Dairy Forum, the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) prominent annual meeting scheduled for January 9 to 12 at the Disney Yacht & Beach Club in Orlando, Fla., will bring together producers, processors and suppliers to discuss and debate significant issues facing the dairy industry.

Launching the forum on Sunday, January 9, is a keynote address by Tom Donohue, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Since assuming his position in 1997, Donohue has revitalized the organization and expanded the chamber’s clout in Washington and around the world. According to Industry Week Magazine, the chamber under Donohue is “more aggressive, energetic and lively than at any time in its history.”

At Monday’s awards breakfast, several industry awards will be presented, followed by a keynote address by Connie Tipton, IDFA’s president and chief executive officer. Dairy Field editor James Dudlicek will present DF’s 2004 Processor of the Year Award to Denver-based Leprino Foods Co. (see this month’s cover story).

Monday’s sessions include a business environment outlook, at which a noted food and beverage industry analyst will discuss the current and future business environment; a CEO business panel; congressional general session and several organizational meetings.

At Tuesday morning’s general session, attendees will hear from congressional staffers working daily on legislative issues that impact the dairy industry. Panelists will share their insights on policy and politics as a new Congress begins with new members and new priorities. It’s a chance to hear from those toiling in the trenches to shape policy on issues like dairy compacts, import tariffs, extending the MILC program and reforming the Federal Order system. A reception will end the day.

Coffee with Tom Gallagher, chief executive officer of Dairy Management Inc., and Kurt Graetzer, chief executive officer of the Milk Processor Education Program, kicks off Wednesday’s agenda, followed by a session on Healthy Weight with Dairy. The forum concludes that morning with a general session reviewing the top issues facing the dairy industry today.  df

Back by popular demand, San Antonio-based Promised Land Dairy has reintroduced half-gallon sizes for three of its most popular milks: Whole White, Reduced Fat 2% White and Fat-Free White. As part of an extensive research effort to bring the half-gallon bottle back to its customers, Promised Land Dairy took a hands-on approach by designing its own exclusive mold of a PET plastic bottle. The company says the bottle was specifically designed for Promised Land Dairy milk and will provide its customers the same outstanding taste, freshness and quality they’ve come to expect. Designed to fit easily into a refrigerator door, the new half-gallon PET bottle also features a twist-off cap that will keep the contents fresher, increase shelf life and, like glass, not alter the milk’s flavor.

This fall, Atlanta-based Carvel Corp. and the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) kicked off a new campaign — Captain Carvel’s Healthy Action Heroes — designed to raise awareness of an active lifestyle and nutritional education in elementary school children throughout their local communities. As part of the initiative, corporate employees were certified by NASPE as “Sport for All” trainers, a program designed for an after-school or daycare setting that provides children developmentally appropriate practice for sports-related skills, ultimately encouraging participation in individual and team physical activities. In addition, Carvel is working with its franchisees and NASPE in a grassroots effort to help elementary schools raise money for much needed playgrounds and athletic equipment. With a system-wide launch scheduled for 2005, the initiative is being piloted in Atlanta and Rocky Hill, Conn.

Plymouth, Wis.-based Sargento Foods Inc. recently received the Deloitte & Touche Greater Good Award — an extension of its Wisconsin Honor Roll distinction — for ongoing dedication and commitment to local Wisconsin communities. The award recognizes Sargento’s corporate culture and employee involvement in local charity organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Hunger Task Force. Compiled by the Milwaukee office of Deloitte & Touche and co-sponsored by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the honor roll recognizes privately held Wisconsin companies with annual sales of $50 million or more.

Alto Dairy employees are proud to support and help people and organizations in their communities. Throughout the year, employees raise funds through cookouts, silent auctions and payroll deductions to share with those in need for the annual Alto Dairy Employee Holiday Fund. Each fall, employees from the Waupun, Wis.-based member-owned cooperative, select individuals and organizations to receive funds to help make the holidays a little brighter. More than $72,000 has been shared with local communities since the start of the fund in 1989.

Straus Family Creamery, Marshall, Calif., has announced its Organic European Style Butters have earned the official Authentic Food Artisans (AFA) designation from Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest natural and organic supermarket chain. Straus organic butters will be featured with other top artisanal products as part of the AFA collection in every Whole Foods store across the country. “This is an incredible honor,” says creamery president Albert Straus. “We love what we do, from the farming to making our products. It’s really nice to have the recognition and support from such a leader in the organic marketplace.” Whole Foods’ AFA seal is reserved for products of excellence selected by buyers who search the world handpicking products made to exacting standards.

Food industry veteran Tim McMahon shares dozens of marketing lessons taught with real-life stories in “The Little Green Marketing Book,” designed to keep entrepreneurs focused on the things that matter in growing a business. The book includes five “keep it simple, stupid” marketing rules to live by, 10 reasons new products fail, 10 reasons they succeed and other marketing insights. Industry analyst Bob Messenger, publisher and editor of The Morning Cup online newsletter, describes McMahon’s book as “a pair of jumper cables with the power to quick-start your creative juices.” Published by New York-based Spring Rain Publishing, “The Little Green Marketing Book” is $12.95 and can be purchased by contacting McMahon at tim@getandkeep.biz.

