30 per cwt, assuming higher projected prices for butter and nonfat dry milk. This puts the expected all-milk price at $20.45 per cwt, a decrease of $0.25 from USDA’s previous forecast. The 2023 all-milk price forecast of $20.45 per cwt compares to $25.56 per cwt in 2022, and $18.53 in year 2021.

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.

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LANDMARK SUPREME COURT RULING Baldwin vs. G.A.F. Seelig

BY GARY LATTA

In a previous issue of Northeast Dairy Magazine, we reviewed a 1994 interstate commerce decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, known as West Lynn Creamery, Inc. v. Healy, 512 U.S. 186. The Court opinion regarding a Massachusetts state pricing order made repeated references to the earlier, and somewhat similar, case known as Baldwin vs. G.A.F. Seelig, 294 U.S. 511.

That 1935 case was another interstate commerce challenge involving members of the northeast dairy industry. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of G.A.F Seelig. The Court reinforced principles that one state, in its dealings with another, cannot place itself in economic isolation.

In 1933, the New York State Legislature enacted laws that estab-

lished minimum prices to be paid by dealers to producers of milk. To not be undercut by lower-priced imports from surrounding states, the New York law contained a protective measure that extended its minimum price to other states. If the producer in a surrounding state was paid less than the state-established minimum, then it was illegal to sell or purchase this lower-priced milk in New York.

New York’s stated purpose of their law was to:

1. Assure adequate supplies of pure wholesome milk.

2. Guard the economic welfare of state producers.

G.A.F. Seelig was a New York City milk dealer that purchased its supply from parent company Seelig Creamery Corporation in Fair Haven, Vermont. Seelig transported their Vermont milk

to the New York metropolitan district in 40-quart cans. Each can was the equivalent of about 10 gallons. Once it arrived in New York, 90% of the milk was sold in its original cans, and 10% was bottled in consumer sizes for resale. To protect their higher price from imports of out-of-state supplies, New York Agriculture & Markets implemented a permit process, where all milk dealers and distributors had to agree to its terms. Violations were met with fines and loss of license. In essence, New York mandated their protective price be extended to that part of the supply which came from surrounding states. The New York City metro area and surrounding communities sourced 70% of their milk supply in state, and 30% from neighboring states.

Refusing to comply, and threatened with losing its New York permit, Seelig

The Supreme Court 1935. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes (center, front row) and Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo (upper right).

brought a suit against Commissioner Baldwin and other officials in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Seelig won a partial victory. They would be allowed to sell their milk in the original cans, but could not resell the 10% that was repackaged in consumer sizes. Ultimately, both Seelig and Commissioner Baldwin appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case was argued in mid-February and decided on March 4, 1935. The opinion of the court was unanimous in favor of Seelig, declaring New York’s law unconstitutional and holding that it is a violation of the Commerce Clause for a state to regulate intrastate prices by prohibiting the import of lower-priced goods in interstate commerce. The opinion of the court was delivered by Justice Benjamin Cardozo, with the other Justices joining unanimously.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE OPINION INCLUDE:

“ New York has no power to project its legislation into Vermont by regulating the price to be paid in that state for milk acquired there. So much is not disputed. New York is equally without power to prohibit the introduction within her territory of milk of wholesome quality acquired in Vermont, whether at high prices or at low ones. This again is not disputed. Accepting those postulates, New York asserts her power to outlaw milk so introduced by prohibiting its sale thereafter if the price that has been paid for it to the farmers of Vermont is less than would be owing in like circumstances to farmers in New York. The importer, in that view, may keep his milk or drink it, but sell it, he may not.”

“It is the established doctrine of this court that a state may not, in any form or under any guise, directly burden the prosecution of interstate business.”

“Such a power, if exerted, will set a barrier to traffic between one state and another as effective as if customs duties equal to the price differential had been laid upon the thing transported.”

“Nice distinctions have been made at times between direct and indirect burdens. They are irrelevant when the avowed purpose of the obstruction, as well as its necessary tendency, is to suppress or mitigate the consequences of competition between the states.”

“What is ultimate is the principle that one state, in its dealings with another, may not place itself in a position of economic isolation. Formulas and catchwords are subordinate to this overmastering requirement. Neither the power to tax nor the police power may be used by the state of destination with the aim and effect of establishing an economic barrier against competition with the products of another state or the labor of its residents. Restrictions so contrived are an unreasonable clog upon the mobility of commerce. They set up what is equivalent to a rampart of customs duties designed to neutralize advantages belonging to the place of origin. They are thus hostile in conception, as well as burdensome in result.”

Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo delivered the unanimous opinion of the court in March 4, 1935.

Something to Consider

“The Constitution was framed under the dominion of a political philosophy less parochial in range. It was framed upon the theory that the peoples of the several states must sink or swim together, and that, in the long run, prosperity and salvation are in union, and not division.”

“The form of the packages in such circumstances is immaterial, whether they are original or broken. The importer must be free from imposts framed for the very purpose of suppressing competition from without and leading inescapably to the suppression so intended.”

“If New York, in order to promote the economic welfare of her farmers, may guard them against competition with the cheaper prices of Vermont, the door has been opened to rivalries and reprisals that were meant to be averted by subjecting commerce between the states to the power of the nation.”

"A state tax upon merchandise brought in from another State, or upon its sales, whether in original packages or not, after it has reached its destination and is in a state of rest, is lawful only when the tax is not discriminating in its incidence against the merchandise because of its origin in another State."

“It is one thing for a state to exact adherence by an importer to fitting standards of sanitation before the products of the farm or factory may be sold in its markets. It is a very different thing to establish a wage scale or a scale of prices for use in other states, and to bar the sale of the products, whether in the original packages or in others, unless the scale has been observed.”

The Commerce Clause grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate commerce. State attempts to regulate extraterritorially by imposing its regulations or will outside its borders are typically struck down. The extraterritorial principles apply to situations where a state attempts to regulate out-of-state commerce by establishing the terms of out-of-state

transactions to shield itself from competition. The Court has held that a state cannot regulate extraterritorially by penalizing businesses’ in-state or outof-state transactions with the intent to shelter itself from the competition of other states.

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.

20 23

Dairy Trends Dairy Trends

Limited-Edition, Culinary-Inspired Products

BY COURTNEY KLESS

In each Q2 issue, Northeast Dairy Magazine talks to Donna Berry (who covers new products and trends for the dairy industry) about what we can expect in the coming year. She predicted that 2023 will be a “beautiful spot” for innovation.

The following are some of the trends Berry is seeing in each segment:

BUTTER

Berry said that butter is “extremely exciting” at the moment.

For starters, the space has seen a rise in limited edition products. Land O’Lakes released an Every Little Thing™ Butter Spread, which had a two-week release window in March, and was only available at Aldi stores.

There has also been a lot of innovation with culinary-inspired butters (they are a result of kitchen and food fatigue, according to Berry, and are often used for cooking). And more brands are continuing to enter the space. One relatively new company is Churn. Founded by a chef, its offerings range

from bruschetta to pesto to maple cinnamon.

Another popular trend (especially on social media) is butter boards. A new take on a charcuterie board, they feature butter, topped with various fruits, vegetables and seasonings – and are served with bread.

ICE CREAM

Berry said that while there is still a market for low sugar, high protein ice cream, “that trend has come and gone.”

Instead, this space will see new products that are “nutritionally balanced,” and could be used as an on-the-go snack or meal. For example, Wells Enterprises recently launched two flavors of Halo Top frozen yogurt bars that contain granola and real fruit.

Single-serve and novelties will also continue to be trending products. In recent years, more pop-able ice creams (Berry gave an example of ice cream wrapped in chocolate) have been introduced.

CHEESE

Cheeses continue to fare well, according to Berry – in fact, consumption continues to increase each year.

At the end of 2022, Cabot Creamery introduced a limited-release “Cheddar For Better” (its first release celebrates the retirement of a longtime Vermont Senator). Expect more companies to release limited edition and seasonal flavors this year – and experiment with single serve formats. Land O’Lakes, for one, also recently launched cracker cut cheeses in Extra Sharp White Cheddar and a Creamy Italian Blend.

CULTURED DAIRY PRODUCTS

In the cultured products space (yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, etc.), the most activity has been with dips and spreads, according to Berry. And like with butter, culinary-inspired products are being introduced. For example, Norseland Inc. recently expanded its line of Lotito Presto Cacio e Pepe Pasta Starters (each contains Pecorino Romano cheese and can be combined with hot water and poured over pasta).

REFRIGERATED DAIRY DESSERTS

This space is one of the biggest opportunities for dairy, according to Berry (and it is growing quickly). Recent releases include: mascarpone truffles (Schuman Cheese), mini cheesecakes (Wonder Monday), and jarred desserts (Petit Pot) – and there will continue to be more innovation.

Editor’s note: Thank you to Donna Berry for sharing her knowledge on this topic. You can follow her at berryondairy.com

Courtney Kless is the Managing Editor of Northeast Dairy Media

Kemps Introduces Smooth Cottage Cheese

According to Berry, cottage cheese is making a resurgence – with flavors.

Several brands (such as Daisy and Good Culture) offer single serve containers with fruit, and Kemps recently released a new line of cottage cheese.

“We are always looking for ways to meet consumer needs and know parents are seeking nutritious options that are kid approved,” said Nathaniel Renteria, senior brand manager for Kemps, in a press release. “This new cottage cheese has a smooth and creamy texture, with no curds, and is blended with real fruit flavors, so it’s really more like a yogurt, which we know kids love. Plus, parents can feel good about giving it to their kids for lunch or a snack because it has probiotics and almost twice as much protein per ounce as most yogurts – so it’s a win-win!”

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Flavored milks are still being resurrected, according to Berry, and more companies are using milk as a carrier for other nutrition.

Fairlife, for example, offers products with Omega-3, and Dairy Farmers of America and Good Culture recently introduced a whole milk and a 2% reduced fat milk with probiotics.

