April 2012 Highlights « Back

Fuel Up to Play 60 in Oklahoma

Midwest Dairy conducted a Fuel Up to Play 60 training for 19 Cooperative Extension service agents and registered dietitians working in northeast Oklahoma.  We held the event in Tulsa at the end of last month and included a farm tour of the Charles Coblentz family farm near Chouteau. While on the tour, participants learned more about the farm practices that assure responsible care for the animals and land. These agents and dietitians can act as leaders for the program and assist school districts in their counties. The event was organized by a team of Midwest Dairy staff members including Health and Wellness program managers Ashley Anderson and Lori Dather, and director of industry relations Ron Grusenmeyer. Just since the training, we’ve been made aware of at least two of the dietitians spreading the Fuel Up to Play 60 messaging and activating schools on Oklahoma.

On March 15 and 16 Midwest Dairy was represented by Ashley Anderson at the Oklahoma Dietetic Association annual meeting. We sponsored flavored milk for the group’s Health Walk and helped sponsor Dayle Hayes for her presentation called “Breakfast, the Missed Opportunity.” Hayes conducted two radio interviews on behalf of Midwest Dairy and Dairy Max.  We also had a Fuel Up to Play 60/ Milk Mustache exhibit and had several registered dietitians take milk mustache pictures and post to their Facebook pages. We also placed a Fuel Up to Play 60 ad in the program. 

Below is an excerpt from the Oklahoma's Farm News Update - Blackberry Edition:

School Breakfast Programs Improve Student Learning, Classroom Behavior

Dayle Hayes, author, educator and registered dietitian, was recently in Tulsa to speak with Oklahoma dietitians at their annual meeting. A major portion of Hayes' recent work is focused on the effects of nutrition on learning in the classroom. Working closely with the dairy industry, Hayes travels the country to speak about research which clearly shows a link between good nutrition and positive classroom outcomes.

"The statistics show that about one in four children in Oklahoma is food insecure, meaning that there may be times when there isn't food in the home for them to either have supper or breakfast."

Hayes says that is significant for school-aged children because, "Hungry children cannot learn. So, if children come to school without having eaten they are unable to focus in the classroom, they are not able to concentrate on learning and, in fact, it affects their behaviors."

With the help of the USDA, schools across the country have begun participating in the School Breakfast Program. The USDA says the program is now serving 12 million children every school day.

Read more of the story by clicking here.

Other Oklahoma Updates

We attended the 2012 Dairy Farmers of America Annual Meeting the week of March 19. It was a pleasure to visit with many of you and share various developments in the checkoff program.

Spring time is coming and that means school farm tours. Don’t forget to call the Midwest Dairy Producer Service Center at 877-360-FARM for all your material needs as well as great ideas to help make your promotion events a success.

Also, as we approach June Dairy Month you might be considering plans for an open house. This is an excellent opportunity to give back to your community and connect with your neighbors. Please contact me (816-873-0351 or rgrusenmeyer@midwestdairy.com) to see how Midwest Dairy can help make your event successful.