Member events provide value to you!

The best way to get involved in a membership association is by participating in the various events it hosts for members. As a coordinator, I measure the success of these events by how much fun and engagement occurred among our members.

By that formula, the 17th annual Packer Tailgate Party and our Dairy Golf Classic last month were among our best ever.

The Dairy Golf Classic, in its 15th year, drew one of the highest turnouts in recent years, with over 260 golfers and 45 corporate sponsors. Even though rain washed us out in June, the weather for our rescheduled August event was beautiful. Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors, including the presenting sponsor Mycogen Seeds.

Two weeks later, 250 farmers and corporate members came out to our tailgate party presented by Balchem at Anduzzi’s Sports Club to cheer on the Green Bay Packers in the team’s final pre-season game of the year. Participants enjoyed tailgate food and drinks, games and raffles. About 70 percent of attendees headed to the game afterward.

Fun events like these serve multiple purposes for the association. First and foremost, they are a way to bring our members together. This is a time for everyone to get away from their farms and offices to catch up with each other and remind ourselves that we are part of a community. Second, these events serve as major fundraisers for the association. Our work for you, the Wisconsin dairy community, is dependent on raising money.

We cannot say thank you enough to all of our members who attend and support these events. You make them successful. Also, thanks again to our corporate supporters who help make our events possible. Check out our sponsors under the events tab at widba.com. Watch for other events and meetings coming up and we look forward to seeing you at the Dairy Strong conference on Jan. 17-18 in Madison!

Dairy farmer Cody Carpenter and Rich Coulthard of Stgenetics at the 2017 Dairy Golf Classic.