Fall 2013 - Western Dairy Association

From the desk of
Cynthia Haren
your dairy checkoff
return on investment quarterly
O
ver the past few years, you have
heard me reference the continual
evolution of the checkoff business
plan, from talking to consumers
through generic ads and promotions
to the current plan, one that builds
partnerships with companies and
organizations who help multiply
its conversations, awareness and
advocacy for dairy and the checkoff.
Today, the checkoff model reflects
three main strategies which the
state and regional associations
deliver on: Coalition of Partners,
Targeted Partnerships and Collective
Partnerships.
Recently, I completed a 10-week
blog series (www.livedairywest.org)
highlighting some of the challenges
facing the dairy industry and how
the dairy checkoff is working to
remain a leader in developing
solutions on behalf of our dairy farm
families, increasing consumption and
protecting the image of dairy farm
families.
is the Official Refuel
Beverage of Pedal The Plains
fter riding 172 miles over the course of three days,
cyclists are worn out and ready for a break and some
refueling. At this year’s Pedal The Plains, a 3-day ride
along the Eastern plains of Colorado, they were welcomed
to the finish line each of those three days with ice-cold milk,
which Western Dairy Association secured as the Official Refuel
Beverage of the ride.
A
This is the first time milk has been the official refuel beverage
of any sporting event in Colorado, and Western Dairy is proud
to bring milk to the forefront of a prominent sports event in
an active state like Colorado. According to research from the
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, interest in protein for exercise
recovery is high amongst consumers and growing. Since
active adults are interested in increasing protein consumption,
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Milk is the Official
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From the desk of Cynthia Haren... Continued from page 1
The ten topics:
1. Dairy Checkoff Leads Food
Dialogues to Help Address
Nation’s Food Insecurity
2. Changing Beverage Landscape
Creates Opportunities for Dairy
3. Responding to Consumer
Demands for Local, Sustainable
Foods a Natural Fit for Dairy
4. Consumer Concerns for Animal
Care Addressed Through Dairy’s
Commitment to Best On-Farm
Practices
5. Dairy Embraces Opportunities
to Meet Needs of Today’s New
Consumers and Families
Every day, in our course of work, we see additional ways checkoff
is making a difference. One example is the development of a
crisis plan.
In the event of a crisis, the U.S. dairy industry must communicate
quickly, accurately and effectively with the public to help protect
dairy’s image and farmers’ freedom to operate. Toward this end,
Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), National Milk Producers Federation
(NMPF), International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), MilkPEP
and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) along with the 17 state
and region associations like Western Dairy Association, maintain
an industry-wide crisis communications plan; conduct training;
and develop communication materials and resources.
The issues and crises management “program” was initially built
in 2000 and is viewed as the gold standard within the dairy
industry and among other organizations locally and nationally,
such as Colorado Government entities, amongst local agricultural
organizations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations
(FBI) as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state departments of public
health, and milk marketing co-ops, processors, retailers, farmers
and agribusiness.
6. The New Dairy Case: Innovation
Center Links Consumer Demands
with Opportunities for Dairy
Locally, our staff train throughout the year working with daily
dairy issues and crises management. This process was quickly
demonstrated in September during the onset of the worst
flooding Colorado has ever seen.
7. U.S. Dairy Farmers are “The”
Leaders When it Comes to Cow
Milk Production Globally
In addition to crisis planning, the dairy checkoff has helped
fund and develop some significant tools over the past six
years, all of which supports our farmers’ freedom to operate.
These include:
8. Checkoff Works to Reflect Values
of Local Dairy Farm Families
U.S. Dairy Sustainability Efforts
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN
FAO) will be releasing an update to the landmark 2006
report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” we have an opportunity
to once again set the record straight with the great work on
our sustainability. The original study report was release in
2006, to respond to claims that global livestock production
was “a major threat to environment” from a greenhouse gas
(GHG) perspective. Many special interest groups used this
to inaccurately portray the carbon footprint of the U.S. dairy
industry. Today as a result of the Lifecycle Assessment of the
Fluid Gallon, we are in a strong position to communicate an
accurate estimate of U.S. dairy’s carbon footprint (less than two
percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions) which is based
on sound science and was published in a peer-reviewed scientific
9. School Environment Continues
to Be the Battleground for
Defining Childhood Health and
Wellness.
