Women in Dairy

By Karen Johnson,  U of M Ext. Educator

The Minnesota Dairy Initiative and the University of Minnesota Extension are excited to announce the upcoming Women in Dairy event. The Women in Dairy: Creating value added opportunities event is planned for Thursday, Jan. 27, at the Crow River Winery (14848 MN-7) in Hutchinson. The event’s purpose is to inspire women with ties to the dairy industry through networking, education, and empowerment.

This year’s program will feature a panel of three businesses that have explored alternative business strategies outside of the traditional day-to-day dairy farming. From artisan cheese to direct market beef, panelists will share the story behind their businesses, how they got to where they are today, their vision to move their businesses forward and the lessons learned along the way.

The featured panelists include Kathy Hupf who owns CannonBelles Cheese, a family friendly award-winning artisan cheese company with a passion for dairy and bringing wonderful flavors to your family’s table. They also own CannonBelles Coffee and Ice Cream in beautiful downtown Cannon Falls, Minn. Christine Leonard’s business, The Grater Good, uses locally sourced products to create handcrafted food experiences that highlight producers who work towards making exceptional products. Based on her family’s sixth-generation dairy farm near Waconia, Minn., Christine Leonard’s passion for artisan cheese results in platters and classes that are hand selected, perfectly paired, and beautifully done. Lastly, Paul and Heather Wright have a family owned business, Wright Farms, which features Aronia berries, direct market beef, mini straw bales in addition to their dairy farm.

The event will run from 6:30- 9 p.m., beginning with registration and social gathering, followed by dinner and a program panel starting at 7 p.m. Pre-registration is required, space is limited. Registration is $20/person and the deadline to register is Jan. 10. For tickets, go to http://z.umn.edu/womenindairy22 to register online or call the McLeod County Extension office at (320) 484-4334 to reserve your spot.