“With the continued growth and consumer interest in probiotics and gut health, we’re really excited to bring this great-tasting milk with probiotics to store shelves in partnership with the Good Culture brand, which is so well known for producing on-trend, cultured dairy products,” said Rachel Kyllo, senior vice president of marketing, DFA Dairy Brands, in a press release. “We think Good Culture Probiotic Milk will help meet consumer desires for more functional nutrition benefits and drive excitement in the dairy case.”

Source: Dairy Farmers of America

Southern Tier Brewing Company Partners with Perry’s Ice Cream

Beer and ice cream? A new collaboration between two New York-based companies is combining the two.

Southern Tier Brewing Company recently released Vanilla Scoop, a seasonal Imperial Ale that was crafted, in part, with Perry’s signature vanilla ice cream.

“What a great way for two popular regional brands to collaborate and bring a one-of-a-kind flavor to market,” said Nichole Buryta, senior brand manager for Perry’s Ice Cream, in a press release. “When

we tried the samples Southern Tier created, we were blown away by

how much the beer tasted like a scoop of Perry’s Vanilla.”

Is your business celebrating an anniversary in 2023?

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

Below is our current list of members with anniversaries in 2023. If your company is missing contact courtneyknedairymedia.com to be added to our list.

Firmenich Announces Dragon Fruit as 2023 Flavor of the Year

Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, named dragon fruit as its 2023 Flavor of the Year, celebrating consumers’ desire for exciting new ingredients and bold, adventurous flavor creation.

“This marks our 11th Flavor of the Year, which is something our customers have come to look forward to each year,” said Maurizio Clementi, ad interim President, Firmenich’s Taste & Beyond division. “Dragon fruit’s bold vibrancy is a perfect choice as we embark an exciting year of change. Our in-depth Human Insights have identified the strong shift towards wellbeing and sustainability in people’s food and beverage choices, as well as newly-emerging elevated expectations in terms of taste. As everything we do is rooted in nature and deep consumer understanding, this inspired us to choose a Flavor of the Year which captures both.”

A FRUIT BY ANY OTHER NAME

Native to Central America, where it is known as Pitahaya, and thriving in tropical and subtropical climates across the world, dragon fruit’s flesh is rich in antioxidants and high in calcium. Dragon Fruit grows from a climbing cactus, making it a drought-resistant and naturally low water-use crop, requiring only a quarter of the water to grow compared to that of an avocado.

Much like the mystical creature that inspired its name, dragon fruit is fierce in appearance, with a scale-like skin in bold hues ranging from fiery yellow to bold magenta. However, its delicate flavor belies its imposing armor. With several different types varying in both color and taste, dragon fruit ranges in flavor from milder melon and kiwi-like to slightly sweeter berry profiles with notes of beetroot.

GenZnomics: 10 GenZ Beliefs & Behaviors Driving the Global Economy

BY CHEYENNE HUNT, J.D.

As a GenZ authority and policy advocate, I believe it is essential to advance a cross-generational understanding of the driving forces behind the post-millennial economy in order for industry to establish best practices and move forward in a meaningful and impactful way. GenZ, the “iGen” demographic cohort born between 1997 and 2012, is the first to grow up fully immersed in technology. As such, we “Zoomers” are known for a high level of digital savviness that has underpinned their unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit—and their abrogation from societal norms.

• While there are a myriad of behaviors and beliefs that heavily influenced GenZ's economic decisions, there are a select group of specifics that reign supreme – especially with respect to these four economic sectors:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Industry: GenZ is highly interested in the AI industry and its potential to revolutionize various sectors, such as healthcare, education and transportation. According to a survey by Deloitte, 51% of GenZ respondents said they are interested in a career in technology, this includes degrees

in computer and information sciences rising 38% from 2015-2019. Furthermore, a report by the World Economic Forum predicts that AI will create 58 million new jobs by 2023. GenZ is well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities and shape the future of the AI industry.

• Web3 Industry: GenZ has a strong interest in the Web3 industry, which includes decentralized technologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrency, and smart contracts. They see the potential of Web3 to create a more decentralized and transparent internet, where data is controlled by the users instead of a handful of big tech giants. According to a survey by Chainalysis, 64% of GenZ respondents said they own or have owned cryptocurrency, compared to only 22% of millennials. Furthermore, a report by Gartner predicts that by 2025, the business value added by blockchain will reach $3.1 trillion. GenZ is poised to play a vital role in shaping the future of the Web3 industry.

• Natural Resource Energy Economy: GenZ cares deeply about the environment and the impact of human activities on climate change.

They understand the need to transition to a more sustainable energy economy that is based on renewable resources. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 69% of GenZ respondents said they are worried about climate change, compared to 59% of millennials. Furthermore, a report by the International Energy Agency predicts that renewable energy sources could account for 90% of the world's power generation by 2050. GenZ is well positioned to lead the transition to a more sustainable energy economy.

• Social Media Economy: GenZ is highly active on social media and is well-versed in the workings of the social media economy. They understand the power of influencer marketing and the role of these platforms in shaping public opinion. According to research, GenZ is 59% more likely to connect with brands online than other generations. Furthermore, a report by Business Insider predicts that the global influencer marketing industry will be worth $15 billion by 2023. GenZ is poised to shape the future of the social media economy through their participation as influencers and consumers.

KEY FACTORS DRIVING GENZ BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS

As Gen Z belief systems and behaviors are a driving force not only in shaping culture, but economies at the global level, it’s imperative to understand commonalities in order to discern opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

HERE ARE MY TOP 10: Consumerism and Motivation to Succeed

Many Gen Z prioritize their career and financial goals over immediate gratification in their personal lives. They are more materialistic and motivated to succeed than previous generations, with an overall goal achieving financial security and an upper middle-class lifestyle that now is seemingly out of reach for many as wages remain stagnant over time. According to a survey by Bank of America, 45% of GenZ respondents said that material goods major priority for them, compared to only 34% of millennials.

Slow Living

GenZ values a slower pace of life and is more focused on living in the present moment. According to a study by EY, 67% of GenZ is moderately to extremely worried about their physical and mental health, making health a high priority for this generation. They also distinguish between “quiet quitting,” which many in the generation believe is simply giving only as much into their job as their job compensates them for vs. Slow Living, which involves setting healthy boundaries between work and personal life.

Emphasis on Multiple Income Streams

GenZ is more likely to have multiple streams of income, such as a part-time

job, freelancing, or a side hustle. They understand the importance of diversifying their income sources to mitigate financial risk, and also see additional streams of income as a necessity in an economy of stagnant wages. A survey by Lending Tree found that 62% of GenZ respondents have a side hustle as compared to 55% of millennials.

Budgeting and Understanding Credit

GenZ is known for their budgeting skills and understanding of credit. After watching their parents face the consequences of the 2008 financial crisis, they tend to be more financially savvy and responsible than previous generations. According to Finder’s

Consumer Confidence Index Gen Z saves an average of $857 a month while Millennials save $294.

Trade School and Specialization

GenZ values practical skills and specialized knowledge. They are more willing to pursue trade schools or specialized degrees that offer a clear career path and high earning potential. They also tend to be more cost-conscious and are willing to weigh the cost-benefit of higher education given the skyrocketing cost of higher education and the known risks of student debt. NPR reports that, while enrollment in community colleges in down, trade schools have seen enrollment numbers increase in recent years.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ►

Technological Proficiency

GenZ is the first generation to grow up fully immersed in technology. They are more comfortable with technology and are more likely to pursue careers in the tech industry. They are also more efficient in their work. A report by Under Cover Recruiter references Gen Z as “skilled when it comes to technology savants, online work and innovation.”

Retirement

GenZ is less concerned with retirement than previous generations. They tend to prioritize their current financial and career goals over planning for their retirement. A survey by antyimesestimate.com found that GenZ makes up the largest group of Americans (44%) not saving for retirement.

Employer Loyalty

GenZ values loyalty from their employers. They understand that loyalty is not inherent and must be earned through mutual respect and appreciation. They also prioritize feeling appreciated and acknowledged in their work over staying with a company long-term. A survey by PromoLeaf found that Gen Z respondents want to spend an average of 3.7 years on a job.

Parental Trust

GenZ is more trusting of their parents than millennials when it comes to financial advice. A survey by YPulse found that 70% of GenZ respondents said they usually or always trust their parents to give them good financial advice, compared to only 60% of millennials. This trust in their parents can be attributed to the fact that GenZ has grown up during a time of economic uncertainty and has seen their parents navigate through financial

challenges. They see their parents as a reliable source of financial guidance and advice. This may be a reflection of increased transparency and engagement Gen X parents offered their children in comparison to previous parental generations.

Home Ownership

GenZ does not see home ownership as a priority, or even an attainable goal, as previous generations did. According to a recent article by Levi Leidy, while Millennials lag behind Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Silent Generation in homeownership at age 40, the trend is expected to continue with Gen Z and they are aware of it. The high cost of housing and student loan debt are among the reasons that make it difficult for GenZ to afford a home. Additionally, many GenZ have seen their parents struggle with mortgages and foreclosures during the 2008 financial crisis, which has made them more cautious and hesitant about buying a home.

In spite of their widely-reported worries, a McKinsey & Company study denotes optimism among Zoomers. “GenZ thinks the economic future is brighter than most other age groups do,” the report cites. “Despite reporting higher levels of job insecurity and financial instability and higher rates

of emotional distress and obstacles to working effectively, GenZ’s view of economic opportunity is more optimistic than that of GenX and baby boomers.”

Reputed for being “highly collaborative, self-reliant and pragmatic,” GenZ just might be the lot to live out this ubiquitous American dream if industry collectively adapts to even just these 10 specific proficiencies, inclinations and expectations.

Cheyenne Hunt, J.D. is a progressive advocate and attorney specializing in progressive activism, legislative advocacy, communications and democracy-focused tech policy. She currently serves as a Big Tech Accountability Advocate with Public Citizen.

