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You read the title and perhaps ask: What does a dairy practice involve? Cows move in formation for an upcoming dance revue? Cows wearing their practice jerseys kick a ball getting ready for a game? People making squeezing motions in the air with their hands getting ready for the day when they will actually procure milk from a real cow (think of the “Meet the Parents” baby)?

Actually the Dairy Practices Council (DPC) is a group of dedicated professionals in the Dairy Industry who meet and determine the best procedures and methods to do almost any task in the Dairy Industry from the Farm to the Store and even beyond. This organization has grown considerably since it was known as the Northeast Dairy Practices Council. The procedures and methods that this group develops serve as an encyclopedia of the best ways to make almost all of the dairy products we have and its just not for products from cows as other ruminants are now considered. Not having a dairy coursework background in my education, the Dairy Practices Procedures provided me with the advanced coursework knowledge to understand what the industry was all about. Another amazing aspect is that the technical output is all done by volunteers who donate their time to discuss and author the technical information.

I got the opportunity to pinch hit for Dr. Pry at this year’s DPC Annual Meeting in Columbus, OH and really enjoyed the chance to see some familiar faces from my previous manufacturing days. And again it seemed that a very dedicated group who are dedicated to their profession (much like our emergency response professionals) totally understood the gravity and immense significance of the EMP issue. I am hoping that some of the food companies, educators and government folks who comprise the basic organization can join with us in helping our country protect and prepare for the destructive forces that an EMP or other major disaster can bring. Who knows, perhaps we can develop an EMP Practices Council.