Each year, Dairy Foods takes a deep dive into trends (both current and emerging), as well as opportunities and challenges, within a variety of dairy-product and related segments. The result is our annual State of the Industry report, published in our November issue.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit back in March, life for most Americans took a sharp detour from business as usual. Among other practices, the "new normal" brought with it the social distancing, mask wearing and sharp increase in at-home food preparation that continue to this day.

Toward the end of 2018, I penned a column defending Dairy Foods' coverage of the plant-based dairy-alternative space. The column was in response to reader feedback suggesting such coverage was harming dairy farmers and the dairy processing industry.

In June, Dairy Foods sadly lost its long-time publisher, Tom Imbordino. He died unexpectedly at the age of 59.

My daughter is a third grade teacher in Raleigh, N.C. Her school, like most others across the country, was forced to close amid the coronavirus pandemic.

I'm writing this column in mid-April, long before the print version of this issue will be readied for mailing (one of the downsides of deadlines). And as I write, the dairy supply chain is reeling from an abundance of negative impacts associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

When it comes to foods that pregnant women crave, ice cream certainly ranks among the top 10. And now pregnant women across the United States can satisfy their cravings with an ice cream product that's actually endorsed by pregnancy experts.

It's hard to beat a pep rally as a means to spur excitement among a collective high school student body before a big game. It's been a while (quite a while) since I was in high school, but I can close my eyes and still hear the cheers and the fight song thundering in the confines of my school's gymnasium.

Last month, I received a rather interesting email from a PR firm representing the Silk nondairy brand. The email informed me that the Golden Globes would be joining the "dairy-free movement by serving a totally vegan, plant-based award ceremony dinner to Hollywood’s biggest stars."

A new year is here, so it's time for fresh starts and lofty goals. For dairy processors, it's also a prime time to go after some untapped (or under-tapped) product development opportunities that are likely to resonate with consumers.