About the Webinar
Dairy foods play an integral role in today’s interconnected food system, from the unique nutrient profile that nourishes Americans daily to the resource stewardship that dairy farmers practice. This webinar will shed light on dairy as part of the solution to nourishing our people and maintaining the planet, while increasing awareness of dairy farming advancements and commitments. Join us to learn directly from experts, Dr. Frank Mitloehner and Dr. Joanne Slavin, who will share more about dairy’s role in health and nutrition, and the environment and climate impact, respectively. Finally, you’ll also hear from Joan Maxwell, a dairy farmer on how her family has worked to elevate agriculture and sustainable farming as a whole.
Title: Dairy’s Role in a Healthy, Sustainable Food System
Date: April 20, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM CT
Learning Objective
After this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify the ways dairy impacts sustainable food systems across health, environment and animal welfare
- Describe ways that the dairy community is advancing its sustainability commitments
- Apply knowledge of sustainable food systems as it relates to both planetary and public health
Continuing Education: This session is being submitted for continuing education for registered dietitians through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
About Our Speakers
Frank Mitloehner, PhD, UC Davis
Dr. Frank Mitloehner is a professor and air quality specialist in cooperative extension in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis. He is also director of the CLEAR Center, which brings clarity to the intersection of animal agriculture and the environment. His research focuses on understanding and mitigating air emissions from livestock operations, and he studies the implications of these emissions on the health of farm workers and neighboring communities. Dr. Mitloehner has served as chairman of a global United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) partnership project to benchmark the environmental footprint of livestock production.
Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD, University of Minnesota
Joanne is a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota and teaches Advanced Human Nutrition. With the help of current and former graduate students, she has authored more than 300 scientific articles on dietary fiber, carbohydrates, whole grains, protein, snacking, and the role of diet in disease prevention. Joanne was a member of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). She is a Science Communicator for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and a member of numerous scientific societies, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Dr. Slavin has given more than 350 scientific presentations around the world. Dr. Slavin grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin which she still owns with her sisters. She has B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Registered Dietitian (RDN).
Joan Maxwell, Owner, Cinnamon Ridge Farms
Joan Maxwell was born a farmer’s daughter in Southern MN. She is now a dairy farmer and owner of Cinnamon Ridge Dairy Farms. Cinnamon Ridge Farms is a family owned, family run farm located in Donahue which is just outside of Davenport on the eastern side of Iowa. They get their name from the color of the Jersey dairy cattle. A winner of the 2019 Dairy Sustainability Award for Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability, Cinnamon Ridge Farms has implemented a wide variety of initiatives to care for their land and animals, including a robotic barn that allows cows to be milked on their own schedules, growing cover crops to improve soil health and water quality, feeding cows byproduct that would have otherwise gone to the landfill, and more. Over the years, the Maxwells have hosted tens of thousands of visitors on their farm to see their operations and tell their sustainability story, focusing on the simple and tangible messages and images that make the broad term of “sustainability” more understandable. Some of the awards Joan is most proud of are:
- 2021 Good Farm Neighbor Award
- 2021 & 2018 AJCA President’s Trophy
- 2020 & 2019 National Top Producing Jersey Dairy Herd
- 2019 US Dairy Sustainability Award Winner
- 2019 Soil Health Partnership Exceptional Educator
- 2017 Iowa Environmental Award Winner
- 2015 Iowa Ag Leader Award Winner
About Midwest Dairy
Midwest Dairy® represents 4,400 dairy farm families and works on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in our products and production practices. We are committed to Bringing Dairy to Life! by Giving Consumers an Excellent Dairy Experience and are funded by farmers across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit MidwestDairy.com.