The Northeast is known for its high-quality, award-winning dairy products.
At NE-DBIC, many of our grant programs have supported processors in modernizing, increasing food and worker safety, improving packaging, and expanding to meet growing market demand. At the Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most impactful approaches to growth – and you’ll leave with strategies for building your business on a strong foundation.
Join us for the Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit in at The Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY on March 10-11. Summit attendees can save on hotel rooms with our room block rate. Register for the Summit and book your hotel by February 27 to save.
Check out the Dairy Processor Innovation & Expansion breakout session descriptions below:
Brand Breakthrough: Growing Your Dairy Brand in a Competitive Market
How do you make one brand of milk stand out among others? How do you launch a new line of cheese into a crowded market? And how do you create customer loyalty that leads to consistent sales in a time of economic flux? In this session, we’ll pull back the curtains on successful branding and marketing. You’ll examine case studies of both small-scale startup companies and generational dairies that reinvigorated their brand to expand their customer base and sales. You’ll leave with techniques to implement and the steps it takes to take to grow your dairy brand.
Speakers: Maureen Ballatori of Agency 29, Benita Kasbo of Kasbo’s Market, and Rebecca Shaw Pfeffer of Maola Milk.
Dairy Packaging Innovation: Transformative Packaging to Meet Consumer and Market Demand
Did you know that cutting-edge advancements in dairy packaging are happening right here in the Northeast? Explore three pioneering projects from NE-DBIC grantees and gain insights into how these initiatives are addressing the evolving consumer and market demand for sustainable practices and extended shelf-life products.
Presenters: Qing Jin with University of Maine; John Eaton of UltraPhil; Sera Baysal of Backpack Yogurt.
Strategic Growth: Lessons from NE-DBIC Grantees on Dairy Processing Expansion
In 2023, NE-DBIC awarded over $12 million to help dairy processors across the region scale up. Over the past two years, they’ve done just that. Come hear from grantees who have successfully expanded their operations with strategic planning, and how they addressed challenges through modernization and innovation. You’ll gain insights into smart planning for expansion and ways to apply these lessons to your own dairy business.
Presenters: Lindsay Skilling of Gifford’s Ice Cream; Alex Englert of Maplebrook Farm; Kent Underwood of Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co.
Navigating Mold Challenges in Cheesemaking
Join us for a session on cheesemaking and the challenges posed by a toxic mold, Aspergillus westerdijkiae, recently found to be affecting cheese producers. While research is still underway, you’ll learn about preliminary findings that shed light on this mold’s characteristics and offer promising insights into potential solutions. Don’t miss this session, where scientists and cheesemakers navigate the evolving landscape of food safety challenges.
Presenter: Umaojo Ojogbane of Tufts University
