Midwest Dairy to be Missed at N.D. State Fair « Back

Organization’s Consumer Outreach Focused on Red River Valley Fair

FARGO, N.D. – Hampered by the flooding in Minot that led to suspension of some of the North Dakota State Fair’s activities, Midwest Dairy Association’s North Dakota Division has decided they will not be on site with a Malt Wagon at the Fair this year.  However, the organization’s educational efforts will be very evident at this week’s Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo.

“Our primary purpose for being at the State Fair is to reach out to consumers with dairy information and to offer great-tasting dairy products,” said Char Heer, industry relations manager for Midwest Dairy.  “With the flood preventing the Fair from sponsoring livestock exhibits, and our location and activities so closely related to those, we felt we could not accomplish our goals on behalf of North Dakota’s dairy producers.”

In addition, the Minot Curling Club provides labor for the Malt Wagon, and many of its members are focused on their own recovery efforts in the wake of the flooding. 

Meanwhile, the Red River Valley Fair, beginning today (July 8) and running through July16, has increased its efforts to provide agricultural information to fair-goers through its Ag Education Center.   Midwest Dairy helped with the design and set-up of the dairy section, which will feature Daisy the Dairy Cow, a life-sized fiberglass cow that can be hand-milked by visitors, along with an interactive trivia exhibit and an area where fair-goers can touch and see the feed a dairy cow eats in a week.  A live dairy heifer is also being provided by North Dakota State University. 

North Dakota State Dairy Princess Rachael Rott of Anamoose will be on hand at the Center on Monday and Tuesday, July 11-12. 

While Midwest Dairy is saddened by not having  a presence at the North Dakota State Fair this year, the group is looking forward to the 2012 fair, when it will introduce a brand new dairy concessions trailer with more efficient equipment, new menu items and a new look. 

Midwest Dairy will retain its presence at the North Dakota State Dairy Show this year, helping to sponsor the show and an appearance by the Dairy Princess.  That show, normally held the last day of the North Dakota State Fair, has been rescheduled for Aug. 6 at the Morton County Fairgrounds in New Salem. 

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Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization funded by dairy producers to help build sales and demand for dairy products through integrated marketing, nutrition education and research. Midwest Dairy is funded by checkoff dollars from dairy producers 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.midwestdairycheckoff.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.