10. The Dairy Checkoff’s Role is One
of Critical Importance When a
Crisis Strikes.
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This blog series touched on so many of the ways that checkoff
works to bring value to dairy producer dollars while helping to
protect the role of dairy in our diets.
Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
Building off an original pledge made in 2009, the dairy industry –
from farm to table – voluntarily committed themselves to reduce their
output of greenhouse gases by 25 percent over the next ten years.
journal. You can view many positive
results on:
• Dairy Good
www.dairygood.org/renewedpledge-to-help-advance-dairyenvironmental-efforts
Building off an original pledge
made in 2009, the dairy industry
– from farm to table – voluntarily
committed themselves to reduce
their output of greenhouse gases by
25 percent over the next ten years.
• What’s the Carbon Footprint of a
Gallon of Milk?
www.dairygood.org/whats-thecarbon-footprint-of-a-gallon-of-milk
In conjunction with other secondary
research, the study validated that
U.S. dairy account for approximately
two percent of total U.S. GHG
emissions.
• Dairy Celebrates Farms Focused
on Sustainability
Sustainability Winner Video
www.dairygood.org/dairy-celebratesfarms-focused-on-sustainability
F.A.R.M.
(Farmer’s Assuring Responsible
Management) Consumers want to
purchase food from sources they know
will take
care of animals, and operate in a
way that is consistent with their
values and expectations. Dairy
farmers have a long-standing
commitment to doing what is right.
The National Dairy FARM Program:
Farmers Assuring Responsible
Management™ provides consistency
and uniformity to best practices in
animal care and quality assurance in
the dairy industry. View the manual at
www.nationaldairyfarm.com
Processing
Packaging
There are more than 1,000 U.S. processing
plants that turn milk into cheese, yogurt, ice
cream, powdered milk and other products.
Packaging is typically done by the dairy processor. Both
paperboard and plastic containers are designed to keep
dairy products fresh, clean and wholesome.
Milk Transport
Distribution
Milk is transported from farm
to processing company in
insulated tanker trucks. The
average truck carries 5800
gallons of milk and travels
approximately 500
miles round trip.
Distribution
companies deliver
dairy products from
the processor to
retailers, schools,
and other outlets in
refrigerated trucks.
Milk
Production
Dairy cows are
housed, fed
and milked on
dairy farms
across the
country. On
average, a
cow in the
United States
gave about
20,576 pounds
of milk in 2009.
Retail
Milk and dairy
products are
available at
178,000 retail
outlets of all
shapes and
sizes — from
convenience
stores and
neighborhood
groceries, to
large discount
stores and
warehouse
outlets.
Farm to Table:
The Dairy Value Chain
Production of
Feed for Cows
The dairy supply chain
begins with growing crops
such as corn, alfalfa hay
and soybeans to feed dairy
cows. About 35 percent of
feed is grown on the farm
by dairy farmers; the rest
is purchased from other
farmers.
Consumer
Milk and milk products
deliver nine essential
nutrients to children and
adults, promoting good
health and well-being
throughout all stages of life.
N.A.E.M.S.
(National Air Emissions Monitoring
Study) National Milk Producers
Federation incoming CEO, Jim
Mulhern, states, “The $6 million
producers invested in the study
through the checkoff was critically
important in three ways; The results of
the study showed that emissions from
the dairy farms were even lower than
the model the EPA was proposing.
And, it showed that dairy farms
needed to be treated as dairy farms,
and the model should not be used for
all animal agriculture farms. The study
provided the EPA and dairy farmers
with more accurate, science-based
information than might have occurred
without our funding.”
These are just some of the examples
of the value the checkoff provides to
our farmers and the industry, which
help protect consumption of our dairy
products.
And today we are seeing even more
examples of how building collaboration
through the careful, selective use of
relationships moves dairy farmers’
goals forward. You read about these
collaborations weekly through Western
Dairy Association’s Impact Weekly,
quarterly through the R.O.I., annually
through the Progress Report, and
daily through our various social media
outlets including Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube.
We are a nationwide course of work
with a unified voice, collaborating with
partners who drive the dairy checkoff
mission. It is as a united effort that
we will continue to amplify the voices
of our dairy farm families and share
the value of agriculture and dairy to
consumers across the country and
around the world.
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Milk is the Official... Continued from page 1
educating them about the readily
available protein in dairy will help
move more dairy products in this
demographic.
