The History of the Dairy Practices Council
The Dairy Practices Council began as the Northeast Farm Practices Committee of the New York Association of Milk and Food Sanitarians. In 1970 a decision was made to transform the Committee into an independent organization of 11 states named the Northeast Dairy Practices Council (NDPC), led by Chairman Dick March; the first 3 Guidelines were published in 1972. During the first 25 years the Council produced over 50 Guidelines and developed a sound reputation. In 1994 another major decision was made and NDPC was transformed into a national organization named the Dairy Practices Council (DPC).
After 25 years as a northeast organization, the constitutional change in 1994 opened the Dairy Practices Council membership to all states. An additional constitutional change in 2000 opened membership internationally.
The last 25 years have been years of growth and expansion. Many changes have taken place, however, the original objectives of “Quality and Uniformity through Education and Cooperation,” with development and publication of Guidelines, have not changed. Currently, the DPC library consists of over 80 Guidelines.
As a national and international organization, growth and expansion have necessitated the need to update, to reformat and to stay current with industry needs. DPC has been able to make the transition mainly due to the fact that our Executive Vice Presidents and Executive Board members have been willing to participate in future planning and to maintain a vision for the future of DPC. They have worked together in a spirit of consensus and cooperation to move forward.
The main strength of DPC is a large core of dedicated members and "key sanitarians" who work very hard and volunteer many hours to author and review quality Guidelines. DPC membership is made up of representatives of all phases of the dairy industry. The Council's objective of uniformity through cooperation has to begin with a dialogue between all groups involved. DPC provides a place for such dialogue to take place.
The Task Force Directors are a key component of DPC since they carry a great deal of responsibility. They plan Task Force sessions at the Annual Conference, coordinate the writing of Guidelines that fall under their Task Force, and are responsible for the systematic review of Guidelines to ensure each one is current. Guideline topics often cover material that encompasses the work of more than one Task Force and requires a joint effort between Directors.
The DPC Sustaining Members play a very important role in the success of the organization. The Council sincerely appreciates their valued support over the years.
The reputation of DPC has always been one of a hardworking organization where members work in the spirit of cooperation to provide a large volume of educational information to the dairy industry. When Donald George wrote the 25 year history in 1994, he included a statement that needed to be repeated in the 40 year history in 2009, “Much appreciation is extended to the membership for their outstanding dedication to the Council’s objectives.”