(NAFB.com) – America’s dairy farmers are thriving in the marketplace, even as labor shortages and a volatile policy environment remain challenges. Those were the thoughts of dairy industry leaders at the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual meeting. U.S. dairy is “well-positioned” for growth, said Federation President Gregg Doud during remarks at the meeting held jointly by NMPF, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, and the United Dairy Association. “I love where we are at in this industry right now, folks,” Doud said, noting $11 billion in new dairy-plant investments currently underway nationwide. “Yes, there is going to be uncertainty – my goodness, is there uncertainty – but we’re in an expansion mode, and I love it.” During the past year, dairy producers have wrestled with workforce instability and a shifting trade environment, even as consumer demand has remained strong, and the benefits of dairy are increasingly recognized in the nutrition and policy communities.