Milk, with its 9 essential nutrients,
plus carbohydrates and protein
needed to replenish energy stores
and restore muscles, is the ideal refuel
beverage after a strenuous day of
exercise. Western Dairy staff spent
the three day ride handing out milk
to riders, discussing sports nutrition
tips and making sure cyclists were
enjoying the beautiful eastern plains of
Colorado – where much of the state’s
agriculture happens.
This year was the second annual Pedal
The Plains ride, which included the
3-day tour, a 1-day century ride (102
miles) and a family fun ride (5 miles).
Pedal The Plains encourages riders to
learn about agriculture and Colorado’s
rich history with educational signs along
the race route. The 2013 ride toured
through the towns of Eads, Lamar and
La Junta and proceeds went to The
Denver Post Community Foundation as
well as Future Farmers of America and
4-H. The ride is heavily supported by
Governor John Hickenlooper, who has
been a strong supporter of agriculture
in Colorado. Through Western Dairy’s
sponsorship of the event, we are
ensuring that dairy farmer interests
are at the forefront of any agriculture
discussions happening in conjunction
with the Governor’s office.
At the Western Dairy booth, riders
were treated to free white and
chocolate milk, took chocolate and
strawberry milk mustache pictures
and learned more about milk’s role in
sports nutrition.
“We started thinking about chocolate
milk 10 miles out!” said riders Robin
and Wanda. “All our cycling friends
are starting to drink chocolate milk on
their rides.”
WDA is proud to be a sponsor of
this ride showcasing the Eastern
plains and Colorado’s agricultural
communities. In October, WDA also
hosted the post-ride VIP dinner for
sponsors and supporters of the event,
including Governor Hickenlooper,
Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia,
various agricultural partners, several
government leaders from state, city
and county offices and other industry
partners.
“We started thinking about chocolate milk 10 miles out!” said riders
Robin and Wanda. “All our cycling friends are starting to drink
chocolate milk on their rides.”
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Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
Fuel Up To Play 60 Launches Make Your Move Campaign
his week, Montclair
Elementary in Denver
was chosen to be one
of three launch locations for
the newest Fuel Up To Play 60
Campaign – Make Your Move. With
the help of the school’s program
advisor, C.J. Cain, former Denver
Bronco Ed McCaffrey and Miles
the Mascot, Montclair held an
assembly to kick off the campaign
and formulate their plan for
winning great prizes – including an
NFL player visit.
T
Fuel Up To Play 60 is an in-school
program funded by dairy farmers
and in partnership with the NFL.
It is the nation’s largest in-school
wellness program and it is creating
change in more than 73,000
schools nationwide. As a result of
the program, last year 14 million
students ate better by adding
nutritious foods like low-fat and
fat-free dairy products, fruits,
vegetables and whole grains to
their meals. Additionally, 14 million
are getting more physically active
because of this program. More
than half of adult stakeholders
surveyed say that Fuel Up To Play
60 has increased access to dairy
on school campuses.
The kickoff assembly featured
inspiring talks from Montclair
principal Mrs. Skates, physical
education teacher and member of
the Governor’s Council for Physical
Fitness Clayton Ellis, and FUTP
60 National Ambassador Kaylene
Khosla. Then Cain introduced Ed
McCaffrey with a highlight clip
from his time as a Denver Broncos’
wide receiver. McCaffrey took a
moment to recognize dairy farm
families for making Fuel Up To
Play 60 possible and recognized
dairy farmer Case DeVries, who
was present at the assembly.
After taking a few questions from
the students, Miles the Mascot
stopped by to play Pedometer
Freakout with the students. They all
wore a pedometer on each leg and
each arm and had 60 seconds to get
as many “steps” counted as possible.
“Your body really is your temple,”
McCaffrey told the students, “If you
take care of it, it’ll take care of you.”
“Healthy students make better
students and better students make
stronger communities,” says Cain.
Finally, Cain showed the students
the Make Your Move video on
YouTube and talked about their
plan for Montclair’s submission
into the contest. Montclair
Elementary is truly getting
healthier and more active as a
result of Fuel Up To Play 60.
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FUTP 60 Student Ambassadors Tour Dairy Farm
estern Dairy Association is
hard at work teaching the
next generation of dairy
consumers about the goodness of
dairy and importance of physical
activity through Fuel Up To Play 60.
