As part of Midwest Dairy’s work to grow trust in dairy, we share dairy’s sustainable nutrition story with thought leaders who then share that information with their followers. By partnering with credible health and wellness, environmentally focused groups, and other experts who can positively reinforce dairy’s message, we ensure that dairy’s sustainable nutrition story reaches consumers who need more information. We connect with these thought leaders through various gatherings that naturally align with dairy’s sustainability story, as illustrated in the examples below. University of South Dako ..read more

Midwest Dairy launched this year’s partnership with the University of Minnesota at the annual Goldy’s Run 5K and 10-mile race. Checkoff has found college campus activations to be key when growing trust with adult Generation Z (Gen Z). By partnering with Goldy’s Run, Midwest Dairy connects with consumers interested in fitness and nutrition. The race begins outside Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and ends inside the stadium. Over 5,500 participants registered for the race, with runners also bringing spectators and family to cheer them on. Despite chilly temperatures and morning rain, runn ..read more

This year, Midwest Dairy is represented by 27 dairy ambassadors from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The Dairy Ambassador program offers educational and leadership opportunities for students who are passionate about dairy. Throughout 2024, dairy ambassadors will connect with consumers and share dairy’s story while networking with their peers and industry professionals. To prepare dairy ambassadors to successfully share their dairy stories with consumers, Midwest Dairy provided virtual training focused on answering tough questions they might receive. During the training ..read more

Midwest Dairy partnered with Fareway, a grocery retailer, on a two-month campaign to grow the dairy category during the festive season by providing shoppers with easy and delicious dairy-inspired recipes. Fareway is headquartered in Boone, Iowa, and has 130 grocery locations in the Midwest. Specifically, this campaign highlighted ways to save time in the kitchen during the holidays by featuring one-pot, slow cooker, and bake-ahead recipes. These dishes included One-Pot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese, and a Healthy Holiday Breakfast Bake. The goal ..read more

In February 2024, Midwest Dairy partnered with Schnucks to boost incremental sales during their Super Bowl ad campaign, offering double points for purchasing cream cheese. This promotion was widely shared through a brand spotlight in the Schnucks digital weekly ad and was also promoted via the Schnucks app and email. In addition to the cream cheese offer, Midwest Dairy also sponsored a Spinach Dip recipe incorporating several dairy products to target the Super Bowl audience looking for a watch party treat. The recipe was shared via email to Schnucks email subscribers. Altho ..read more

At the end of 2023 and into January 2024, Midwest Dairy partnered with Dollar General stores to grow fluid milk sales. By featuring Undeniably Dairy signage in both the dairy milk section and the cookie aisle, this partnership made a big impression on consumers—over 20 million impressions, to be exact. To learn more about this campaign strategy, click here or keep reading for campaign results. Checkoff’s partnership with Dollar General increased awareness and sales of dairy milk through strategically placed in-store signs during the busy holiday season. Signs in the dairy department highlighte ..read more

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Elections for the Midwest Dairy Corporate and Division boards were held during the organization’s annual meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, this week. Elections for the 2024 Corporate board officer team are as follows: Charles Krause from Buffalo, Minnesota, was re-elected as chair of Midwest Dairy; Dan Hotvedt, Decorah, Iowa, was re-elected as first vice chair; Bill Deutsch, Sycamore, Illinois, was re-elected as second vice chair; Rita Young, Plainview, Minnesota, was re-elected as secretary and Matt Schelling, Orange City, Iowa, was re-elected as treasurer. New members elected ..read more

In 2023, Midwest Dairy partnered with Janice Person, founder, and CEO of Grounded Communications, to offer a new training to dairy farmers called Breaking Through the Noise in Person or Online. This two-hour training focuses on storytelling, something checkoff tells farmers is important. Checkoff aimed to go a step further by providing farmers with an easy process to further enhance their storytelling abilities.   Midwest Dairy’s first farmer workshop of 2023 kicked off with participants traveling from Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois to Galena, Illinois. Over two dozen farmers joined ..read more

Undeniably Dairy grants are available to farmers to locally promote dairy’s benefits for people, the planet, and local communities. Midwest Dairy proudly offers grants that provide farmers with support to interact and connect positively with their community, especially Generation Z (Gen Z). Undeniably Dairy Grants allow us to bring dairy to unexpected places!   In 2023, 149 grants totaling over $348,000 were awarded. Midwest Dairy is currently tallying the number of consumers reached through these programs/events, but we are proud to say that over 612,000 people had the opportunity t ..read more

Engaging the next generation of influential buyers is crucial for the industry’s success. Checkoff is committed to ensuring the longevity of dairy demand in the marketplace. Generation Z (Gen Z) is made up of current 11 to 26-year-olds. Research shows dairy consumption declines at this age, prompting Midwest Dairy to target them through partnerships with dairy outside the classroom. Illinois When thinking of partners to work with, Midwest Dairy identified school associations as an effective channel to meet Gen Z students where they are. This approach allows checkoff to work with influential le ..read more