"As Gen Z belief systems and behaviors are a driving force not only in shaping culture, but economies at the global level, it’s imperative to understand commonalities in order to discern opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."

The Future is Here: How ChatGPT and AI are Changing Business

BY BRIAN BLUFF

ChatGPT and other AI (artificial intelligence)

tools represent a major game changer for business in a way comparable to the impact of search engines, and the internet had on business 20+ years ago.

Back then, search engines and digital marketing revolutionized the way businesses gathered information, solved problems, communicated issues and capabilities, and at the highest level, conducted business.

Today, AI tools like ChatGPT can potentially transform how businesses operate in exactly the same ways.

Just like 20+ years ago, this change will produce a significant number of winners and losers. It was the early adopters that gained and, for the most part, maintained the upper hand. This change will have the same level of impact on business this time around.

Things are significantly changing AGAIN!

WHAT IS OPENAI AND CHATGPT?

OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research organization that conducts research in a wide range of areas, including natural language processing, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and robotics. OpenAI also develops and releases open-source software tools and platforms for AI development.

ChatGPT is one of OpenAI’s many projects and perhaps the most wellknown. It can generate natural language responses to prompts. In other words, it can simulate a human-like conversation and generate text that is indistinguishable from what a human might say. Chat GPT can:

1. Understand questions and provide relevant answers based on its vast knowledge base.

2. Generate text on various topics and in multiple formats, such as news articles, product descriptions, or even fiction stories.

3. Translate text from one language to another.

4. Analyze text to determine the sentiment expressed in customer reviews, news articles, or any other content.

5. Summarize long pieces of text into shorter versions.

6. Carry on a conversation with users.

MARKETING & CHATGPT

Some marketers are starting to utilize AI, more specifically, ChatGPT, but with caution. As ChatGPT is more readily used, marketers do question if it is ready and to what degree it will help with their efforts.

Biggest Fears of Search Engine Marketers

• Decreased website traffic: Traffic to company websites will decrease as ChatGPT is rolled out and its ability to answer questions improves.

• Changes in search engine algorithms: If ChatGPT is able to create more relevant and accurate search results, search engine algo-

rithms could prioritize different types of content over company websites.

• Increased competition: An increase in the volume of content created by ChatGPT will make it harder for companies to compete for visibility.

• Loss of control: ChatGPT could make it difficult for companies to maintain control over their brand voice and messaging and even damage a brand’s reputation by spreading misinformation.

• Spam and black hat search engine optimization (SEO): ChatGPT's ability to generate text could also be used for unethical purposes, such as creating spam content or engaging in black hat SEO tactics - tactics that violate the search engines’ terms of service. These tactics are intended to manipulate results in favor of the perpetrators and to the detriment of other websites.

Many of these fears are legitimate. How search engines generate results continues to change, but the pace of that change will increase. For example, Google’s rollout, over the past several years, of search engine features like the Knowledge Box and People Also Ask have already decreased website traffic. Some estimates hold that Google users are 30% less likely to leave Google after conducting a search than a few years ago.

I believe that ChatGPT will improve or replace these newer search engine features and that website traffic will continue to decrease.

On the bright side, working to stay abreast of search engine algorithm changes, coupled with efforts to improve your website’s user experience, will mean that even if your traffic decreases, your conversion rate should

increase. In other words, a higher percentage of website visitors will fill out a form or otherwise engage.

PERSONALIZED MARKETING EXPERIENCE FOR USERS

ChatGPT can be used for personalized marketing by analyzing customer data and using that information to deliver targeted marketing messages. By analyzing past customer interactions and behavior, ChatGPT can identify patterns and preferences that can be used to create personalized marketing messages tailored to each customer and prospect. ChatGPT can use this data to send targeted emails, personalized product recommendations, and even interact through chatbots to provide personalized recommendations or special offers.

We are already seeing this in our personal lives. Spotify uses ChatGPT to analyze user data and make personalized music recommendations based on their listening habits. ChatGPT can analyze factors like the user's favorite genres, artists, and playlists and suggest new songs and playlists that are likely to interest them.

Personalized marketing can provide several benefits to businesses, including:

• Increased customer engagement: Personalized messages are more likely to resonate with customers and grab their attention, leading to increased engagement and brand loyalty.

• Higher conversion rates: Personalized marketing messages are more likely to result in conversions.

• Improved customer retention: Personalized marketing can help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers,

leading to increased customer retention and repeat business.

IMPROVED CUSTOMER SERVICE

With its ability to analyze and respond in real time, ChatGPT can provide fast and accurate answers to customers' questions, regardless of the time of day or the complexity of the inquiry. This means that businesses can reduce their reliance on human customer service agents, freeing up resources to focus on more complex issues and provide personalized service to customers who require it.

This will improve the overall customer experience and reduce frustration, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Additional benefits of using ChatGPT for customer service include:

• Increased efficiency: ChatGPT can handle multiple customer inquiries simultaneously, allowing businesses to provide fast and efficient service to a large number of customers at once. This can help reduce wait times and improve overall customer satisfaction.

• Cost savings: Using ChatGPT to handle customer service inquiries can be more cost-effective than hiring additional agents. This can help businesses reduce their staffing costs while still providing high-quality customer service.

• 24/7 availability: ChatGPT can operate 24/7, providing customers with access to help and support anytime. This can be particularly valuable for businesses that operate in multiple time zones or have customers located in different parts of the world.

A number of companies have embraced ChatGPT to power chat-

bots. For example, Wells Fargo uses ChatGPT to power its chatbot, Eno. Eno provides customers with fast and accurate answers to questions about their accounts. Eno can handle a wide range of inquiries, including account balances, transaction history, and transfer requests. Eno is available 24/7, which allows customers to get the help they need at any time.

WHAT SHOULD MEMBERS DO?

At Site-Seeker, learning about ChatGPT and how we integrate it into our approach to digital marketing and general business processes is a top priority. Through our innovation committee, we are constantly testing new tools and technologies.

Our recommendation is to embrace this technology now. Waiting means losing - losing search engine exposure, losing new business opportunities, and losing the opportunity to serve customers and prospects more efficiently.

Don’t sit this one out. You need to get in the game if you want to remain competitive going forward.

How To Take Action:

1. Content creation: ChatGPT can help generate unique and engaging content for your company's marketing campaigns. For example, it can be used to create blog posts, social media captions, and even video scripts.

2. Social media engagement: ChatGPT can be integrated into a company's social media channels to engage with customers in real-time. This can help answer customer queries, provide recommendations and feedback, and even help with sales.

3. Personalization: ChatGPT can be used to personalize the customer

experience by providing customized responses to customer queries and recommendations based on their preferences and previous interactions with the company.

4. Lead generation: ChatGPT can be used to collect customer information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and social media handles, which can then be used for targeted marketing campaigns.

5. Customer service: ChatGPT can be integrated into a company's customer service channels to provide automated support to customers. This can help reduce response time and improve the overall customer experience.  Site-Seeker has been researching and testing ChatGPT, and we’d love

to teach you the wealth of knowledge we’ve already discovered in a few short months. Let’s connect!

Brian Bluff is the CEO and co-founder of Site-Seeker. You can contact him by e-mail at brianbluff@site-seeker. com

Weidenhammer New Packaging Cares About Its Customers

BY COURTNEY KLESS

Weidenhammer New Packaging may be a small company (it has only 25 employees), but it has become the innovation leader for bulk ice cream packaging.

“Bulk ice cream packaging is all that we do. It consumes 100% of our focus,” said Sales Manager Mike Cockrum. “We pride ourselves on being the leaders in this space and that is something that we will continue to do.”

Arthur Weidenhammer founded the company in Germany in 1955. It eventually became Europe’s market leader for composite canisters. Weidenhammer expanded to the United States in 2001, and five years later, it was approached by an ice cream packaging company that wanted to eliminate the metal ring from the market.

“This ice cream packaging company did not have a bulk solution and they wanted to be able to offer one,” said Cockrum. “They knew that the metal rings were an issue, for processors and users alike, and they approached Weidenhammer to see if they could do it. There was already a brokerage that had designed the first machine to form a plastic ring drum, but there were quite a few flaws with it… So, Weidenhammer applied a modern manufacturing process and their world-class capabilities in ‘moving’ paper, and they launched their solution into the market, which was a more robust, simpler design, and user-friendly machine.”

In 2014, the company underwent another change, strategically partnering with Sonoco.

“We kind of broke off as a separate entity here in the states,” said Cockrum. “All we do is the bulk ice cream. So, we basically have our family-run roots from Germany, and the strength of a $7 billion company.”

Today, Weidenhammer offers the largest portfolio of in-plant non-metal bulk ice cream drum forming machines. It also manufactures all of the components of its metal-free bulk ice cream drums (they come in sizes ranging from 1.5 gallons to 5 gallons).

“We can accommodate what anyone wants in size, but our diameters will stay the same,” said Cockrum. “Our drums have a plastic ring that is friction-fit on top. Our sidewalls and bottoms are coated with a thin layer of poly and when heated, they bond and weld together. Our drums can hold water to accommodate for the wetter frozen dessert formulations, like sherbets or water ices. Additionally, we designed the industry’s only all paper 3-gallon drum with a fully automated forming machine, which can provide the lowest cost of ownership of any bulk ice cream solution in the market. We also utilize a digital printer, so we can offer retail-quality graphics for both the outside and inside of our drums…Our machines are renowned for the highest uptime, as well as the greatest use of maintenance and operator preference in the markets that we serve.”

But what truly sets Weidenhammer apart is its customer-centered approach.

“We listen to what specifically their demands are, what they like with what they’re doing right now, and what they don’t like – then we tailor our program to fit what works best for them,” said Cockrum.

To accommodate those demands, Weidenhammer has employed a number of solutions. The company currently has two machines that were inspired by its customers (“they were in need of something that we did not have, they told us what they were asking for, we went back to the drawing board, we designed machines specifically for them, and now we have 20 or 30 of them in the field,” said Cockrum). A few years ago, Weidenhammer also helped a customer by managing a project to alter the packaging material flow of their plant.

