Checkoff Update - June 2011 « Back

HEADLINES

Outreach to Bloggers Helps Build Consumer Confidence – Farm tours to moms.  Read more...

Dairy Optimization Projects Move Forward – Shelf stable milk project included.  Read more...

Midwest Dairy Provides Fund for National Effort – McDonald’s tests include more cheese.  Read more... 

USDA’s New MyPlate Graphic Emphasizes Dairy – Milk glass depicts importance.  Read more...

Awards Presented for Midwest Dairy Programs, Individuals  – Electronic and retail efforts honored, along with dietitians.  Read more...

Fuel Up to Play 60 – New round of school funding.  Read more…

PROMOTION UPDATES

Outreach to Bloggers Helps Build Consumer Confidence
Through offers from members of our Dairy Farm Mom Network, seven popular ‘mommy bloggers’ will take advantage of dairy farm tours, and then write about their experience on their blogs.  The writers of these blogs Surrender Dorothy, Travels with Children, Seeryus Mama, Three Different Directions, Sophistishe, What’s That Smell? – Accidental Mommies and Mommy Goggles each were excited about their tour, and the experience allowed them to help their readers understand modern dairy farming better. 

Back to Top

Dairy Optimization Projects Move Forward
Midwest Dairy staff members are at work on local projects to “optimize” dairy through innovative methods. These might include expanding a school breakfast program or adding new menu items to school offerings, keeping milk cold and promoting milk as part of a summer feeding program, or developing applications for dairy ingredients in food preparation.  One recent example is the introduction of a shelf stable milk carton from Agropur that is targeted for sports recovery and use in school venues. The product is available in one percent white and chocolate and is called Dyna Moo.

Back to Top

Midwest Dairy Provides Funds for National Effort
The national dairy checkoff’s partnership with McDonald’s has provided an opportunity for additional Midwest funds to be directed toward the following projects:

• Testing McChicken Jalapeno Cheddar and Cheddar Onion Sandwiches, with rollout scheduled later in the year.  The sandwiches use one slice of processed white cheddar cheese per sandwich, meaning that its development is projected to use 4.2 million pounds of cheese or 40 million pounds of milk annually;
• Developing other unique premium sandwiches with natural and processed cheese;
• Snack items using cheese.  Possibilities include items such as cheese fries, baked snacks and cheesy dipping sauces; and
• Happy Meal components featuring cheese as both entrees and side items.

  Back to Top

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

USDA’s New MyPlate Graphic Emphasizes Dairy
The U.S. dairy industry praises the USDA’s new MyPlate education tool, which provides a clear and visual message that a healthy diet is comprised of a variety of nutrient-rich foods, including low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt. The new graphic, used to demonstrate the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, includes a light blue circle depicting a serving of dairy – milk, cheese or yogurt – next to the dinner plate to illustrate how to build a healthy eating plan that includes a serving of low-fat and fat-free dairy at every meal. Leaders from the dairy checkoff program attended the official unveiling of the graphic earlier this month.

Back to Top

Awards Presented to Midwest Dairy Programs, Individuals
The redesign of Midwest Dairy’s website and its social media campaign supporting the Facebook application “Butter-Fy Yourself” received Bronze Quill Awards from the International Association of Business Communications on May 6.  The Midwest Academy for Retail Excellence, one of Midwest Dairy’s programs that teaches retailers accurate information about dairy, was a national first place winner in the 2011 National Agri-Marketing Association’s “Best of NAMA” awards.

Meanwhile, Dietetic Associations in six states have recognized the work of Midwest Dairy Council registered dietitians in recent weeks. They are:

• Char Heer, program manager in North Dakota, North Dakota Outstanding Dietitian for 2011;
• Steph Cundith, program manager in Kansas Kansas Dietetic Association’s Emerging Dietetic Leader of the Year award;
• Beth Bruck-Upton, program manager in Nebraska, Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the Nebraska Dietetic Association;
• Molly Pelzer, senior vice president for Health and Wellness, 2011 Recognized Outstanding Dietitian of the Year in Iowa;
• Carolyn Suerth Hudson, program manager in Minnesota, is president of the Minnesota Dietetic Association; and
• Molly Pelzer, senior vice president of school nutrition, serves as president of the Iowa Dietetic Association.

In addition, Midwest Dairy Council received the following awards:

• Friend of the Oklahoma Dietetic Association award, given annually for outstanding support to its members; and
• Choice Continuing Medical Education Partner of the Year award with Dairy MAX by the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians for our support of their member’s interest in learning more about nutrition.

  Back to Top

FUEL UP TO PLAY 60 UPDATES

Funding Awarded in Midwest Dairy States
Midwest Dairy Council awarded $122,945 to 71 schools in 10 Midwest states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and eastern Oklahoma, to support their Fuel Up to Play 60 initiatives.  Funding for this competitive program is provided by the Midwest Dairy Council, on behalf of Midwest dairy farmers.

Schools across the country applied for this third round of funding to help them jumpstart and sustain nutrition and physical activity improvements. To be eligible, they had to assign a program manager, complete a school wellness investigation, form a student team and identify a healthy eating and a physical activity play. Awarded funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 provides support for a variety of activities and tools, such as foodservice materials and equipment, nutrition and physical education materials, student and staff incentives, staff development and overall Fuel Up to Play 60 implementation in an effort to champion school wellness.

Back to Top