W
conference call were Gregory Marchal
of Lincoln Middle School in Green
River, Wyoming; Austin Murphy of
Helena Middle School in Montana and
program advisor Lorie Cope also from
Helena Middle School.
As part of that objective, Western
Dairy sponsored several student
ambassadors and program advisors
from Colorado, Wyoming and
Montana to attend the annual FUTP
60 Student Ambassador Summit in
North Carolina in July. Participants had
the chance to learn leadership skills,
brainstorm ideas for implementing
change in their schools and meet other
passionate young people participating
in FUTP 60.
The students all spoke about their
experiences at the summit and with
FUTP 60 over lunch. “Fuel Up To Play
60 has made me a better leader, and
I started exercising more and eating
more healthy,” said Austin Murphy via
telephone. “I learned not to have a
whole lot of treats at once but to only
have a couple at once.”
When the students returned, WDA
staff were eager to hear about their
experiences and invited the three local
students and a program advisor –
Lauren Champine, from Buffalo Ridge
Elementary in Castle Pines, Colorado;
Alyssa Delaney, a Fort Lupton Middle
School student; Kaylene Khosla,
from Pueblo South High School; and
Ronda Gutierrez, program advisor at
Buffalo Ridge Elementary, to WDA’s
office for lunch followed by a tour at
the Cleland family farm. Joining via
Nationally, Fuel Up To Play 60 has
reached more than 11 million children
and is helping them to be healthier,
more active and providing them
with better access to nutritious dairy
products at school. In schools where
FUTP 60 grants were awarded, fluid
milk sales went up 2.5% and at
schools that received Dairy
Optimization grants, fluid milk sales
went up 7.7%, according to National
Dairy Council statistics.
Kaylene Khosla, who is a National
Ambassador and Youth Advisory
Council Member for FUTP 60 gave a
presentation to the younger students,
encouraging them to be leaders in
their schools and think big. “Five
years ago, I was right where you are,”
said Khosla, who has met Warren
Buffet and been awarded national
grants through her participation in
the program.
After lunch, Champine, Delaney, Khosla
and Gutierrez, along with WDA staff,
visited the Cleland dairy farm in Erie,
Colorado and learned about the work
of the dairy farm families that are
behind FUTP 60. The group learned
how milk gets from the farm to the
table, and learned about the nutritional
value of dairy, providing them a wealth
of information they will use as they
continue to represent FUTP 60 in their
schools and communities.
“I think at one point we had five
different kinds of milk in our fridge,”
said Khosla, “so seeing where that milk
comes from and learning about dairy
farms right at the source was a great
opportunity.”
“We got to help feed the calves on the
dairy farm while we were there, which
was really neat,” said Tami Anderson,
> Continued on page 7
6
Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
WDA and Univision Bring Latino Families, Educators
Together for Healthy Communities Start with YOUth
For the first time ever, on October
5, Western Dairy Association,
in partnership with Univision
Colorado, held an event specifically
for Spanish-speaking families and
the Latino community in Colorado.
Western Dairy and Univision
Colorado want to help combat the
statistic that says Latino children
ages 6 to 17 have an overweight
rate 60 percent higher than nonLatino white children, according
to the federal Office of Minority
Health.
A community in the midst of an
obesity crisis even larger than the
one facing American as a whole,
Latinos need many resources at
home and in school to educate
and encourage change. Fuel Up
To Play 60 is a great way to start
changes at school and bring
them into the larger community –
since it is driven by children and
parents and already accounts for
over 11.5 million children actively
participating and making healthier
choices.
two children were in attendance,
as well as their long-time farm
manager Jose, his wife Lucy and
their daughter. Dairy farmer Susan
Moore also attended the panel.
The town hall, held at Sports
Authority Field at Mile High,
featured five panelists, including
Broncos Ring of Fame member
Louis Wright, Dr. Hector Frisbee,
Registered Dietitian Malena
Pordoma, Fuel Up To Play 60
Program Advisor of the Year and
teacher at Swanson Elementary
Valerie Cordova, and student
Vanessa Ponce from Swanson
Elementary and was moderated by
Univision Colorado anchor Luisa
Collins. Each panelist introduced
themselves and then the group
took questions from the audience,
including questions about sports
nutrition, how to get children to
eat better, cooking with healthier
ingredients and lactose intolerance.
