Aged Chatter – IAMCA Through the Years
I have heard from my colleagues in the industry that some of the same issues and discussions keep coming up. To see it this is true, I have combed the IAMCA archive’s past conferences to see what the hot topics were at the time. Here are the results of my ‘non-statistical’ study:
70 Years Ago:
1949 – Santa Monica, California
About 45 people attended this three day meeting at the Miramar Hotel. Topics covered included a discussion of milk controls that were in place during the depression and second world war. There was a discussion of the uncertainty that these controls should persist in peacetime; and the special problems for the milk industry to operate without controls.
New Jersey had just deregulated their “Resale Price” and Mr. Chester Schomp discussed how this had impacted their market.
They also had a panel discussion of “Public Relations in the Milk Industry” with a cooperative representative, a milk distributor, a representative of a milk control agency in Canada, a dairy promotion organization, and a public relations agency.
48 Years Ago:
1971 – Charleston, South Carolina
Approximately 101 people attended this three day meeting at the Mills Hyatt House. Topics covered regional differences in the cost of producing and marketing of milk.
Additionally, there were breakout sessions for board members, staff, and attorneys to discuss how milk control agencies should critically self-examine their regulations and practices.
Speakers also addressed consumer protection through the regulation of milk prices and the environmental stewardship of the dairy industry.
A copy of the IAMCA constitution was included in these minutes. It seems that most of the articles were unchanged to date, however of note was the fact that membership fees were $40 per year.