Publishing, like politics, often makes strange bedfellows. That’s why it’s been, to be perfectly frank, a little weird to suddenly be buddy-buddy with the folks from Dairy Foods, our long-time competitor among dairy industry trade publications. But they’re a great bunch, and we’re getting along famously.

I’m sure most of you are aware by now that Dairy Field, along with the whole group of former Stagnito food industry journals, was acquired by BNP Media, Foods’ parent company. And many of you have probably read the wire reports that, come next year, the two magazines will become one.

In January 2008, DF will be known as Dairy Field Reports, a section within Dairy Foods that will focus on the thing for which you know us best: in-the-field coverage of the top dairy processors, interviews with their executives and visits to the plant floor. Combined with expert industry columnists covering operations, packaging and logistics, and peer-to-peer reports from industry insiders, Dairy Field Reports will be your “field guide” to dairy manufacturing.

Dairy Foods will continue to deliver new product development, marketing and trends coverage for the ultimate monthly package of dairy information.

As such, the issue of Dairy Field you’re now reading, along with next month’s annual buyers guide, will be the last issues of DF in its current form. I invite you to join us over in the pages of Dairy Foods, where we’ll continue to take you behind the scenes of the industry’s greatest companies, large and small — and I hope yours will eventually be one of them.

The dairy industry continues to be a fantastic place to be, with hundreds of new products emerging every year that address consumers’ diverse demands for health and wellness, convenience and great taste. Ops folks are working hard to keep up with R&D teams in getting these new products to market. Dynamic marketing campaigns, both generic and brand-specific, are being launched to keep it all on the move.

Don’t miss a minute of it. See you over in Dairy Field Reports.