Western Dairy staff members and
volunteers discussed many topics
with attendees while offering
samples of Lactaid, since a large
portion of Latinos are impacted by
lactose intolerance. The majority
of attendees were not aware that
Lactaid was real milk or that it
was a great lactose-free option for
drinking milk.
Western Dairy Board member
Shelley Dickinson, along with her
husband Martin Ontiveros and their
Univision Colorado will be a
great partner moving forward in
continuing outreach to the Latino
community. Over the coming
months, an extensive television and
radio campaign will be broadcast
on Univision Colorado and its
partner radio stations featuring
information on the dairy-farmer
funded Fuel Up to Play 60 program
as well as providing nutritional
information on dairy and featuring
local dairy farm families.
FUTP 60 Student > Continued from page 6
Senior Director, School Health and
Wellness Programs for WDA, “The kids
had a great time. It is important that
as representatives of FUTP 60 they
understand the commitment our dairy
farm families have to them and the
health and wellness of all children. This
serves as a positive foundation for this
group of ambassadors to promote the
goodness of dairy and dairy farmers.”
Lauren, Alyssa and Kaylene feed calves on
their dairy farm tour.
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Dairy Showcased at Colorado State Fair
themed booth to educate fairgoers on
the goodness of dairy and promote
FUTP 60 as the ideal way to bring
health and wellness to schools.
his year’s Colorado State
Fair in Pueblo had several
first-time attractions, as well
as many long-time favorites. New this
year was a butter cow sculpture and
State Fair Health Day – both of which
were sponsored and supported by
dairy farm families through Western
Dairy Association. Returning events
included the Bessie Booth, where
attendees had the chance to milk a
real cow, the educational exhibit in the
Ag Pavilion and the dairy bar, where
fairgoers purchased milk and other
dairy treats.
T
“The Bessie Booth is one of the most
popular events at the entire fair,”
said Manager of Industry Events
and Special Dairy Projects Michelle
Bornhoft. “The goal is to give kids an
opportunity to milk a live cow, as well
as talk with us about dairy.”
The Bessie Booth is run by students
from Colorado State University and
Pueblo’s 4-H group. Crowds are
always gathered around to watch
the milking and kids as young as 3
and 4 can try their hand at milking.
Although dairy farmers don’t handmilk cows anymore, this exhibit
reminds consumers where their food
comes from and the work that goes
into producing their favorite dairy
products.
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Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
The journey of how food gets from farm
to table is one that many consumers
are unfamiliar with in today’s market,
so the state fair is a great place to hold
open discussions with consumers and
help them learn that their milk comes
from local family farms.
WDA has also been working with
Kaylene Khosla, Colorado’s own
Fuel Up To Play 60 National Student
Ambassador and Youth Advisory
Council member, and WDA’s FUTP
60 team to put together the first ever
State Fair Health Day with Kaiser
Permanente. Khosla hosted a dairy-
“Kaylene didn’t even blink when we
asked her to help us participate in
this event – she is a great leader and
role model. We are proud to have her
representing dairy farm families and
Fuel Up To Play 60 at the state fair,”
said Senior Director of School Health
and Wellness Tami Anderson, who
oversees the FUTP 60 program for
WDA. Fair organizers hope to have
Health Day become an annual tradition.
“State fair health day was a great
opportunity to help teach people
about healthy eating, the story of dairy
and how to implement Fuel Up To Play
60 in their schools,” said Khosla.
The new butter cow sculpture was
sponsored by WDA, it was made out
of 800 pounds of butter over a mesh
frame that can be recycled into new
sculptures every year. The butter
sculpture took 45 hours to create, and
was sculpted by Sarah Pratt of Iowa.
“People loved seeing the butter
sculpture cow,” said Senior Director of
Producer Relations Bill Keating. “It is
such a unique thing that you can only
see at a fair – and since it is new to
Colorado, the crowd was very excited.”
The new butter cow
sculpture was sponsored
by WDA, it was made out
of 800 pounds of butter over a
mesh frame that can be recycled
into new sculptures every year.
It took 45 hours to create.
Staff dairy farm tour
On August 26, Western Dairy
Association’s staff visited two dairy
farms and two Dairy Farmers of
America (DFA) plants to help the
team gain a deeper perspective and
understanding of the work of our dairy
producers and processors.
