The Nebraska State Dairy Association is one of the oldest producer organizations in the state. They’ve been gathering for annual meetings dating back to 1885.

This year’s NSDA annual trade show and meeting is set for Feb. 22 at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in Columbus. The keynote speaker will be Dave Ellis, University of Nebraska director of performance nutrition.

The event begins at 8 a.m. with the Nebraska Dairy Industry Review Board meeting, followed by the Nebraska Holstein Association annual meeting at 9 a.m. The first session is on the future of robotics in agriculture, presented by Tami Brown-Brandle at 10:30 a.m.

The annual NSDA meeting will take place in the afternoon, followed by an ice cream bar and a Midwest Dairy Checkoff update at 3:45 p.m. Later in the afternoon, there will be a Dairy Girl Network event; a wine and cheese reception; and a banquet meal, awards ceremony and keynote speaker in the evening.

Trade show and awards

A large trade show takes place during the day’s events. Among the awards presented annually are the quality milk awards, first initiated by NSDA in 1987, recognizing producers with a demonstrated ability to consistently produce high-quality milk. Milk production awards are presented based on pounds of milk and pounds of protein, going to the top three producing herds within various breeds.

Finally, the Phillip H. Cole Award goes to producers who have achieved excellence in managing their dairy business, are leaders within the dairy industry and are active in their communities. The award is named for Cole, a Lincoln, Neb., dairy farmer who served as the secretary/treasurer of NSDA from 1969 until 1984.

Learn more about the annual NSDA meeting and trade show at nebraskamilk.org, or by contacting NSDA executive director Kris Bousquet at [email protected].