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A Letter from Your Chair…
March 2011
Dear Fellow Dairy Producers:
When the Foundation began in 2002, its Founding Friends agreed that establishing a charitable Foundation is a good idea for dairy producers. Giving back to your community and to the next generation is the height of professionalism. I contributed then because I believed in the idea.
Today I believe even more. I have seen the good things we have been able to do as we work together. I have met young people who benefit from the programs we fund—their love for the dairy industry deepened and leadership in their communities broadened. Most importantly, I have seen the value of producers standing up for themselves and controlling their own destiny on issues like animal well-being. In a few short years, our Foundation has done these things.
Now we’re embarking on a new and bold move to make the Foundation sustainable for generations to come: The Two Cents for Tomorrow Campaign. We’ve set an immediate goal of generating $2 million in annual funding for projects that are consistent with PDPW’s producer-driven strategic vision.
This effort is led and directed by dairy producers. We are starting the campaign, and we are directing the funds toward projects that we believe raise the bar for producer professionalism. I am pleased to report that we have received pledges from 100% of our Foundation board and the PDPW board. These leaders, much like the leaders who began PDPW in the early 90s, are making a bold statement about the importance of individual producers contributing to and sustaining education for future generations.
I have had many opportunities to serve and lead in my blessed life and career, and this is my proudest moment. We are building something that will last. We must define and uphold what it means to be a professional dairy producer. No one else will protect our voice and our way of life – it is ours to maintain and ours to pass on to the next generation.
I sincerely thank those who have already pledged their support. And I look forward to a slow and steady climb, from Two Cents to Two Million.
Sincerely,
Deb Reinhart, Dairy Producer and Chair
Professional Dairy Producers Foundation
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