Staff toured Jim Docheff’s dairy farm,
as well as Norm Dinis’ farm. On both
tours, the team got to see the various
parts of a dairy farm first-hand and
hear about the day-to-day of running
a dairy.
Next, staff went to the DFA plant in
Fort Morgan, CO, which processes 3.6
million pounds of nonfat milk powder
and cream. Staff saw the entire
process, from when milk arrives until it
leaves as bags of powdered milk.
The plant in Fort Morgan has won a
number of safety and manufacturing
awards and it is easy to see why! They
are serious about food safety – touring
the plant, staff removed all jewelry,
wore shoe covers, hair nets and ear
protection and washed their hands
each time they entered a new room in
the plant.
The day ended with a stop at the DFA
location in Henderson, CO, which is
the base of operations for many of
> Continued on page 10
County Fair Events
air season is a favorite
time of year for many
people, both rural and
in the city. Colorado is home to
many longtime county fairs, and
this year, the first Denver County
fair. Western Dairy Association
often has a presence at these
events to connect consumers and
dairy farm families by providing
education resources and dairy
messaging.
F
In addition to the fun and games,
consumers are often drawn to
county fairs by their curiosity
about agriculture and farming.
This has given Western Dairy an
opportunity to reach an interested
audience of consumers to reiterate
that their milk is local and that
dairy farm families in their own
counties are still responsible for
producing a majority of the milk
consumers buy.
This year, WDA participated
in the Larimer, Morgan, Yuma,
Adams, Douglas, Weld and
Boulder County fairs. The Morgan
County Fair gave Senior Director
of Producer Relations Bill Keating
the chance to catch up with the
Chapin dairy farm family and take
this great photo of 5th generation
family member Jayden Thompson
with her Jersey cow. WDA also
provided product for the Morgan
County Fair Steak Fry.
At the Larimer County Fair, dairy
farmer Josh Docheff judged the
senior showmanship group of
cattle and WDA sponsored the
belt buckle that Supreme Overall
Champion Dairy Cow winner
Lauren Schneider took home.
This was the first year that
Keating attended the Yuma
County Fair and parade. Keating
had the chance to work with
several dairy farm families
and their children to hand out
chocolate and white milk samples
at the parade.
In Weld County, WDA provided
product for the family barbeque
and Farm Bureau breakfast. In
Adams County, ice cream for
root beer floats was provided
to the 4-H group to serve. WDA
sponsored several giveaway items
at the Boulder County Fair, and
in Douglas County, WDA had a
booth in the Discovery Ranch
area that educated visitors about
dairy and dairy cows.
“The county fairs are a great
way for us to give back to our
local communities,” said Keating.
“It also allows us to connect
consumers with the great families
that produce the wholesome milk
they drink.”
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LiveWell Partnership
estern Dairy Association
has partnered with
LiveWell Colorado to help
spread the word about
health and wellness. LiveWell is a
nonprofit organization that seeks
to reduce obesity in Colorado
by promoting healthy eating
and active living. They have a
considerable following in the state,
and a large group of dedicated
mommy bloggers that help spread
their messages and offer health
and wellness advice. LiveWell is
unmatched in Colorado for their
reach amongst consumers and the
trust associated with their advice.
W
Western Dairy has already had
several events take place as part of
the partnership; including a dairy
farm tour, live Twitter chat and
several articles published on the
LiveWell website. LiveWell has also
helped to promote WDA through
their own social media channels.
In late June, LiveWell sent a group
of their mommy bloggers (and
one dad!) to tour a Colorado dairy
farm and learn how milk gets from
the cow to the table. As a result of
the tour, two blogs were posted by
moms on LiveWell.com promoting
dairy as a local, healthy product.
These blogs are especially
meaningful in today’s climate
because consumers are more likely
to trust information they hear from
a friend or fellow mom on a blog.
Targeting these blogging thought
leaders is a great way to spread the
goodness of dairy.
Jenna Allen, Director of Nutrition
Marketing and Affairs for WDA,
has also posted several articles on
LiveWell.com, LiveWell has helped
to promote those articles through
social media, and collaborated
with WDA to answer questions
that arose from them, including
questions about milk’s safety and
nutritional value.
