In dairy-related news the second week of June 2025:
- New IDFA report highlights dairy’s economic impact
- America’s oldest cheesemaker seeks new stewardship
- Agenda announced for the 125th annual meeting of the California Creamery Operators Association
- CDCB integrates genotyping-by-sequencing technology
New IDFA report highlights dairy’s economic impact
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) released the updated Dairy Delivers report, reaffirming the U.S. dairy industry’s immense contributions to the nation’s economy and quality of life for American families and communities. According to the 2025 analysis, dairy supports over 3 million American jobs, $198 billion in wages to American workers and nearly $780 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy.
“The data is clear: Dairy runs deep in every community across America,” said Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of IDFA. “From family-owned dairy farms to processors, retailers and community businesses, dairy supports livelihoods, sustains local economies and delivers real value to the people who depend on it. These numbers reflect more than economics – they reflect the reach and relevance of dairy in the daily lives of Americans.”
The Dairy Delivers tool, developed in partnership with leading economic research firm John Dunham & Associates, is a comprehensive, interactive data visualization platform available on the IDFA website. Updated every two years, the tool provides users with the ability to explore dairy’s economic impact by state, congressional district and industry segment – empowering businesses, advocates and policymakers to see firsthand how dairy delivers in their own communities.
America’s oldest cheesemaker seeks new stewardship
Crowley Cheese, America’s oldest continuously operating cheesemaker, is seeking new ownership. Crowley traces its cheese-making roots in Healdville, Vermont, to the late 1700s, with commercial production beginning in 1824. Since then, it has operated just a few hundred feet from its original site – first in the Crowley family’s farmhouse kitchen and, since 1882, in its now-iconic cheese factory.
Today, the Crowley Cheese Factory stands as the oldest remaining cheese factory in the U.S. and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A beloved Vermont destination, it draws visitors year-round to witness traditional cheesemaking firsthand, tour the preserved factory and sample its celebrated cheeses.
True to its origins, Crowley still produces its signature handcrafted raw milk cheddar using the same time-honored recipe that has earned acclaim around the world. For much of the 20th century, the local post office operated out of the Crowley Farm due to the sheer volume of cheese shipments leaving for global destinations. Today, Crowley continues to ship nationwide and can be found in select retailers across Vermont and the Northeast.
While the recipe has remained unchanged, Crowley’s product line has expanded with six different aging levels and a dozen flavored varieties. In addition to its classic Holstein-based cheddar, Crowley now also produces cheese using A2 Jersey cow milk.
Since 2009, Galen and Jill Jones have owned and operated Crowley Cheese. Now preparing for retirement, they are seeking the next passionate steward to carry the legacy forward.
Interested parties are encouraged to contact the owners directly to learn more about this rare opportunity to steward a living piece of American food history.
Agenda announced for the 125th annual meeting of the California Creamery Operators Association
The 125th annual meeting of the California Creamery Operators Association (CCOA) will take place June 23-24 at the Tahoe Blue Event Center in South Lake Tahoe. The CCOA’s board of directors are proud to announce this year’s speaker agenda, which will highlight the latest industry and farm trends, new regulatory requirements, technological advancements and other developments shaping the California dairy sector.
Since 1900, the CCOA convention has served as an important forum for dairy farmers, processors, academics and allied industry members. While the CCOA celebrates its 125-year history, the conference program will cover cutting-edge innovations and forward-looking opportunities. This year’s theme is 125 Years Strong, Securing the Future Together.
Through keynote presentations and dynamic panel discussions, 25 speakers will take the stage, including industry leaders, analysts and technical experts. The program will recognize the incredible amount of innovation that has already occurred and the transformational investments still being made today as industry leaders advance sustainable practices and embrace consumer demands. Discussions will also highlight relevant changes occurring in local, state and federal policies that impact the industry.
Value registration is open now through June 13.
CDCB integrates genotyping-by-sequencing technology
After receiving nearly 11 million genotypes into the National Cooperator Database, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) has certified the first sequencing-based laboratory for data submission. As a part of this certification process, CDCB validated the first single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel derived from sequencing data, destined for the national database. This achievement marks major progress in diversifying the genomic tools available for U.S. dairy cattle and is the first time the technology is to be utilized in a national dairy cattle genetic evaluation system anywhere in the world.
Since the introduction of genomic testing in 2008, the U.S. system has relied solely on SNP chip technology. This process identifies key genetic markers associated with traits of interest and utilizes imputation to complete the genetic information needed for genomic evaluations.
Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology represents the next frontier in genetic data. GBS enables the identification of SNPs directly from sequence data. This is an alternative to traditional genotyping chips and is a technology widely used in plant and other animal breeding programs. GBS is increasingly attractive for use with dairy animals due to its scalability, flexibility and potential to provide deeper genomic insight.
GBS is not a single method but rather a suite of approaches. The first sequencing panel certified by CDCB for genomic evaluations uses a hybrid method that combines low-pass sequencing and targeted sequencing:
- Low-pass sequencing involves sequencing the entire genome at low coverage, enabling broad variant discovery at a lower cost.
- Targeted sequencing enriches the coverage of specific, high-priority SNPs – especially those that CDCB already uses in national evaluations – to ensure compatibility and reliability.
This approach offers both comprehensive data capture and consistency with the existing SNP-based evaluation system.
