Dairy producers along the I-29 corridor are invited to a Forum on National Dairy Policy and Immigration Reform to learn more about dairy pricing policy proposals and immigration issues that may impact their operations. The forum will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30, at the Ramkota Inn in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The free forum will include lunch and is hosted by members of the I-29 Dairy Consortium. Reservations are requested by Aug. 25 to sddairyproducers@gmail.com or (605) 692-1775.

Presentations and question and answer sessions on the Foundation for the Future dairy policy reform program and federal legislation to authorize foreign workers will be led by National Milk Producer Federation (NMPF) leaders Jim Tillison and Jaime Castaneda. Tillison is senior vice president - Marketing & Economic Research and Castaneda is senior vice president - Strategic Initiatives & Trade Policy.

"This forum is a great opportunity for dairy producers, milk processors and other dairy industry professionals to learn more about important dairy policy issues and ask questions about how potential changes will impact their own operations," said Marv Post, president of South Dakota Dairy Producers. "We're looking forward to an informative session and open dialogue among all attendees."

NMPF has hosted a series of listening sessions about Foundation for the Future around the country, however the nearest sessions were more than three hours away from many producers in the I-29 corridor, so South Dakota Dairy Producers invited NMPF officials for a special session in Sioux Falls. Foundation for the Future is a package of proposed dairy policy programs that would serve as a new roadmap for dairy policy by focusing on margin protection, rather than price.

The I-29 Dairy Consortium is a coalition of organizations focused on supporting dairy production in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Participating organizations include the extension programs of North Dakota State University, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, and South Dakota State University, in addition to South Dakota Dairy Producers, SW Minnesota Dairy Profit Group, and Western Iowa Dairy Alliance. PD

—From South Dakota Dairy Producers news release