INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Dairy Producers recognized outstanding members at the organization’s annual meeting March 16 at the Indiana Convention Center. The meeting followed The Forum, an annual event by the Indiana Soybean Alliance in cooperation with numerous state agricultural groups, including IDP, which represents 70 percent of the state’s dairy herd.

IDP President Steve Obert pre-sented plaques to Luke and Kim Minich as Outstanding Young Dairy Producer and Henk and Linda Sevenhuygen as Outstanding Dairy Producer of the Year for 2014. The Miniches operate Triple M Dairy LLC, a Holstein farm in LaPorte, Ind. The Sevenhuygens operate Seven Hills Dairy LLC in Goodland, Ind. They are fourth-generation dairy farmers, but first-generation in the United States. Originally from The Netherlands, they moved to Ontario, Canada, in 1996, then to Indiana in 2003. Henk took the name of the town as a positive sign.

"The first thing I thought when I saw it," he said, "‘it must be Good land.’"

During the meeting, Obert also announced a new IDP strategic plan, noting it would be the first formal plan by a livestock commodity group in the state.

"The centerpiece of this strategy rests on Indiana dairy producers effectively bringing all (stakeholders) together to better understand and achieve our state’s unique milk-producing potential," Obert said. "Through the development of the strategic plan, we developed our vision for Indiana: To make Indiana the most desirable state in which to produce milk."

The plan invol-ves coordination with producers, suppliers and policymakers at all levels, he said. Plans are also under way to host a statewide annual Dairy Forum starting in 2017.