A live Twitter chat on September 17
was another chance for WDA to talk
nutrition with consumers, clearing
> Continued on page 11
Staff Dairy Farm Tour > Continued from page 9
DFAs tanker trucks and also where
milk samples are tested for protein,
butterfat, antibiotic residue, acidity
levels and several types of bacteria.
Milk is one of the safest, highly
regulated food products in part
because of the work DFA is doing in
Henderson.
“I like to have staff tour dairy
farms at least once a year so they
remember who we are working
for and why what we do is so
important,” said WDA President and
CEO Cindy Haren. “It was a great
day to spend together and connect
with our dairy farm families and
10
Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
processors and experience firsthand
how important food safety is to
everyone in the dairy supply chain.”
Western Dairy’s renewed focus on
consumer communications means
that staff members need to be
more in touch than ever with dairy
farm families and their values so
those can be accurately portrayed
to consumers. Seeing firsthand
how milk is produced, tested and
double-checked for safety will
help the Western Dairy staff better
tell the farm to table story in the
months and years to come.
LiveWell Partnership > Continued from page 10
up common misconceptions about
dairy and discussing back-to-school
nutrition with families.
“We are so excited to be partnering
with LiveWell Colorado,” said Allen.
“They are the go-to resource for
health and wellness information
in the state and are a natural fit
for spreading the word about the
goodness of dairy.”
By partnering with groups like
LiveWell Colorado, WDA is making
sure that the checkoff continues
to drive increased dairy sales and
encourage community members to
live healthier lives.
WDA RDs Address Dairy Myths at King Soopers
Health & Wellness Expo
T
he first annual King Soopers Health & Wellness
Expo was held on October 5 at the Denver
Convention Center and featured over 200 food
manufacturers and groups. Western Dairy Association’s
Registered Dietitians Jenna Allen and Allie Tabish, along
with Dietetic Intern Reanna Moore managed Western
Dairy’s booth at the event and addressed many consumer
questions and helped debunk certain dairy myths.
Since today’s consumer is more likely to trust friends and
relatives over doctors and scientific articles, it is important
that Western Dairy address consumer questions directly
and honestly. Having a human presence at events like this
one allows the opportunity to address misinformation
consumers may have about dairy.
During the Expo, Tabish also spent some time teaching
children in the Kids Corner about the importance of
getting three servings a day of dairy and what foods have
dairy in them.
The event featured many prominent health and wellness
experts, including Dr. Oz and Dr. Travis Stork, who both
spoke about health and wellness at the event. Leading up
to the event, several dairy farm families were featured in
advertisements for the expo both on ABC Channel 7 and in
print ads.
“We were able to address a lot of consumer
misconceptions and myths about dairy at this event,” said
Jenna Allen, Director of Nutrition Marketing and Affairs.
“We are looking forward to doing more events like this
where we can discuss dairy directly with consumers and
find out what they really want to know about their food.”
11
Dairy Producer Highlight:
Foss Dairy Farm
When Elaine and Robert Foss
married in 1953, they decided to
start milking a few cows in their
barn. Today, that decision has
led to Foss Dairy Farm and three
generations of their family living the
dairy life.
Elaine and Robert had three children
– Brad, Robin and Cheryl. Robin has
two children of her own – Robert
and Bailey. Robin, her husband
Bruce, and her brother Brad now
run Foss Dairy Farm, which is where
Elaine and Robert moved to in 1960
with 35 cows. Today, the operation
has about 200 cows in total and
grows most of its own corn, alfalfa
and sorghum.
Sustainability is important to
the dairy where two of Elaine’s
grandchildren are growing up. In the
wintertime, manure is spread on the
fields and careful soil samples and
records are kept to make sure the
land will continue to grow crops for
future generations of Holstein dairy
cows.
Elaine’s family has deep roots in
dairy – her brother Bill runs a dairy
farm with the help of his family and
her brother-in-law Ed Foss (whose
family also dairies).
Things haven’t always been easy
for the Foss dairy family – in 2009,
they sold their herd to weather the
recession, keeping their heifers and
re-building the herd as the economy
turned back around. Despite the
hard times, Robin says she enjoys
watching the girl calves grow up and
become milk cows and comparing
them to their mothers.
> Continued on page 13
12
Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
Foss Dairy Farm > Continued from page 12
“We are a family owned business
and our goal is to provide a great
product,” says Robin.
