Chesapeake NAMA got a leg-up on June Dairy Month with a dairy-themed meeting in May. The group visited the PA Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE) at the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture building in Harrisburg.

Stephanie Roscinski, Communications & Marketing Manager, and Mary Foote, Dairy Education Programs Manager, highlighted the organization’s activities, including considerable community outreach on behalf of Pennsylvania dairy farmers. A public-private partnership in existence for 11 years, CDE provides resources, support and coordination for the 8th-ranked dairy state in the U.S.

In addition, Tom Mainzer, Agricultural Trade Specialist for the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture, detailed his group’s support of Pennsylvania food-related companies and agricultural commodities. The Bureau of Market Development assists with international and domestic trade, as well as providing grants for state fairs and other agricultural community support.

Attendees included three Penn State University representatives and students; former National NAMA president Matt Coniglio, from Penton Ag; Andrew Dellava, from Hoard’s Dairyman; and Autumn Rausch, from Certis USA; as well as chapter president Kathy Johnson, treasurer Sonia Wasco and program coordinator Debbie Clayton.