National Dairy Quality Awards (NDQA)

The National Dairy Quality Awards, now in its 31st year, recognizes the very best in quality milk production. The goal of the NDQA program is to honor dairy producers from across the United States and Canada who have successfully placed high priority on producing milk of the highest quality.

NMC, along with quality partners Boehringer Ingelheim, GEA, Cargill, Conewango and Hoard’s Dairyman are sponsoring this year’s awards.

Producers are nominated using a short questionnaire. Nominations need to be submitted by professionals who serve the dairy industry, such as dairy plant field staff, veterinarians, extension specialists and DHI supervisors. Somatic cell count and standard plate count data are based on June 1, 2024-May 31, 2025. The nominator must work with the dairy producer to complete the application.

The top applicants will be selected based on the data provided in the questionnaire. The finalists (and their nominators) will be asked to complete a more detailed application form used for final judging. Judges will evaluate the final applications for measures of milk quality, systems of monitoring udder health, milking routine, protocols for detection and treatment of clinical and subclinical cases, treatment protocols and strategies for overall herd health and welfare.

The aim of the NDQA program is to recognize top-quality milk producers of all sizes from all geographic regions of United States and Canada. Platinum, Gold and Silver winners will be designated (there will be several winners in each class).

Platinum award winners will receive international recognition, along with complimentary registration and lodging for the NMC 65th Annual Meeting, January 26-29, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, where the quality award winners will be announced.

All Platinum, Gold and Silver winners will also receive a complimentary, one-year NMC membership.

Please be a part of this effort, and nominate deserving producers from your area (see below for information about the nomination process).

The deadline for submitting nominations is August 31, 2025. You can read about the winners from previous years here:

2025   2024   2023   2022   2021   2020
2019   2018   2017  2016   2015   2014
2013   2012   2011   2010   2009   2008
2007   2006   2005   2004   2003   2002
2001   2000

The deadline for submitting the initial screening form is August 31, 2025.

For more information, contact JoDee Sattler, NDQA coordinator, 414-587-5839. Help the dairy industry honor its best producers! Note: Dairy farms that have received a Platinum Award for two consecutive years will need to “sit out” two years before they are eligible again. (Meaning that producers who received Platinum recognition for 2023 and 2024 will be eligible again in 2027).

Nomination Process 

The program is open to dairy producers in the United States and Canada. Producers are nominated using a one-page form. No additional records need to be submitted with this initial screening form (but will be required later for the finalists).

NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED!