Making connections with a diverse group of thought leaders

At Midwest Dairy, we value collaborating with thought leaders who can help us grow trust in dairy. These thought leaders include credible health and environmental experts and others who share positive dairy information with their followers, who then spread it even further with their networks. Working with a diverse group of thought leaders ensures dairy’s sustainable nutrition story reaches consumers seeking information. To achieve this, Midwest Dairy connects with these thought leaders through meetings and events that naturally align with dairy. Learn more about these connections below!

From Grass to Glass: Conversations for a Sustainable Future event

In late July, Midwest Dairy hosted an event in Chicagoland, bringing together sustainability thought leaders throughout our 10-state region. As part of our three-year strategic plan, Midwest Dairy aims to enhance the perception of dairy’s environmental responsibility among influential thought leaders with expertise in sustainable food systems. One way we achieve this is by hosting experiential events like this one.

Attendees learned about dairy’s commitment to sustainability from an esteemed group of speakers, including dairy farmers Sarah Lenkaitis (Ill.), Suzanne Vold (Minn.), Sean Cornelius (M..), and Scott Brenner (Ill.); Sage Saffran, Manager, Sustainability Initiatives at National Milk Producers Federation; Gregg Sanford, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Stephanie Massiello Schuette, Ph.D., Vice President, Environmental Research Affairs, Dairy Management, Inc.; and Chef/Dietitian Eric Meredith, MEd, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHES – Founder and Chief Wellness Officer, Health Heroes.

The event began with opening remarks from Midwest Dairy CEO Corey Scott and a compelling and interactive presentation with Illinois dairy farmer Sarah Lenkaitis. Sarah shared her family farm story and highlighted innovative practices on her farm, even passing around feed samples and a cow collar. 

The following day they featured educational sessions covering soil health, water conservation, manure management, feed innovation, efforts to reduce enteric methane, dairy’s unique nutrient quality, and more. Attendees had opportunities to network and brainstorm ways to partner with each other and Midwest Dairy to bring our story to their channels of influence. A pre-and post-event survey was conducted to measure attendees’ perception of dairy’s environmental responsibility. Before the event, 50 percent of respondents rated dairy as average, didn’t know what dairy was doing related to sustainability or rated dairy as poor. As a result of the event, 100 percent of respondents reported a positive perception of dairy’s environmental responsibility. 

“I already believed that dairy farming can play a crucial part in addressing climate concerns and being a sustainability asset, but this event gave me the knowledge and experience to explain the why and how of that belief. It also challenged me to consider biases I or others may have about dairy while revealing the complexities dairy farmers face in making positive environmental and social change. Great conference overall,” said one of the attendees.

Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics pilot

Reach Out and Read (ROR) Illinois is a program led by the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) that uses children’s books to improve children’s health and literacy. In a partnership with Midwest Dairy, ROR Illinois created a new website landing page for its clinicians, including Midwest Dairy resources promoting dairy as part of a healthy diet. They also curated a list of children’s books that discuss farming, healthy eating, and exercise to support the resources used during pediatric patient visits.

The new site and resources were introduced at their May provider meeting, and 2,500 books were distributed to 162 clinics in Illinois. More than 2,000 providers treat pediatric patients in these clinics, which reach over 150,000 families annually. This pilot has been so successful that the ICAAP is interested in partnering with Midwest Dairy to expand to other state AAP Reach Out and Read programs throughout our 10-state region. 

Conservation and Environmental Education event

Midwest Dairy partnered with the Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education (NACEE), which provides environmental education throughout Nebraska. The NACEE board of directors includes representatives from various educational groups, including Henery Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Arbor Day Foundation, NE Forest Services, Nebraska Games and Parks, Bird Conservation of the Rockies, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

This parentship allowed Midwest Dairy to attend the NACEE Board of Directors retreat and provide information on sustainability practices within the dairy industry. The retreat, held in Kearney, Nebraska, featured local dairy farmer Travis Mouw with Wood River Dairy, who joined the group to speak about sustainability on his farm. Travis moved from California a little over a year ago and discussed some differences between dairy farms in California and Nebraska. He also touched on cattle care, their feed program, and how they recycle water on the farm. The group had great questions about what a typical day on a dairy farm looks like from the perspective of both the cows and farmers, as well as the sustainability practices Travis hopes to implement in the future and the milking process to provide quality products to consumers.

Partnering with NACEE allows us to reach individuals working in environmental education across Nebraska to share how dairy products are sustainably made.