“You’ll find in the dairy industry that a lot of these dairies grow when they need to, they don’t plan to,” said Cockrum. “So, they filled the space up and said, ‘Ok, now we need to expand.’ They were looking at doing some brick and mortar, which would have cost them a lot of money. We walked around and noticed that they had a high ceiling warehouse, and we said, ‘Well, what if we went up?’ So, I went out and found a mezzanine company, I went out and found a conveyer company, and set their whole project up. We covered it from a capital expense (we paid for it, then they paid us back in terms that were manageable to them)…We go out of our way to find the right solution for each of our customers, and sometimes it means it’s not even us. And we’re ok with that. We will point them in the direction that’s best for them.”

And Weidenhammer is always willing to adapt.

“That’s what we’ve had to do from the beginning,” said Cockrum. “We may not always be the cheapest thing out

“We care about this industry, and we care about our customers. And we understand that if you stay content and if you stay comfortable, you fall behind, so we always continue to challenge ourselves to innovate and to grow – and we encourage our customers to come back and challenge us as well.”

– Mike Cockrum, sales manager, Weidenhammer New Packaging

there, but you’re going to know the difference when working with us, because you can tell we care. We care about this industry, and we care about our customers. And we understand that if you stay content and if you stay comfortable, you fall behind, so we always continue to challenge ourselves to innovate and to grow – and we encourage our customers to come back and challenge us as well. We even put language in our agreements that if the market shifts, and we are not able to accommodate, they’re free to go.”

“That hasn’t happened yet, and as long as we continue to innovate and grow, we are confident we can keep it that way.”

Courtney Kless is the Managing Editor of Northeast Dairy Media

MEMBER AND INDUSTRY NEWS

what’s right for the cooperative and our farmers, and to seeing Agri-Mark and our brands flourish and grow.”

NORTHEAST DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION, INC.

AGRI-MARK NAMES NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

In March, David Lynn was named President and CEO of Agri-Mark, ensuring a seamless leadership transition. Lynn had been serving as the organization’s interim CEO since September 2022.

Lynn has been with Agri-Mark for five years. He started as SVP Operations and was promoted to SVP Top Operations in September 2020. Lynn has nearly 28 years of experience in consumer packaged goods and food manufacturing. Prior to Agri-Mark, Lynn worked for the Kroger Company for 12 years, including three years as Vice President of Operations for Kroger’s subsidiary, Turkey Hill Dairy. Lynn’s experience includes roles with L’Oréal USA, Hillshire Farm, and seven years in the United States Navy.

“Leading Agri-Mark through this transition has been an honor,” said Lynn. “Now it’s time to continue the great work the leadership team has initiated over the last few months. I am committed to keeping our momentum going, to doing

CABOT CREAMERY/AGRI-MARK WIN BEST IN CLASS AT NATIONAL CHEESE & BUTTER COMPETITION

Cabot Creamery/Agri-Mark had five best in class finishes at the United States Championship Cheese Contest in February:

• Extra Creamy Premium Salted Butter

• 10% Plain Greek Yogurt

• Triple Cream Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt

• Agri-Mark Grade A Dairy Product Solids

• Agri-Mark Nonfat Dry Milk powder

The contest is considered the nation’s premier technical cheese, butter, and yogurt competition and it has been hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association biennially since 1981.

“Over the years, our cheese has won every major award for taste, which is a testament to our farmers, the high-quality milk they produce and our cheesemakers,” said Matt Mason, director of product strategy. “I was extremely proud to see our butter and Greek yogurt recognized at this level too. A lot of time, research and energy went into the development of these newer products, that have been selling really well. It’s validating to be recognized by not only the consumers, but the judges too.”

ORGANIC VALLEY WELCOMES NEW CEO, RECOGNIZED AS 2023 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR USA AWARD WINNER

Jeff Frank is the new chief executive officer of Organic Valley, the nation’s leading cooperative of small organic fam ily farms. Outgoing CEO Bob Kirchoff announced his retirement to the cooper ative in 2022, and his last day was Jan. 31.

Frank joins Organic Valley from a 25-year career at Hormel Foods, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a strong ability to drive business growth. He began his journey with Hormel Foods in 1998, holding various senior roles in prod uct and brand management. In 2009, he took on the role of vice president of marketing at MegaMex Foods. He was later promoted to president and CEO of MegaMex Foods, where he successfully led global supply chain efforts and brought successful consumer packaged goods to the market.

Organic Valley was also recognized as a winner of the 2023 Product of the Year USA Awards. Determined through a national study of 40,000 American shoppers in partnership with Kantar, a global leader in consumer research, Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted awards program centered around product innovation, and the Organic Valley Flavored Creamers were awarded the highly acclaimed honor of the best product within the Coffee Creamer category.

“It is an honor to be the first farmer-owned cooperative endorsed by Product of the Year,” said Jaclyn Cardin, Organic Valley chief brand officer. “Our team at Organic Valley set out to make everyday coffee better with a delicious, high-quality creamer that isn’t filled with artificial fillers and a laundry list of synthetic ingredients. Organic Valley creamers add a delicious and smooth flavor to coffee without overpowering

drinks and recipes. Receiving the Product of the Year red seal reinforces that we achieved that goal with our Flavored Creamers. And consumers can feel good knowing that every Organic Valley purchase helps save small organic family farms.”

LACTALIS USA WINS 20 MEDALS AT 2023 UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE CONTEST

Lactalis USA was recognized in February for dairy production expertise with 20 medals at the United States Championship Cheese Contest conducted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.

“We are honored to receive this industry recognition for our premier brands enjoyed by our customers and consumers,” said Esteve Torrens, chief executive officer of Lactalis USA. “This recognition highlights the dedication and hard work of our talented team of U.S. employees who strive every day to bring nutritious and quality products to the American consumer.”

Lactalis USA received medals for several products from its broad range of premier brands, including Galbani, Président, Kraft Natural Cheese, Cracker Barrel, Knudsen, Karoun, and Gopi. Lactalis USA received five gold medals, including for its Galbani Low Fat Ricotta, Président Double Crème Brie, Cracker Barrel Aged Reserve Cheddar Cheese, Karoun Greek Style Honey Yogurt, and Whey Protein Isolate.

FORMER CEO OF UPSTATE NIAGARA COOPERATIVE HONORED WITH IDFA LAUREATE AWARD

In January, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) recognized the remarkable leadership of Larry Webster, former CEO of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, by honoring him with the IDFA Laureate Award during the association’s annual Dairy Forum. Now in its fourth year, the IDFA Laureate Award is given to a leader in the dairy industry who has made significant, prolonged contributions to the development and growth of dairy. Candidates from across the dairy industry as well as suppliers and academics are eligible, and the awardee is chosen by a panel of industry professionals.

Webster served as chief executive officer of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. and general manager of O-AT-KA Milk Products. Webster’s career of more than 45 years has been spent working exclusively in agribusiness and spanned three Fortune 500 companies and one large independent. He joined Upstate Niagara in 2005, oversaw completion of

the merger of Upstate Farms Cooperative and Niagara Milk Cooperative, and led the organization through a period of tremendous growth. In addition, Webster served on the IDFA Executive Council, the IDFA Fluid Milk Board, and the Milk Industry Foundation Board of Directors. He is married with three children and eight grandchildren.

“There’s no higher award than award from peers,” said Webster. “I’ve been blessed throughout my career to be surrounded by talented, driven people. I’m so humbled and grateful to receive the IDFA Laureate Award.”

STEWART’S PARTICIPATION IN CHOWDER FEST PROVIDES MORE THAN 6,000 MEALS

Stewart’s Shops served more than 750 bowls of its new Southwest Corn Chowder at the Saratoga Chowder Fest.

It raised $1,545 at the event and presented a check to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to support their mission to feed those in need. This donation will provide more than 6,000 meals.

“The Regional Food Bank Food is a valuable community resource,” said Jennifer Frame, director of corporate philanthropy. “We recognize that food insecurity is a real problem in our communities there is so much need out there. The Regional Food Bank is a crucial resource for our communities, and we are proud to support them.”

Have you recently won an award? Do you have any new products coming out? Are you planning an expansion? Email

NORTHEAST DAIRY SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

KLÖCKNER PENTAPLAST GROUP ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGES

Klöckner Pentaplast, a global leader in recycled content products and high barrier protective packaging, announced that going into Scott Tracey’s fifth year with the company, the time has come for him to repatriate to the USA, and as such he is stepping down from his role as CEO. Tracey will continue to partner with SVP and will remain a resource to the Board.

The Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Roberto Villaquiran as its new CEO, effective April 3. Tracey will work closely with Villaquiran to ensure a successful handover of the business over the coming months.

Villaquiran joins kp from Canpack Group, where he served as CEO for the last four years. Prior to Canpack, Villaquiran also served as CEO of Logoplaste, following a more than 30-year tenure with Smurfit Kappa, a global market leader in the packaging industry. Villaquiran brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry and a solid track record of business growth and transformation.

HYDRITE® WINS WISCONSIN MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Hydrite®, an integrated manufacturer and supplier of chemicals and related services, was recognized as a Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award winner in the Mega Category for outstanding achievements in manufacturing.

The Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY) program recognizes the state’s top manufacturers of all sectors and sizes for their commitment to quality careers, good business practices, financial growth, innovative processes, and reinvestment into local communities. Four Grand Award winners, based on company size, were recognized. The Mega Category is defined as 500+ employees.

“My grandfather, R.C. Honkamp, said, ‘All of this is possible with the excellence of our people, Hydrite’s greatest asset, who are the foundation and driving force of our success and our future.’ For this reason, I dedicate the award to my grandfather and our employees,” said Hydrite President Kevin Honkamp. “It is an outstanding achievement and honor to receive this prestigious award. Congratulations to our fellow winners and all 28 nominees for their contributions to Wisconsin's manufacturing industry.”

