The Great Lakes' Regional Dairy Conference (GLRDC) Web site creates a central, easily accessible resource for people to learn about the annual conference – when and where it will be held, what educational topics will be covered during the annual conference, who the speakers will be and how to register for the event. The GLRDC is a regional conference serving Michigan and targeting others involved in the dairy industry from the Great Lakes region, including Ontario, Canada; Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin. Attendees have come from as far away as the U.K. (a group of 20 attended the 2006 event). The GLRDC program includes a two-day educational program on dairy management practices, including discussions on dairy animal nutrition, health, reproduction, housing and calf/heifer care, a one-day spouse/partner program, half-day specialty workshops, and purebred breed association annual meetings and activities. The GLRDC also sponsors the Michigan Dairy Ambassador Program, a scholarship program open to youth involved in the dairy industry. Applications for the ambassador program can be downloaded from the Web site. The site also offers links to other dairy industry resources.

People served by the site will include dairy producers, dairy farm employees, large animal veterinarians, milk processing companies and their staff members, dairy industry suppliers (including artificial insemination companies, pharmaceutical companies, milking equipment suppliers, feed companies and building construction companies and suppliers), purebred dairy breed associations, Extension specialists, dairy and animal scientists, FFA members, 4-H dairy members, commodity groups and seed companies (representing corn, soybean, wheat/oat/barley and alfalfa), agricultural consultants (including manure management, comprehensive nutrient management providers and estate planning) and agricultural lenders.