AI Climate Lunch and Learn: Dairy Farmer Dialogues

Following an initial conversation and attending the AI Climate Annual Review Meeting in May, Midwest Dairy worked with the Executive Director, Shawn Haag, to bring farmers and researchers together again. Haag’s goal was to allow AI researchers to ask questions, learn about dairy farm practices, and better understand their challenges and opportunities. Midwest Dairy facilitated a small gathering, Lunch and Learn, held at the University of Minnesota St Paul Campus. A pre-survey was sent to a select group at AI Climate to gain a better insight into what they wanted to learn. This helped us select a panel of farmers with diverse locations, herd sizes, and technologies to give a more comprehensive view and foster rich conversation as we answered their questions. As this project expands across five colleges throughout the United States, AI Climate arranged for a live Zoom option and recorded it to post on their YouTube.

The panel included dairy farmers Margaret Johnson of Trailside Holsteins, Eric Sonnek of Sonneck Farms, and Megan Schrupp of NexGen Dairy. They each shared background and specific on-farm practices they use to care for their cows and protect the environment. Attendees asked many thoughtful and direct questions, gaining a clear understanding that each farm is unique and uses different practices to meet the needs of their cows, land, and staff, which makes it challenging for comparisons and evaluations. The last question asked to the panel was, “What is the biggest challenge they face?” Answers included the freedom to operate, urban sprawl, and milk markets and price

The post-survey rated the usefulness of dialogue in their work and studies at 4.33 out of 5. The key takeaway was that cow sensors provide real-time data to manage cow health and environmental stress. Haag praised the event and cited the importance of establishing key relationships with farmers, understanding their practices, and helping farmers understand the impacts of climate change.

Midwest Dairy was also pleased when Haag requested to add a dairy farmer to the advisory board. They will collaborate with checkoff to get our recommendations, and he indicated he is interested in other future collaborative opportunities.

Minnesota School Nutrition Conference

The Annual Minnesota School Nutrition conference brings together over 600 school nutrition directors and staff from across the state for education, networking, and a vendor experience. This event allows health professionals to see the latest food and equipment products. Midwest Dairy was proud to partner with Orono schools Director Jacki DeRoma to co-present the “Mooving to Bulk Milk session” during the conference.

Orono schools received a bulk milk machine in the fall of 2022 under the Minnesota Innovate with Dairy grant program and later installed a remote milk system in 2023 to eliminate the need for staff to lift the heavy five-gallon milk bags. DeRoma contacted Midwest Dairy to co-present the session with the goal of sharing the “why” and “how” of starting a program like this, reviewing the differences between gravity-fed and remote milk dispenser options, equipment costs, and marketing options for other schools. Midwest Dairy shared resources, including the Bulk Milk Tool Kit and the positive results from the 19 schools that received equipment from the Innovate grant. Two years of data show that 419,491 incremental milk pounds (780,448 equivalent 8-oz milk servings) were served.

The attendees asked many questions as bulk milk programs in schools continue to be popular. This is driven by decreased milk waste, garbage reduction, and, most importantly, an improved milk experience, which encourages students to drink more milk, enjoy its nutritional benefits, and be lifelong consumers.

Nebraska Dairy Crawl

Midwest Dairy partnered with the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) to host a dairy crawl for environmental thought leaders in Lincoln, Nebraska. The event had 26 attendees.

Attendees represented various environmental groups in Nebraska, including Keep Nebraska Beautiful, Conservation Nebraska, the City of Lincoln sustainability department, the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL), and the Department of Agriculture. Local dairy farmers also participated, sharing insights into the sustainability practices used on their farms. The dairy crawl included three stops at Zipline Tap & Grill, Toast, and 402 Creamery. The event began at Zipline Tap & Grill, with networking and a nacho bar. Guests then had the opportunity to hear from the manager of Prairieland Dairy, Darren Mueller, about the technology and milking practices they use on their farm. He also spoke about the composting operation on their farm that helps absorb food waste from the local schools. At Toast, attendees indulged in a delicious, dairy-infused entrée while hearing from Paul Kononoff, a professor of dairy nutrition at UNL, who spoke about the changes dairy farmers have made over the past 50 years to improve the environment and milk supply. A final stop at 402 Creamery allowed guests to end the night on a sweet note where they enjoyed ice cream while listening to the final speakers – dairy farmers from Classic Dairy, Ann Engleman, and her granddaughter Alli. The pair shared their family’s perspective on sustainability.