BERRY GLOBAL CEO TO RETIRE AT END OF 2023

Berry Global Group, Inc., a leading supplier of packaging solutions for consumer goods and industrial products, announced that Thomas Salmon will retire as chief executive officer and chairman of the board effective Dec. 31, 2023.

“I am extremely proud of all that our talented team has accomplished as we continue to execute our strategy and trailblaze the industry by developing sustainable and innovative packaging, even during a period of unprecedented global disruption,” said Salmon. “Thanks to the continued hard work and dedication of the entire organization, I am confident the Company is well-positioned to continue to deliver significant value for all stakeholders.”

FARM CREDIT AWARDS EFFORTS TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE NORTHEAST AGRICULTURE

The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program, a joint effort of Farm Credit East and CoBank, recently provided $65,000 in grant funding to 17 organizations to assist their efforts to support young and beginning farmer initiatives, encourage youth leadership development, promote diversity equity and inclusion, and advance northeast agriculture, forestry, and commercial fishing.

In the latest round of grants, recipients implementing projects to support young and beginning farmer initiatives, youth leadership development, and educational opportunities include: Maine Agriculture in the Classroom; Connecticut FFA Association; New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom; the New Jersey Agricultural Society; New Jersey 4-H Youth Development Program; Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire; the Northeast Cooperative Council; The Horticultural Society of New York; New Jersey Breeders Association through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture; and the University of Massachusetts.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ►

Other programs focused on promoting diversity and inclusion and advancing northeast agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing include: CNY Fiber Arts Festival; Foodshed Alliance’s Sustainable Agriculture Enterprise program; Isle’s, Inc., a community development and environmental non-profit; Maine Farmland Trust; New York Restoration Project; and the Vermont Foodbank, including the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program.

VIVOLAC INTRODUCES NEW “INFUZE” LINE OF FLAVOR CULTURES

Vivolac Culture Corporation has introduced their new line of flavor cultures called “INFUZE.” Vivolac’s award winning cultures have already been used for years to produce a wide array of cheeses, but the company sees more and more adjuncts being used to enhance flavor.

“Time and time again our customers are asking us to give them something that makes their products unique,” said Aaron Miller, who heads up Vivolac’s sales team. “We also see artisan producers who are trying to set themselves apart from larger companies to gain market shares, and large companies who are trying to break into the Artisan markets with flavors that really grab the end consumers.”

Some of the early blends released will be: Alpine, Sweet, Gouda, and Parm.

STANPAC ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION

Stanpac is pleased to announce that it has acquired J.I.T. Manufacturing Inc. of Patterson New Jersey. The purchase, which closed on Jan. 31, complements Stanpac’s ice cream novelty packaging products and broadens its packaging offerings into the confectionary market with U board packaging and bases for cakes and bakery products. JIT, founded in 1989, specializes in Rotary Die Cutting, Slitting/Rewinding, and Flexographic Printing.

“We are pleased to have the JIT team join our Stanpac family,” said Matt Witt, Stanpac co-president.

“We look forward to working with new customers and existing partners, and are very pleased with the additional product offerings,” added Andrew Witt, Stanpac co- president.

TREMCAR USA EXPANDS

Tremcar USA will construct a new manufacturing building in Strasburg, Ohio and is expanding its service center to welcome two additional bays. The construction of the new building, which will include three new production lines, is scheduled to be in operation by the end of summer 2023. The

extra 20,000 square feet of manufacturing space is devoted to the production of aluminum DOT 406 tankers. As for the service center, the extra 5,000 square feet of surface area will be more than welcomed as the need for maintenance and repair space is pressing.

“Established since 1998 in the United States, and since 2004 in Ohio, it is time we invest to renovate our installations to meet greater demands from our customers in the USA,” said Daniel Tremblay, president of the Tremcar group.

PACTIV EVERGREEN AND AMSTY LAUNCH CIRCULAR POLYSTYRENE FOOD PACKAGING PRODUCTS

To help major food brands achieve important sustainability goals, Pactiv Evergreen, a leading manufacturer of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America, is teaming up with AmSty, the leading manufacturer of polystyrene in North America and a pioneer in circular recycling of polystyrene. Pactiv Evergreen will soon offer customers innovative foam polystyrene packaging products with AmSty’s post-consumer recycled content derived from advanced recycling technologies.

“Pactiv Evergreen produces thousands of products in more than a dozen materials that protect, package and display fresh food and beverages,” said Eric Wulf, president of Pactiv Evergreen’s food merchandising business unit. “Our broad material expertise enables us to support our customers quickly and effectively as they seek more sustainable products. Our collaboration with AmSty expands our portfolio of circular packaging, and we’re pleased to offer this solution to our customers.”

Based on a mass-balance approach, select Pactiv Evergreen packaging will use ISCC PLUS-certified recycled polystyrene from AmSty. ISCC PLUS is an internationally recognized certification process for circular content, which audits the supply chain from end-to-end. Consumers can feel confident about purchasing a product linked to ISCC PLUS-certified recycled content derived from advanced recycling technologies.

WELCOME

NEW MEMBERS

The following new members recently joined Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc., or the 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 lz@nedairyfoods.org.

C & D DAIRY ENTERPRISES

Yechiel Laufer, CEO

jlaufer@millroaddairy.com

12 Hill Road

Whitehouse Station, New Jersey

(845) 659-9240

HAYNES MANUFACTURING CO.

Tammy Doctor, Sales & Marketing Coordinator

sales@haynesmfg.com

24142 Detroit Road

Westlake, Ohio

(800) 992-2166

PAK-TEC, INC.

Mitch Davey

Sales Development Manager

mitchdavey@pak-tec.com

2031 Carolina Place Drive

Fort Mill, South Carolina

(808) 831-2099

PROVISION ANALYTICS

Dana Slagle

VP U.S. Partnerships

dana.slagle@provision.io

1215 13 St. SE #201

Calgary, Canada (720) 492-5885

QUALITRU SAMPLING SYSTEMS

Barbara Grayes Vice President Sales

barbara@qualitru.com

471 Hayward Ave. North Oakdale, Minnesota

THE VINCIT GROUP

Adam Powell Marketing Specialist

adam.powell@vincitgroup.com

412 Georgia Ave.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

(888) 484-6248

ZEE DAIRY

Rick Rector

Director of CIP & Dairy rick.rector@vincitgroup.com

412 Georgia Ave., Suite 300

Chattanooga, Tennessee (423) 208-5898

NEW PRODUCTS

NEW LOW RATE VACUUM RECEIVER FROM SCHENCK PROCESS PROVIDES HIGHLY ACCURATE AND CONTROLLED FLOW OF MATERIALS

The new Low Rate Vacuum (LRV) Receiver is an NFPA compliant, 1.8 ft³ (50L) capacity vacuum conveying system that offers a cleaner operating environment for handling both raw materials and finished products. It can be easily integrated into a wide range of production processes by incorporating the world leading technologies of Schenck Process pneumatic conveying with feeders, bulk bag unloaders, bag dump stations, and drum dumpers. The LRV can also be integrated in extruder lines, small injection, blow molding and film producing processes as well as handling minor additives for mixing and PVC blending towers. By incorporating the LRV, a highly accurate and controlled flow of materials is achieved for these applications.

The LRV is designed in both industrial and hygienic models. Each is equipped with an 8” outlet and can convey materials up to 5,000 pounds per hour and provide contamination free transfer of materials. The LRV is equipped with three T-bolts that secures the top lid in place. Each bolt can be loosened by hand providing access to the filters, tubesheet and hopper for easy servicing and cleaning. Hygienic models of the LRV have the 3-A RPSCQC designation for (39-01) Pneumatic Conveyors for Dry Products and have interior and exterior finishes that meet 3-A sanitary requirements.

For easy operation and precisely controlled flow of bulk solids in multiple process applications the new industrial and hygienic models of the LRV are the ideal solution.

ECOLAB PARTNERS WITH THE HOME DEPOT TO LAUNCH CONSUMER RETAIL PRODUCT LINE

Ecolab has partnered with The Home Depot, a home improvement retailer with more than 2,300+ stores throughout North America, to launch of a new consumer retail product line, Ecolab® Scientific Clean, that offers cleaning solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential use that is available exclusively at The Home Depot.

“Every day, in countries all over the world, restaurants, hospitals, and hotels put their trust in Ecolab products to keep their kitchens, operating theaters and guest rooms clean,” said Darrell Brown, president and chief operating officer. “For the very first time, our new Ecolab Scientific Clean products will bring 100 years of expertise and innovation to Home Depot customers.”

The new line of Ecolab Scientific Clean products across four categories – degreasers, pressure washer concentrates, floor care, and bathroom cleaners – is now available at The Home Depot. Ecolab’s science-backed products, proven to get the job done right the first time, are a perfect fit for not only professionals in the home improvement industry, but also DIY consumers.

NEW ALFA LAVAL THINKTOP V20 PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF VALVE POSITION INDICATION TO INDUSTRY 4.0

The new Alfa Laval ThinkTop V20, the next generation of hygienic valve indication units, is driving digital transformation within the process industries. Moving valve position monitoring into the Industry 4.0 era delivers competitive advantage. With automation, digitalization and real-time communication, the ThinkTop V20 raises the bar on process control, making it more reliable and accurate while saving time and money on installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance.

The ThinkTop V20 is the first pure valve-sensing unit that is maintenance-free and does not require manual adjustment or programming. It enables 360° LED visual status indication from all directions. It also provides convenient control-room monitoring of the real-time status of Alfa Laval hygienic valves used across the dairy, food, beverage, home and personal care, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and many other industries.

“The intuitive ThinkTop V20 is a faster, more intelligent valve indication unit than what is available today,” says Ebbe Bundesen, portfolio manager, valves and automation, Alfa Laval. “It brings reliable process control to a higher level with fast, accurate, intuitive live setup, the convenience of real-time valve position monitoring, and access to real-time and historical data from the control room. Overall, it is an invaluable time and money-saver considering the efficiency demand factories are facing.”

