On March 10 and 11, the Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit drew together dairy farmers, processors, service providers, and policy makers from across our 11-state region.
Hosted by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), the Summit gathered 230 people across the sector to learn, consider challenges, and explore the dynamic opportunities in dairy today.
A Call to Collaboration
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball opened the Summit with a call to work together. With a nod to climate impacts and changes in policy and funding, he said: “Our industry shares many challenges. There’s a lot of uncertainty. Farmers don’t like uncertainty, but here in the Northeast we’re going to continue to value agriculture, invest in farms and processing, and in policies for the environment and food safety.” New York is the 5th largest producer of fluid milk in the country and leads the Northeast region in milk production. Despite its size, New York dairy is bolstered by regional cooperation, and Commissioner Ball emphasized this, saying, “This has to be the decade of collaboration.”
Collaboration was indeed woven throughout the Summit. Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Anson Tebbetts, noted how “NE-DBIC has invested tens of millions of dollars across hundreds of projects focused on regional issues and providing solutions.” While NE-DBIC is based in Vermont, the Center’s mission is to create resiliency and long-term sustainability for Northeast dairy businesses.
Reporting on research into the economic impact of regional dairy, Tori Conroy of Camoin Associates emphasized that dairy operates on a regional scale, with products flowing across state lines every day. As a result, the economics of one state impacts that of another. “In New England, every dollar spent in dairy generates an extra .54 cents for the region,” Conroy said.
NE-DBIC Impacts
Laura Ginsburg, NE-DBIC Lead, presented on the Center’s impacts, calling out that “farm modernization and processor modernization are absolutely critical investments.” Modernization grant programs have helped businesses grow by becoming more efficient, creating opportunities for dairy workers, and differentiating products in the marketplace through efforts like sustainable packaging and effective marketing and branding.
Dairy workforce development is another critical focus area. Citing NE-DBIC funded research that identified priority areas for investment, Ginsburg said, “We have now funded $1 million into workforce development efforts — everything from the high school level at Bristol County Agricultural High School in Massachusetts to the development of new apprenticeship programs to upskilling existing staff.”
With the Center’s mix of funding for farms, processors, and workforce development, Ginsburg said,“NE-DBIC has taken states alone to states together.”
Keynote Speakers Bring Global & Local Insights
Dairy Exports
Tuesday’s Keynote conversation with Krysta Harden highlighted the importance of exports alongside regional production. Harden, President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, said, “We love dairy in the US, but our population is stagnant and 96% of households already consume dairy. Dairy in the US is a mature market. Young farmers want to see where growth will come from, and it comes from outside the US. Exports help make sure there are growing markets for US dairy.”
Harden spoke candidly about challenges, including the uncertainty that comes with changing policy and tariffs. “Most customers want us to be reliable,” she said. “Export markets are hedging against us because of tariffs, though dairy hasn’t been hit as hard as other commodities.” Despite the current challenges, Harden continues to see exports playing an important role both for the US and the countries who purchase our dairy products. “We are an exporting country,” she said. “We export 20% of our production. We help nourish – we are sending high quality, high value products to the rest of the world.”
With this, she sees great opportunities: “I’m excited about the products we have and the products we’re developing, said Harden. “I’m excited with what’s happening on dairy farms – the innovation, creativity and the automation that’s happening is bringing the next generation back to the farm. I’m excited about the investments that help make that happen.”
Local Production for National Reach
Wednesday’s Keynote brought insights from Adeline Druart, CEO of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, a craft beer company. Druart previously spent 20 years at Vermont Creamery, where she worked her way up from cheese-making intern who didn’t speak English to Vice President who navigated a successful merger with Land O’Lakes. Through her time at Vermont Creamery, Druart helped the company establish themselves as the #1 brand of goat cheese in the US, as well as become a certified B Corp.
Her move from cheese to beer was sparked by her desire to continually learn and grow, and to help others do the same.
In that spirit, Druart offered her five elements of success that help businesses in mature industries like cheese and beer continue to thrive: Find your niche; Focus on quality, as quality means resilience; Your brand is your growth engine; Put people at the heart – culture is the glue to any business; Purpose is our why – purpose gives meaning to the work, and purpose-driven businesses consistently out-perform.
“Opportunity comes from innovation, thinking differently, and having conviction,” Druart said.
Results Come from Connecting
The Summit concluded with a participatory session on funding the next five years in regional dairy. Earlier in the day, Todd Erling, President and CEO of the Farm and Food Growth Fund, encouraged Summit attendees to open up and problem-solve together. “How we connect is really where you’ll start to see results,” he said.
Attendees took this to heart, and the final session buzzed with conversation as small groups considered the gaps, challenges, and opportunities ahead. Though we can’t predict all the future will bring, it’s clear that regional collaboration alongside farm and processor modernization will play a key role in strengthening the Northeast dairy sector.
Next Steps: Add Your voice
The NE-DBIC team is now reviewing feedback and suggestions from the visioning session. If you missed the Summit, you can offer your insights on this Funding the Next Five Years Survey. Key takeaways will be shared over the coming weeks.
As we look ahead to the next five years, NE-DBIC is also gearing up for 2026 grant cycle. Dairy farmers and processors can learn more about funding opportunities on the NE-DBIC grants calendar.