Dairy Council of California (DCC) expands its family of nutrition education programs with the introduction of “Deal Me In … Food and Fitness,” which targets students in kindergarten through sixth grade in after-school programs.

Educators estimate half of all students attend after-school programs — also known as extended-day programs — at some point during the school year. “The after-school environment is a perfect setting for a Dairy Council nutrition education program,” says Peggy Biltz, DCC’s chief executive officer. “Staff has less of the pressures of standards in performance in the classroom and our testing shows they are interested in using the more relaxed setting to teach children about the importance of nutrition and exercise.”

To complement the relaxed setting of after-school programs, DCC designed Deal Me In to be more recreational than traditional school nutrition programs.

“Deal Me In is like playing a game,” says Tammy Anderson-Wise, DCC director of program services. “These children are in school all day, so the last thing they want is more academics. We created a program that doesn’t feel academic but still teaches healthy eating habits.”

The program’s key elements are based on popular card games such as Go Fish, Concentration and Memory. But in­stead of Go Fish, for example, Deal Me In offers “Fishing for a Food Group” in which the cards show pictures of dairy products, fruits, vegetables and other selections from the food guide pyramid.

Deal Me In also reach­es another major audience because it includes a booklet de­signed just for parents so the healthy eating skills children learn in the after-school setting can be reinforced and expanded at home.

Dairy Council of California has been providing nutrition education programs to schools and health professionals for 85 years. Available in both Spanish and English, the Dairy Council’s programs encourage healthy food choices from all food groups and daily physical activity. For more information on the Dairy Council or the Deal Me In program, visit www.dairycouncilofca.org.

November

30: DTN and CME Dairy Marketing Seminar, Ramada Inn, Watertown, N.Y., (800) 331-3332.

November/December

29-1: Midwest Dairy Expo and Minnesota Milk’s Annual Meeting, St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, Minn., contact Eir Garcia-Silva, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, (320) 203-8336.

December

1: Minnesota Dairy Leaders Round­table Meeting (held in conjunction with the Midwest Dairy Expo and Minnesota Milk’s Annual Meeting), St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, Minn., contact Ed Frederick, (507) 835-3422.

1: DTN and CME Dairy Marketing Seminar, Canandaigua Inn on the Lake, Canandaigua, N.Y., (800) 331-3332.

3: DTN and CME Dairy Marketing Seminar, Holiday Inn, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., (800) 331-3332.

6-7: Making the Grade III: Turning Dairy Business Challenges into Opportunities Seminar, Siemens Energy & Automation, Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC), San Luis Obispo, Calif., contact Catherine Derkosh, (215) 646-7400.

January

6-8: Ice Cream 101, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., e-mail ShortCourse@psu.edu.

9-12: 2005 Dairy Forum, International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club, Orlando, Fla., contact Tanika Manning, tmanning@idfa.org, www.idfa.org.

9-15: Ice Cream Short Course, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., e-mail ShortCourse@psu.edu.

14-17: 18th Annual Successful Ice Cream Retailing Seminar, Days Inn, Penn State, State College, Pa., contact Dick Warren, (508) 775-9253.

February

7-8: 7th Symposium on Advances in Dairy Product Technology — Concentrated & Dried Dairy Ingredients, The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, Calif., (805) 756-6097

17-19: Food Claims and Litigation Conference, National Food Processors Association, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai, Calif., contact Mary Olsen, (202) 639-5968.

21-25: Industrial Refrigeration Workshop, Kansas State University International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration, Holiday Inn-Woodlawn, Charlotte, N.C., contact Suzy Hay, (785) 532-2584.

March

16-17: 10th Annual Aachen Membrane Colloquium, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aachen University, Germany, contact Michael Schleger, schleger@ivt.rwth-aachen.de.

April

13-14: SouthPack, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga., (310) 445-4200.

14-16: National Food Processors Association Executives Conference, The Phoenician, Scottsdale, Ariz., contact Mary Olsen, (202) 639-5968.

20-22: International Dairy Federation Conference on Indigenous Enzymes in Milk, Cork, Ireland, contact Caroline Brooks, e-mail Cbrooks@fil-idf.org.

May

15-18: Dairy Institute of California 2005 Spring Meeting, Quail Lodge Resort, Carmel, Calif., (916) 441-6921.

June

5-7: Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar & Expo, International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Associa­tion, Minneapolis, (608) 238-7908.

July

16-20: Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo, New Orleans, (312) 782-8424, e-mail info@ift.org.

September

11-15: Cultured Dairy Products Course, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., e-mail ShortCourse@psu.edu.

17-22: International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, contact Caroline Brooks, e-mail Cbrooks@fil-idf.org.

23-25: The NAFEM Show, North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., www.thenafemshow.org.

October

8-12: National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention, National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association, San Francisco, Calif., (717) 657-8601, e-mail info@nfraweb.org.

10-12: Sanitation Short Course, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., e-mail ShortCourse@psu.edu.

26-29: Worldwide Food Expo ’05, cosponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association, International Association of Food Industry Suppliers, International Bottled Water Association, American Frozen Food Institute and American Meat Institute, McCormick Place, Chicago, www.worldwidefood.com.