RELCO INTRODUCES NEW PILOT SPRAY DRYER FOR SMALL AND LARGE-SCALE TESTING

RELCO®, a Koch Separation Solutions company, announced the launch of the Parvus™ pilot spray dryer for use in a range of food applications. The system is available as the Parvus Nomad, a single-stage dryer designed for trial batches and smaller production volumes up to 10 kg (22 lb) of water evaporation, or the Parvus Multi-Stage dryer which incorporates a wide body design and handles larger production volumes of up to 25 kg (55 lb) of water evaporation. The pilot spray dryer is intended to offer full flexibility to customers seeking initial testing capabilities and future scalability, with the potential to integrate with other pilot technology to create data for full-scale planning.

“Through our design process, it was important to consider every aspect from our customer’s point of view, from ease of use, maneuverability, space constraints and overall footprint, to transport and shipping considerations,” said Ross Henjum, director of RELCO Evaporation, Drying & Powder Process Engineering. “These pilot spray drying systems offer the same moisture control and powder manipulation abilities as our full-scale spray drying systems, but at a size that caters to our customer’s small scale and trial needs.”

The systems are designed with components pre-attached to the skid which allows for quick setup and take-down. Each system also fits completely within one or two shipping containers, including add-on options such as a fluid bed, baghouse, and product preheaters.

BENEFITS OF ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND INDUSTRY CONSULTANT SUPPORT

Legislative Representation Through Executive Lobbying and Networking

Safety and Environmental Information

Economic Analysis and Forecasting

Continuing Education and Certification Opportunities

Industry Spokesperson

Emergency Preparedness

NETWORKING AND MEETING EVENTS

Annual Northeast Dairy Convention

Contact Booth at the Annual Convention

Annual Dairy Industry Clambake

Hospitality and Sponsorship Opportunities

Annual Charity Golf Outing Fundraiser

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Quarterly copy of Northeast Dairy Magazine

Direct Customer Advertising Opportunities

Industry Scholarship Program

Membership Directory with Key Contacts in the Dairy Industry

Digital Buyers Guide

Weekly Dairy Newsletter

ADVOCACY

An association represents your interests before your government leaders, industry and business community. If your business/industry faces major threats or needs support, our association is right there on the front line fighting for you.

NETWORKING

Association events, meetings and member directories make networking a reality for you and your peers. This is the one advantage many view as the most important reason to join!

Leanne’s Kitchen

Comfort Food Made with Delicious Dairy

Beer Cheese Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 ounces white cheddar cheese (shredded, divided)

• 2 ounces cream cheese

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ½ cup beer

• Salt and pepper (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Add all but ½ cup of the white cheddar cheese and cream cheese to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.

3. Whisk in the garlic powder, Dijon mustard, and beer until evenly blended and smooth, stirring almost constantly to prevent it from burning. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the cheese mixture to a small oven proof skillet or baking dish and top with the reserved cheese.

5. Heat under the broiler until bubbly and starting to brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Many of our members may know Leanne Ziemba as the business operations manager for the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc. and the Northeast Dairy Food Suppliers, Inc., in our N. Syracuse, New York office. But we’ve discovered she also is queen of the kitchen, as she has some delicious recipes that include fresh, wholesome dairy products.

What is a B Corp?

BY ERIKA ANDERSON-PUTMAN

What do Cabot Creamery,  King Arthur Baking Company and  Ben & Jerry’s have in common? Besides all being Vermont-based companies, they’re all certified B Corps too. Vermont, with the highest number of B Corps per capita, has become a home for many purpose-driven businesses. And if you’re asking yourself, what is a Benefit Corporation or  B Corp? You’re not alone. According to a recent study, only ⅓ of adults know what mighty icon means.

To celebrate national B Corp month (in March), we created this guide to educate our community about the work we do. Below you’ll learn what they are, who they are, what their purpose is, and most importantly, why they matter.

WHAT IS A B CORPORATION?

B Corps are companies that have achieved a third party certification by the non-profit B Lab. These companies reach a minimum score that guarantees the companies are performing well for their communities, workers, and the environment. B Lab was founded in 2006 by three friends who believed that businesses could be a force for good and drive positive change in the world. Nearly two decades later, the B Corp movement has grown into a global movement, with over 6,000 businesses (and counting) that have achieved B Corp certification throughout North America, South America and Europe.

WHY DO THEY MATTER?

B Corps should matter to you because you matter to them! Instead of a business existing solely for profit, B Corps prioritize people, planet and profit equally. As a farmer-owned cooperative, this approach really resonated with us. We’re committed to our farmer-owners, our employees, stewarding the land for future generations and producing award-winning dairy products.

WHY DOES THE B CORP CERTIFICATION MATTER?

A lot of companies can claim to be environmentally conscious, or support their communities, but aren’t showing up the way they promised. B Corps are. When you see the B Corp logo on a  snowboard or a  yogurt container, you can trust that this company has been rigorously tested and held accountable by a neutral third party. So, you can feel good knowing that the company does good.

HOW DOES A COMPANY BECOME A B CORP?

To certify, B Lab grades companies on a 200 point scale across several categories including, community, governance, environment, workers, and customers. Companies must receive a minimum of 80 points to pass and are required to renew every three years. Each time you recertify, the assessment gets harder, as a way to challenge B Corps to keep improving.

WHO MAKES UP THE B CORP COMMUNITY?

B Corps can be found in virtually every industry, from creameries to chocolatiers to craft skincare to consulting agencies. To date, over 6,000 companies across the world have become B Corps. Some of them include  Burton,  Patagoni,  Cabot Creamery,  Seventh Generation, Bombas, Aveda, and Tony’s Chocolonely

WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE?

B Corps are purpose driven and many have made a public commitment to support and address a systemic issue in the world, whether it’s the environment, racial justice or food justice. Here at Cabot, we believe that  farms and the food they produce are vital to our communities, culture, and landscape. By using the freshest milk from our family farms, crafting our products with both tradition and innovation, and giving back 100% of profits to our members, our co-operative makes award-winning cheese and dairy prod-

CABOT’S B CORP JOURNEY

Cabot became a certified B Corp in 2012, and was the world’s first dairy co-operative to certify. As a farmer owned co-operative, we know the value of peer to peer relationships. The opportunity to be part of a network of other purpose driven businesses that would both inspire and challenge appealed to us.

Over the last 10 years, our farms and facilities have received awards for their sustainability efforts. We’ve joined the US Dairy Stewardship’s commitment to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050. We’re active in our communities, making donations to organizations that align with Cabot’s commitment to nourish communities, foster cooperative relationships, and steward the land.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we’re excited for what’s next.

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Erika Anderson-Putman is B Team and marketing coordi-

Top 8 Questions When Evaluating Automation Solutions

BY RSM US

When looking for automation solutions, it’s easy to get caught up in the allure of the technology, believing software alone will solve the problem. Too often, however, this thinking leads to only treating the symptom without fixing the root cause, resulting in frustrated users, concerned stakeholders and a less than satisfactory ROI.

Before deciding on any automation solution, take a step back and analyze the end-to-end process to determine where the problem really lies. Confirm that the process is optimized and applies leading practices prior to applying any technology. Then you can move forward and choose the solution(s) that will give you a big payback across your full business process.

With the right tools in place, business automation software can help significantly reduce the time, cost and risk of your business processes, deliver a better  customer and employee experience, and poise your organization for growth and scale.

The answers to the following eight common questions will help you better evaluate whether a business automation solution is right for your middle market business.

1. DOES THIS SOLUTION ADDRESS OUR REAL PROBLEM?

The first thing to consider is whether your problem is really where you think it is. Let’s look at a hypothetical example. Someone in your finance department says to you, “Every

month I go out and I pull this information from one system, this information from a second system and this information from yet another system. I put it in this spreadsheet, I analyze it and then I create a report. Can you automate the piece of pulling the information from each of those three sources and putting it on this spreadsheet so I can just do the analysis?”

There’s an automation solution that’ll do that for you.

Problem solved?

Maybe not.

By conducting an assessment, you may discover that the right answer is to somehow house that data in one place or reconfigure your systems so that it’s all in one system and not in three. A completely different front-end solution that isn’t related to automation at all might be the better answer than automating the broken process that’s only a symptom of the real problem.

2. HOW SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT ALL THE AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL?

The easiest way to think about automation solutions is to categorize them in three different domains.

Fit-for-purpose: off-the-shelf, packaged software that focuses on solving or automating a specific function, process or type of activity

Platforms: software offering a set of capabilities that can be configured to meet different use cases and requirements

Integration technologies: solutions that provide

inter-system connectivity for data exchange

Before you begin evaluating solutions, you’ll want to determine the goal you hope to achieve and then identify the automation solutions that match that goal.

3. HOW CAN AUTOMATION HELP WITH TALENT CHALLENGES?

When looking at the bigger picture, sometimes the root causes of inefficiencies lie outside of an organization. For instance, perhaps you work with a supplier or customer and must interact with their technology environment. Automation can help overcome the challenges caused by not having the right people and skills to do the work, whether that’s due to talent shortages, skills gaps, retirements, tight budgets caused by inflationary and/or recessionary pressures or changing worker expectations.

In today’s extremely competitive labor market, employees or job candidates are seeking roles that focus on high-value activities rather than on repetitive, manual tasks that can be accomplished through automation. To address this, it’s critical to have strong automation capabilities to help attract and retain top talent.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER:

Do you already have the right tools?

With a thorough assessment, you may discover that technology solutions you’re already using have capabilities you haven’t tapped. In today’s SaaS environment, technology vendors are releasing functionality with regular frequency—and your subscription pays for it! It’s not uncommon to find you already own a solution within your organization that can be further leveraged or optimized.

4. HOW CAN AUTOMATION IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER AND EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE?

