Outstanding Alumni Award 2024: Doug DeGroff '96

Bio

Doug DeGroff was raised in upstate New York and is the son of a prominent veterinarian. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in dairy science in 1996. While at Cornell, Doug was a member of the Dairy Fellows Program as well as Farm Credit Fellows. He was president of CUDS, the Cornell University Dairy Science Club and helped organize its first international trip in 1995. He is also a brother of the Zeta chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho, where this past April Doug was inducted into their Hall of Fame.

After graduating, Doug relocated to California where he entered the dairy industry in sales and marketing, first with the Monsanto Company and then with Cargill Animal Nutrition. In 2001 he spent a year managing a large dairy outside Green Bay, WI. After living in Wisconsin for a short time, Doug and his wife decided to relocate back to California to pursue his career in dairy nutrition.

In 2006, Doug started his own business, Diversified Dairy Solutions, a dairy nutrition and management company. He provides nutritional consultation for 20 dairies ranging in size from 1,000 to more than 10,000 cows. Due to health reasons, in January 2024 Doug merged his company and joined the team of Progressive Dairy Solutions, the largest dairy consulting firm in the world.

Doug’s leadership roles include being a member of Class 29 of the California Ag Leadership Program. He served as chair of the California Animal Nutrition Conference, and was on the advisory boards for Elanco, Balchem and the Keith Bolson Silage Safety Foundation. For several years, Doug was a Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador. He served on the Make A Wish Foundaton for the Central Valley chapter. In 2016, Doug was responsible for getting an FFA chapter started at his children’s school, Central Valley Christian. He recently just finished serving as chairman of the school board for the last three years. He was a volunteer at his church as a youth leader and also served as a deacon. 

Over the years, Doug and his wife have hosted CUDS, which has now changed to the Dairy and Agriculture Study Trip to California for tours. They have hosted 13 groups, which in total consisted of nearly 700 students over the last 28yrs. 

Doug also enjoys traveling and spending any free time he can with his wife Alison, and their 3 children, Drew, Luke and Makenna. They reside in Tulare, California on an almond and pistachio ranch.