Mmmm...Heres What Wer'e Serving Up at the Dairy Goodness Bar This Year « Back

Frozen Treats Feature Minnesota-Grown Apples and Strawberries

ST. PAUL (August 2011) – Once again, Midwest Dairy Association is giving Minnesota fair-goers a delicious opportunity to sample local produce along with their ice cream. The Dairy Goodness Bar, located in the Dairy Building, will be serving up Minnesota-grown apples and strawberries from Pine Tree Orchard of White Bear Lake in its tasty treats. The fruits are available in the Dairy Goodness Bar’s malts ($5.00) and sundaes ($4.00). In addition to strawberry, rhubarb-strawberry and apple-caramel, malts and sundaes are also available in chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, caramel, blackberry and pineapple flavors.

The Dairy Goodness Bar also serves chocolate, vanilla or twist cones for $3.00; cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack or reduced-fat marble jack cheese sticks for $1.00; white, chocolate or strawberry milk for $1.00; and peach, strawberry or blueberry yogurt for $1.00.

On Thrifty Thursday (Opening Day, Aug. 25), 8-ounce chocolate milks are two for $1.00. On Senior Days (Monday, Aug. 29, and Thursday, Sept. 1), ice cream cones are $2.50 each. On Kids Days (Monday, Aug. 29, and Monday, Labor Day, Sept. 5), cheese sticks are two for $1.00. And on Military Appreciation Day (Tuesday, Aug. 30), 8-ounce chocolate milks are two for $1.00.

Located next to the Princess Kay sculptures, the Dairy Goodness Bar regularly ranks among the fair’s top food attractions. In an average year, the Dairy Goodness Bar serves nearly 200,000 items. This year, to accommodate the demand, dairy farmers have invested in 14 new Taylor brand treat-dispensing machines  that are more efficient and will help serve more customers per hour. They’re connected to a high-tech stainless steel pipe system that delivers a steady flow of ice cream and malt mixes from the giant cooler so workers don’t need to stop and refill the machines. The Dairy Goodness Bar uses nearly 14,000 gallons of mix each year. Strawberry is the number-one fruit flavor; workers serve about 6,500 pounds of strawberries a year. The Dairy Goodness Bar is open throughout the fair from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.

Just before last year’s State Fair, Minnesota dairy farmers funded a $100,000 upgrade to the Dairy Goodness Bar, installing a cutting-edge new cooler with increased insulation values. The new technology allows the cooler to stay colder longer and run less, significantly reducing energy consumption. The new cooler also utilizes environmentally friendly refrigerants in the cooling system.

Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization funded by dairy farmers to build demand for dairy products through integrated marketing, nutrition education and research. Midwest Dairy is funded by checkoff dollars from dairy farmers in a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.

MEDIA: For more information or to set up an interview, contact Bellmont Partners Public Relations at (952) 440-6161 or info@bellmontpartners.com.