April 2011 Highlights « Back

Fuel Up to Play 60 in Nebraska

Your newest Health and Wellness team member in Nebraska, Caryn Kusleika, visited St. John’s in Weston last month to greet two new Fuel Up to Play Student Ambassadors.  St. John’s is a small K-6 school that has been very active in Fuel Up to Play 60.  Jordan Turnwall and Hannah McCoy are among only 35 students in the country to receive this recognition. Caryn presented the students with medals and t-shirts. She also heard from the school’s kitchen manager that Fuel Up to Play 60 has made a difference in their school.  “It has given me the opportunity to provide different foods for the children to try.” she said. The manager is a former dairy producer and said the Dairy Council holds a special place in her heart.

The Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians learned about Fuel Up to Play 60 at its annual meeting March 31- April 1. Beth Bruck-Upton, your other Health and Wellness manager in Nebraska, discussed the importance of physicians reinforcing the healthy behaviors learned at school during patient visits. Beth also discussed opportunities for physicians to promote the program in local presentations, articles, TV segments and in clinic flyers.

The Omaha District Dietetic Association Childhood Obesity meeting next week will include a Fuel Up to Play 60 presentation as well as a student leader presentation. Dietitians will hear how they can get involved in the program and help make a difference in schools.

Caryn and Beth are working together with the Nebraska Department of Education, Hunger Free Heartland, Share Our Strength and the Food Research and Action Center to create and promote a statewide breakfast challenge for Nebraska schools. The breakfast challenge will provide awards to schools after a two year period of time for those with the greatest increases in breakfast participation. Increased breakfast participation results in greater dairy sales through breakfast items.

Registered dietitian Jessie Coffey, a nutrition specialist with Lincoln Public Schools, completed a TV segment this week discussing the great success schools are having with Fuel Up to Play 60. Jessie highlighted the progress schools are making to get students healthy and active thanks to the program.

Other Nebraska Updates

Congratulations to Warren and Merry Snodgrass of Orchard, who were presented with the Distinguished Dairyman Award at the recent Nebraska Dairy Convention.  Tom, Travis and Todd Serry from Newport were recognized with the Young Dairyman Award.  In addition, the new Nebraska Dairy Princess was crowned during the Convention.  She is Chandra Mosel, 19, daughter of Randy and Jolene Mosel of Mo-Day Farms, Inc., near Neligh.  Chandra is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska Lincoln studying hospitality, restaurant and tourism management. Chandra will be busy making appearances:  public speaking, giving school presentations, demonstrations, talks, radio and television interviews, passing out awards at the industry shows, parades and other personal appearances to promote healthy eating and dairy products.  Melisa Konecky, daughter of Tom and Sharon Konecky, Jr., from Wahoo, was named runner-up.

Ag Day took place at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Grand Island last month, with more than 600 Grand Island fourth graders participating.  Each class rotated in 10 minute sessions between stations to learn about various aspects of agriculture. Caryn Kusleika from your Nebraska staff, and Ron Grusenmeyer from the Midwest Dairy Industry Relations Team, showed the kids a four-minute video that explained a day on a dairy farm. Ron discussed aspects of dairy farming while showing the kids a giant milk bottle and bags of various types of feed. Ron noted that the reactions when the kids put their nose into a bag of silage were “interesting.”   Caryn talked about dairy nutrition and said teachers were excited to provide cheese sticks to the children for an afternoon snack. 

Your registered dietitian serving Nebraska, Beth Bruck-Upton, was one of the Midwest Dairy Health and Wellness team members doing media interviews during March National Nutrition Month.  Their work helped spread the positive news about how dairy helps people meet the new Dietary Guidelines by bridging nutrient gaps. You can watch one of Beth’s interviews here. 

Midwest Dairy held its annual meeting in conjunction with a Dairy Management Inc. Directors Forum in Arizona this week.  Members of the Nebraska Division Board were welcomed and introduced to their counterparts across Midwest Dairy.  Those attending included Dwaine Junck, Lowell Mueller, Kenneth Cast, David Crook, Dean Engelman, Deb Eschliman, Doug Nuttelman and Arnold Oltjenbruns.  Election of officers was held during the Nebraska Division Board Meeting, which was also attended by Jim Eschliman, ex-officio member, and Midwest Dairy staff including Chuck Cruickshank, Louise Gallagher and me.  Officers elected include Lowell Mueller, chairman; Deb Eschliman, vice chairman; and Dean Engelman, secretary/treasurer.