Middle market businesses understand that delivering an excellent customer experience (CX) is crucial to winning new customers and increasing customer loyalty—and, ultimately, driving revenue. Delivering that extraordinary experience typically requires having the right people, processes and technology in the right place at the right time. Implementing an incomplete or wrong automation solution can potentially create a worse customer experience than having no automation solution at all. For example, a chatbot that can’t answer customer inquiries and doesn’t offer an option to speak with a human can drive customers away from your business rather

than engage them.

Conversely, an  AI-powered chatbot that can continually add to its knowledge base may be the preferred communications channel if it can answer customers’ questions at 3 a.m. Solutions like these also free staff to provide more personalized service in more complex situations, increasing the value of their work and their employee experience (EX)—and helping you attract and retain top talent.

5. HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF OUR AUTOMATION SOLUTION INVESTMENT?

All too often, companies implement a single-point automation solution only to find that it hasn’t added value. If these solutions are treated simply as tools, it’s difficult to realize the value you’re expecting.

From this tactical perspective, the business may view a solution as a “cool tool” that goes out and does these tasks in this tiny pocket of the business. Treated this way, the ROI won’t align with expectations and will remain limited.

A better way to approach automation is to embrace it as a strategic capability that will enable a digital-first mindset for your organization. Elevating automation to this level provides a new “lever” for the organization to use when implementing new services beyond the traditional approach of adding more people.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER:

Automation as a springboard When a service provider relies on a client’s data to serve that client, automated data management processes can provide value for both parties. For example, a tax compliance provider that automates data ingestion can spare both its client and its employees the time-consuming, low-value tasks of data gathering and cleaning. This can also improve transparency and reduce the risk of human error in moving data. And when data analytics systems complement the automation solutions, the efficiencies gained can translate to timely insights

6. CAN THIS SOLUTION INTEGRATE WITH OUR EXISTING SYSTEMS?

Solutions that promise streamlined workflows will not be able to deliver without a big investment in time and resources if they don’t integrate easily with the other tools and systems you already have in place.

This is an example of why it’s so important to look at your

entire organization, assess your current systems and workflows and then choose solutions that work with what you already have. Before you dive into a solution, make sure you won’t have to do extensive customization or switch to entirely new systems in other areas to make your new automation solution do what it’s supposed to do: Make your life easier.

You also want to assess how easily the automation solution can be applied to other use cases in your business.

7. HOW CAN WE HELP ENSURE ADOPTION OF THE SOLUTION?

Inherent in any operating model change is culture change. When you automate business processes, it will change the work your employees do as well as the way they do it. Even when it’s a positive change, though, it can be hard to get people to buy in and transform the way they approach their work. Simply put: Change is hard. To help ensure your automation transformation is successful, you’ll need champions to drive the adoption process from start to finish and continue enforcing “the why” behind the use of the solution.

8. HOW CAN AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE HELP?

Getting an outside-in perspective adds tremendous value. The right advisor can help you through any and all stages of assessment and discovery through implementation and ongoing support.

Even if you have resources with acumen and bandwidth to drive execution, consider the creation of a blueprint and long-term road map up front by outside advisers to be wellworth the investment. In addition, working with an outside advisor through at least the first few phases establishes a foundation for continued success: They’ll provide a framework of automation, the governance of it, the data behind it, upskilled resources, the intake process, the evaluation and prioritization of new use cases and more. Transforming your organization to embrace automation is a journey, and expertise and fresh perspective will start your journey on a good pace with an eye to where you’re heading.

Northeast Dairy Online Buyers guide

CATEGORIES

Dairy Producers can nd suppliers that will help their businesses run more pro tably and ef ciently.

• Co-Packing/Private Label

• Distribution and Transportation

• Ingredients

• R&D Quality Control

• Packaging

• Process Equipment

• Sanitation and Maintenance

• Service and Supplies

ARTICLES

Weekly articles announcing the latest and greatest technologies from key industry suppliers. Classi ed listings offering deals on used equipment.

NDSA CATALOGS

And much more!

This article was shared with permission from RSM US.

Four Tips to Keep your Data Secure

BY DEANNA PELLEGRINO

There are many ways we use technology — from desktop computers and laptops, to tablets, smartphones or smartwatches. And unfortunately, all of these devices pose security risks. It’s important to understand these risks and the steps you can take to reduce your risk of a data privacy breach. Following are four tips to ensure your private, personal information remains secure.

1. INSTALL UPDATES

No matter the device, cyber criminals will always try to find an easy way to hack into them. Every device runs an operating system. Make sure you are always on the most recent operating system by updating your software when you see the option pop up on your screen. Some updates are automatic, while others require you to approve or schedule it. Updates to your operating system ensure that you have the most recent protection against security flaws.

2. PASSWORD-PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

It’s important to use a password to get into your system, even on a mobile device. If your device is not password protected, there is a higher likelihood that your personal information can be compromised.

In addition to using a passcode on your mobile device and/or password to access your computer, multi-factor authentication will provide further protection. Multi-factor authentication

works by requiring two forms of identification to access a system. For example, after typing password to log in to an application, the application prompts for additional verification, such as a code sent to your mobile device via text message. You will have to provide both your password and the verification code to log into the application to ensure that you are who you say you are. This type of multi-factor authentication exists on both desktop and mobile devices.

3. ONLY INSTALL APPS FROM TRUSTED SOURCES AND RESTRICT APP ACCESS

Unique to mobile devices are apps. While there are thousands of mobile apps, some are more secure than others. Both the Apple Store (for Apple devices) and the Google Play Store (for Android devices) conduct security checks on all apps before they are made available for download. However, Android allows users to download apps from other sources. We highly recommend not downloading these apps. Cyber criminals can easily create and distribute mobile apps that can infect your mobile devices and steal your data. Further, many apps collect unnecessary information from your device, such as access to track your location or access to your contact list, microphone, camera, and often even your photos. When you enable these permissions, it may allow the creator of the app to share or sell that information to others which can leave you at risk of losing your personal information. Restricting

applications from accessing your data and deleting any unnecessary apps will keep your device most secure.

4. BEWARE OF PHISHING ATTEMPTS

Phishing emails remain the largest cause of a data breach. Every individual with an email account has likely received an email that appears as though it comes from a legitimate source, but it is truly an impersonation from a cybercriminal. These emails are known as phishing emails and cybercriminals are hoping to trick you into clicking on them and supplying passwords, credit card information or other personal information they can use against you.

Whenever a phishing email is opened and a malicious link or attachment is clicked, there is a risk of a data breach. Email threats can be received on any device, so it’s important to second guess the authenticity of any email you receive before clicking on it — and especially before opening any attachments!

Deanna Pellegrino is the information security specialist at Farm Credit East, a member of the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, Inc. A version of this article originally appeared on the cooperative’s Today’s Harvest Blog

Herbein Q+A 360 Edition: Recruitment and Retention Today

BY SCOTT G. SMITH

Every business is grappling with talent attraction and retention right now.

This significant challenge is compounded by current factors such as workforce demographics, the ratio of people exiting versus entering the workforce, and labor participation and unemployment rates. Taken together, attracting and retaining talent will continue to be complex for the foreseeable future.

Interested in seeing where your organization stacks up in talent attraction and retention? Take our brief (and FREE) 25-question  Team Attraction and Retention Diagnostic, powered by mindshop.

HOW DO YOU INCREASE CANDIDATE INTEREST?

Proactively plan, rather than then reacting to unexpected openings. You need to understand what our future workforce requirements are going to be. Factor in retention challenges and skill requirements and build relationships to proactively fill those positions.

Develop a strong branded value proposition with your marketing group. Gone are the days when we could post a position on a website. Today, recruiting mirrors marketing and branding. When recruiting, you are competing with other similar organizations, so you need to scan your competition and give potential employees a reason (beyond financial) to change. Once these key value propositions are developed, share them on social media and equip your current employees with messaging and tools to be “recruiters.”

Understand the candidate experience all the way through the hiring process, the job research stage, the application process, the selection process, and all the way

through to onboarding. These processes may be outdated and in need of reflection. Candidate expectations today are different than they were just a few short years ago. You now need to measure your process and see how they align with candidate expectations. When you meet and exceed these expectations, you have a much better chance of success.

TIPS FOR RETAINING TALENT

Listening to your employees is essential in keeping them. Since employee retention is a dynamic issue, implementing listening posts, such as surveys, to understand your employees’ perspectives and perceptions is necessary for developing individualized plans. Think of retention as you think about customer service (customer retention).

Evidence shows the number one reason people leave companies is due to a poor manager or team culture. Unlike employee recruitment which relies on the value proposition, compensation levels, and company values, employee retention is much more reliant on the “day-to-day” within a company culture. Developing those management skills is essential

RETENTION IS A BROAD ISSUE: HOW DO WE KNOW IF OUR EFFORTS ARE EFFECTIVE?

Ask, listen, acknowledge, and act. You need to understand the company culture at a team level, you can task a team manager with facilitating a process of continuously improving those things which are creating a negative employee experience and leveraging those things that are creating a positive employee experience.

Repeat and continuously improve. When measuring the impact of your changes, it is important to be consistent over time. A pulse survey on a focused area can show the impact in a shorter horizon, while a consistent yearly survey can show the impact on a team level. It is important to get into the cycle of surveying, analyzing your responses, and proactively responding at a team level.

Measure “Employee Referral Rate.” Reward the behavior of referrals not hiring and retention. Make rewards emotionally engaging and memorable. If employees aren’t talking to friends and family, it is either because they are unable or unwilling.

Launching a Website?

Here’s What You Need to Know

Tips for tackling your new website project and best practices to improve website speed, performance, and optimization

BY BRIAN BLUFF

Websites have come a long way over the past two decades.

It might sound cliché, but things were a lot easier then.

It was possible to get away with a simple site and basic search engine optimization (SEO) before seeing loads of success in terms of traffic, form fills, and sales.

Like anything in the technology world, things have gotten a lot more complicated.

Websites can now be fully customized and come equipped with all sorts of rich features that can improve customer experience.

