On May 8 and 9, the 2023 Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center (MDFRC) Spring meeting was held at South Dakota State University (SDSU). The Operational Advisory Committee (OAC), which includes dairy farmers industry members and land grant university faculty, joined checkoff staff to meet in Brookings, South Dakota.
The two-day meeting started with a pilot plant tour that allowed all attending to understand better what goes on behind the scenes of the SDSU dairy department. For example, attendees were given a tour of the facility and process of making ice cream at the South Dakota State University Dairy Bar. The second day was spent brainstorming industry issues in different focus areas. These focus areas included food quality and safety, exports, sustainability, and consumer solutions. The governing board ensures that research topics meet the guidelines of DMI’s national research priorities, benefit the dairy industry, and fit the faculty expertise and university resources. OAC members then met in small groups to brainstorm these topics.
We look forward to seeing everyone again in July at the MDFRC Annual meeting, where we will evaluate and score research proposals for potential funding. Each year new ideas are brought to help better the dairy industry through the lens of research and innovations.
