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Health professionals finding creative ways to further support dairy farmers

January 4, 2022

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3 minute read

Health professionals have always been an important audience for dairy when sharing its unique wellness benefits, nutritional value, and sustainability story. With Midwest Dairy’s help, all types of health professionals are not only recommending dairy to their patients but are also finding creative ways to further support the industry. This past fall and winter have shown examples of just that.

During the month of September 2021, Midwest Dairy collaborated with four other states and regions to partner with Kroger Health Dietitians to showcase dairy’s nutritional benefits through the Family Meals Month campaign. 

The post-partnership evaluation arrived shortly after in December of 2021 showing the Kroger dietitians rated Dairy Council 4.8 out of 5 as a partner for Kroger Health. They shared a few comments shared about the partnership and resources Midwest Dairy created including “I used the booklet to help patients feel more comfortable in choosing dairy as a high-protein food source without feeling overly stressed about the environmental impact,” and “The recipes in the booklet were flavorful, new, and exciting for patients.”

In addition to the resources, Midwest Dairy had the opportunity to present a clinical shelf review to the dietitians where we surveyed them asking what they wanted to learn more about in regard to dairy, including what questions they were receiving from their clients. In collaboration with Katie Brown, EdD, RDN, Senior Vice President at National Dairy Council,  we created and presented the review. The Kroger dietitians rated it a 4.5 out of 5 and shared comments like “The portion about dairy farming was very helpful as there are so many misconceptions amongst customers,” and “Being a visual learner, the videos that were added to the presentation were extremely helpful.”

This successful partnership showcases the Federation’s One Team – One Plan – One Voice reaching 10 states with valuable dairy information and resources.

Through another successful partnership with Arkansas Medical Dental and Pharmaceutical Association (AMDPA) and the Derek Lewis Foundation, Midwest Dairy sponsored a series of nutrition tips from the doctor during 2021. Dr. Derek Lewis kicked off the partnership with tips on dealing with lactose intolerance during June Dairy Month and closed the year with tips on dairy and diabetes during November’s Diabetes Awareness Month.

Dr. Derek Lewis is Family Medicine Specialist in Little Rock, AR, and has over 37 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Lewis is featured on Rejoice Little Rock 105.5 FM, 103.3 FM with a weekly Community Health Awareness segment on Fred Harris’ Morning Brew. This partnership was an opportunity to reach consumers with positive dairy messages, delivered by a trusted source of medical information.