It’s important that website managers are mindful of the necessary steps involved in properly launching and maintaining a website – lest they run the risk of seeing negative impacts in search engine rankings and conversion rates.

The Importance of Websites

Despite a rapidly changing landscape, websites continue to be the lifeblood of most organizations’ marketing programs.

Marketing and sales can take place in all sorts of places and platforms – from in-person to social media to email –but websites remain the “home base” where conversions take

place.

That’s why so much time, effort, and resources are put into websites.

B2B companies should continue building a new website every 3-5 years.

That’s because, over that time, company goals may be updated, trends tend to change, new features become popular, Google’s algorithm is tweaked, companies go through branding redoes, and sometimes, it’s good just to have a fresh new look.

BEFORE GOING LIVE

There are a number of items that go into building a new website. Most teams follow a similar process. It usually consists of some version of the following:

• Planning

• Sitemap

• Wireframe

• Design

• Development

• SEO and content

• Testing

• Tracking setup

• Launch

It can be an intense amount of work, especially if the website is large.

But beyond those notable steps/items, here are some other – often overlooked – areas to be mindful of.

1. Choosing a Theme

Most websites sit on some sort of content management system (CMS). WordPress is the most popular of the bunch – powering more than 450 million websites and the clear market share leader. Websites built through WordPress (or another CMS) can be either custom-built or lean on a templated framework. Templates, sometimes called Themes, have grown in popularity as the number of options and features has become almost endless.

The unfortunate truth is that many Themes look great but perform horribly. They come equipped with too many features (in an attempt to cater to a diverse set of businesses) and sacrifice speed and performance as a result. It’s important you start with a Theme that doesn’t have bloated code and offers top-tier performance.

2. Hosting

Unlike your domain (which is the name of your website and purchased through a domain registrar), hosting is where your website resides and where the files are digitally stored. Every website requires a hosting environment. And there’s a number of them out there to choose from.

It’s wise to consider where you host your site, how much storage space you need, and whether you can use a shared environment or require one that’s dedicated. A VPS, or virtual private server, offers a dedicated or private server and can improve website speed and security.

3. SSL

SSL stands for “secure sockets layer.” If a site has an SSL certificate, there will be a little lock icon next to the domain name within the browser.

SSL is a protocol for establishing authenticated and encrypted links between networked computers. Simply put, it helps make your site more secure.

It’s an absolute must for sites that invite users to submit information – either by way of form or transaction.

It’s still highly recommended for any other site, too, since it provides peace of mind for users and is used as a ranking signal for SEO. Cost is minimal – about $50 for the year – and would normally be set up at the host level.

4. Redirects

When companies move from an old site to a new one, there are naturally going to be pages that are either deleted or moved. In both cases, redirects need to be used. This tells both search engines and users where the new pages are located and avoids 404 errors. Beyond that, internal links should be reviewed and corrected if they use testing or staging URLs. And www vs non-www domains should have site-wide redirects implemented.

5. SMTP and Email

SMTP stands for “simple mail transfer protocol.” It’s a protocol used to more securely (and with more accuracy) send emails from account to account. By enabling it at the website level, it helps improve the process of receipts of successful form submissions being sent via email to end-users (either notification emails for internal team members or external confirmations to those who submitted). Set up SMTP and update your form software with the appropriate credentials.

AFTER GOING LIVE

A new website is like a new car.

You wouldn’t walk off the lot without a plan to properly maintain it, right?

It needs to be kept clean. You need to fuel it with premium gas. You need to get it inspected at least once a year. You should rust-proof it, change the tires, and swap out filters on a regular basis.

Treat your business website the same way.

It’s an engine that needs to be fueled. A machine that needs upkeep.

By maintaining it, your website will perform better and faster, and warrant higher quality results for your business.

1. Plugins

Plugins are pieces of software that can be added to a website to provide extra features or functionality. With an open-source CMS like WordPress, there are tons of available plugins.

Some bad, some good, some free, some paid.

Some plugins can impact performance. In particular, these can improve site speed through caching or code optimization. Some examples for WordPress include WP Super Cache, Autoptimize, and Async JS.

2. CDN

Website speed is a critical component today for SEO. It’s one of the factors Google is now looking at as part of its core web vitals update (issued in summer 2021) when deciding on how it ranks websites in its search engine result pages.

CND stands for “content delivery network.” This is a shared group of servers where images or other rich media reside. When loading, these media files are called in from a location on the delivery network closest to the visitor. And it usually allows them to load faster and improves overall site speed.

3. Updates

It’s important to continually check a website for updates. That goes for both the website Theme and the plugins being used. Both have regular updates. You’ll want to install the updates but also make sure there are no conflicts between existing plugins or with the Theme, as this could negatively affect the website. Check for updates but regularly monitor.

4. Web Accessibility

One in five people has some sort of disability today. It’s important that websites are built/updated in such a way that allows better accessibility for all types of users.

Not only is it a best practice, but it’s required by law.

By building your site with web accessibility in mind or leaning on a third-party web accessibility tool, you can help your site become more compliant and reduce the risk of an ADA-related lawsuit. It can help with SEO too.

5. Ongoing SEO and Content

Without content, your website would be an empty shell. Nothing to look at, nothing to experience.

Naturally, you’ll need to perform content and SEO work ahead of launch – or else nothing will be on your site. It’s best to start with a keyword strategy and build (or re-build) your

content based on those areas of focus. You’ll also want to write custom title and description tags, alt tags (for images), and proper headlines (H1, H2, etc.) with those keywords in mind.

Consider rich snippets, too (code-level markup that tells search engines what type of content to expect on certain pages).

SEO and content aren’t done when the site goes live, though ...

Search engines dislike stale sites, and it’s important to constantly write new content that’s optimized and can drive more and better visitors to the site.

Keep relevancy in mind at all times. Make sure your keywords and the content you are choosing to create will resonate with your target audience.

Consider blogs, articles, case studies, additional product pages, event listings, and team bios, which are some examples of pages that may appeal to your audience and can help play a role in driving traffic and conversions.

SUMMARY

In marketing and sales, it’s understood that there are many touchpoints to making a sale.

Regardless of the business, the website is almost always involved in that process. Whether that’s part of the awareness, research, consideration, or purchase (or all four!), the website acts as a cornerstone within the buyers’ journey.

That’s why it needs to be treated with high levels of attention and care, both during the website build and as part of ongoing management.

Website managers often overlook critical steps throughout a website’s life cycle.

This list highlights some of the important areas to take into consideration to increase the speed and performance of your site, which leads to greater levels of traffic, conversions, and, ultimately, more sales.

Brian Bluff is the CEO and co-founder of Site-Seeker. You can contact him by e-mail at brianbluff@site-seeker.com

for the Dairy Industry TRENDS Search Engine

Part 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

EGGS

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.

Average Search Volume has decreased 5.5% YoY

Average Search Volume has increased 23.8% over the past five years

RELATED SEARCH QUERIES

1. Cream cheese

2. Cottage cheese

3. Cheese dip

4. Cheddar cheese

Average Search Volume has decreased 7.7% YoY

Average Search Volume has increased 20% over the past five years

EMPLOYEE RETENTION

RELATED SEARCH QUERIES

1. Protein milk

2. Whole milk

3. Milk near me

4. Milk powder

Average Search Volume has increased 110.7% YoY

Average Search Volume has increased 662.5% over the past five years

RELATED SEARCH QUERIES

1. Retention credit

2. What is employee retention

3. What is retention

4. Employee retention rate

Implementing a Safety and Health Program

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that during the 2022 fiscal year, hazard communication was the second most commonly cited standard, up from #4 in 2021.

Implementing a safety and health program can help.

WHAT IS A SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM?

A safety and health program is a proactive way to manage hazards in the workplace to prevent injuries and illnesses. Several program models are available for employers to follow, including OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs, NSC’s Journey to Safety Excellence, ANSI Z-10, or international standards such as ISO 45001.

ALL SUCCESSFUL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS INVOLVE THREE KEY COMPONENTS:

• Management leadership

• Worker participation

• A systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards

• No matter where your business is on safety and health, initiating a program or energizing an existing one using any of these approaches can help you take a step in the right direction.

WHY IMPLEMENT A SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM?

Each year, more than four million workers suffer from serious job-related injuries or illnesses, and more than 4,000 Americans die from work-related incidents. These incidents don’t just hurt workers and their families, they hurt businesses as well. Whether at large organizations, medium-sized employers, or small businesses, safety and health programs

can improve businesses’ safety and health performance, save money, enhance your reputation, and help you be more competitive.

SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS CAN HELP YOU:

• Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses

• Improve compliance with laws and regulations

• Reduce costs, including significant reductions in workers’ compensation premiums, pay for time away from work, expenses for hiring and training replacement workers, and loss or damage to material, machinery, and property

• Engage workers

• Enhance your social responsibility goals

• Increase productivity and enhance overall business operations

10 WAYS TO GET YOUR PROGRAM STARTED

for more information.

NDFA and NDSA members shared these posts on LinkedIn and Facebook

Nelson-Jameson, Inc.

You may have noticed something new and shiny on the front of our Corporate Office!

We are excited to add logo signage to our building, crafted and installed by Stratford Sign Company. It will look even better once lit �� up!

WestRock Company

WestRock is proud to be recognized as one of Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies. Fiberbased #packaging can drive real change in the transition to a more circular economy and we continue to #innovate boldly in partnership with our customers to imagine and deliver on the promise of a #sustainable future. Learn more about our commitment at:

https://okt.to/f9bHEr

Byrne Dairy

Ryan McMahon declared Feb. 3 #ByrneDairy Day in Onondaga County in honor of our 90th anniversary!

Chobani

Our Founder & CEO Hamdi Ulukaya announced at SXSW that the Chobani Incubator is making a comeback! More details coming soon. In the meantime, learn more about the program and some of our amazing founders: https://bit.ly/3TbOJgd

#sxsw #founders