Dairy Foundation Auction Raises $50K for Dairy Education

By Blake Jackson

The dairy community rallied in support of education and leadership development at the 2025 Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) Business Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, on March 12-13. Dairy’s Foundation, through a silent and live auction, successfully raised $50,000 to fund crucial programs.

The live auction, contributing $23,875, featured several significant items, including a seat on the February 2026 PDP international trip to New Zealand with a reserved second seat, a top-GTPI Holstein heifer donated by Sugar Creek Dairy, a calf cart scale from Topcon, and Mullins’ 5-Year Cheddar Cheese blocks.

The silent auction, generating $26,175, offered a diverse range of items, such as tickets to major sporting events like Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Wisconsin Badgers basketball, and Madison Mallards games.

Additionally, attendees bid on travel experiences to various Wisconsin destinations and a South Dakota hunting expedition, a 60-minute airplane ride, golf packages, and gift baskets filled with Wisconsin cheese, wine, and beef.

Tours of creameries, wineries, distilleries, and dairy-retail stores were also available, alongside a diamond necklace, art pieces, farm supplies, toys, and wearables.

“This year’s auction once again brought dairy supporters together for a great cause,” said Caitlin Roy, Dairy’s Foundation auction chairperson. “We were thrilled with the variety and quantity of contributions; and the ability to bid online in advance and offsite extended the silent auction opportunity for everyone to get involved.”

Dairy’s Foundation stands as the sole public national foundation dedicated to supporting dairy education and initiatives across the entire dairy industry.

It funds programs that cultivate future dairy leaders, enhance the skills of current dairy farmers, and strengthen consumer trust.

The foundation supports programs like Dairy Managers Institute, Cornerstone Dairy Academy, Stride Youth Leadership Conference, Financial Literacy for Dairy, and the PDP Mentor Program. It also awards grants up to $5,000 twice annually for projects aligning with its focus areas.

For detailed information on grant opportunities and programs, visit www.dairyfoundation.org.

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