Part of providing a great product
means making sure their cows are
happy and well cared for. The cows
are given clean, comfortable places
to rest and the family takes extra
care to make sure that the cows are
relaxed when they are waiting to get
milked.
“We help make sure the cows stay
calm in the holding pen,” Robin
explained.
Robin’s children are both active in
helping with the family business,
with the hope that they will continue
to the family dairy as adults. Both
Bailey and Robert are active in 4-H.
Robin also makes sure the children
participate in other activities,
including Bailey’s volleyball team,
which Robin coaches.
13
Your Western Dairy Association Team
Y
our Western Dairy
Association team is ready to
help with anything you need
or questions you have.
President & CEO
Cindy Haren
oversees the entire
Western Dairy
team. She has
over 30 years
of experience
in agriculture
leadership and is
leading the world-class dairy
initiative through checkoff. Cindy
current serves as a board director
on the Denver Metro Chamber
of Commerce and Economic
Development; committee member
on the Sustainability Council for the
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy; a
committee member on the Colorado
Livestock Care Committee; a
governor’s appointee to the Colorado
Water Quality Control Commission;
chairman of the Colorado Ag Council
and was the first woman elected to
the Washington County Board of
Commissioners.
Cindy has worked for Western Dairy
Association since 2002 and was
promoted to CEO in January 2007.
She holds a master’s degree in
business from the Daniels College of
Business at Denver University. Cindy
has been honored with a hometown
leadership award and was the recipient
of a scholarship to the leadership
program of the University of Colorado
Center for Improvement of Public
Management.
Cindy oversees all the departments at
Western Dairy and provides leadership
for the entire dairy and agriculture
industries in Colorado, Wyoming and
Montana.
14
Corporate Communications & PR
Nutrition Marketing & Affairs
Jo Anne Grammond,
Senior Director
of Corporate
Communications
and Public Relations,
has over 15 years
of experience in
journalism and public relations agency
work. She joined WDA in 2012 and
is in charge of all communications
and media relations for Western
Dairy, including responding to
media requests, working with media
partners like Radio Disney, Univision
Colorado and Northern News Network
and managing all publications and
collateral produced by Western Dairy.
Jenna Allen, RD,
Director of Nutrition
Marketing & Affairs,
has served as PR/
Marketing Chair
for the Colorado
Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics and the
President of the Denver Dietetic
Association. At Western Dairy, Jenna
is responsible for the coordination and
execution of nutrition communications
and health professional and consumer
outreach. She joined WDA in 2008 and
was promoted to her current role as
Director in 2013.
Erica Grundin,
Associate Manager
of Corporate
Communications
and Public Relations,
has five years
of experience
in internet marketing and project
management. She joined WDA earlier
this year, and works with Jo and the
rest of the team on social media posts,
gathering newsletter materials and
information and updating the Western
Dairy website.
Allie Tabish, RD,
Associate Manager,
Nutrition Marketing
and Affairs, has a
Bachelor’s degree
in Dietetics – Food
and Human Nutrition
from Seattle Pacific University. She
has participated in internships and
volunteer work with School Meals That
Rock in Montana, Idaho Dairy Council,
Idaho State Health Department and
more. She joined WDA this year and
recently completed her RD exam.
> Continued on page 15
Western Dairy Association
ROI Fall 2013
Your Western Dairy Association Team > Continued from page 14
School Health & Wellness
Tami Anderson,
RD, Senior Director,
School Health &
Wellness Programs,
has been with
Western Dairy
since 2001. She
has a deep understanding of school
health and wellness and dairy’s role
in a healthy diet. Tami manages the
Fuel Up To Play 60 program and team
at Western Dairy – ensuring that it
reaches as many schools as possible
and continues to be an effective way
to help children get three servings of
dairy each day.
Cheryl Reumann,
Outreach
Coordinator, Fuel Up
To Play 60, has been
with Western Dairy
for over eight years
and is passionate
about maintaining and maximizing the
partnership with the Denver Broncos.
Cheryl coordinates all the Miles the
Mascot assemblies, as well as player
appearances for Fuel Up To Play 60.
Colin Lowe, Account
Manager, Fuel Up
To Play 60, has a
Bachelor’s degree
in Agricultural
Communications
with a minor
in Agricultural Economics from
Oklahoma State University. Colin is
managing relationships with many
school districts to help implement Fuel
Up To Play 60 in as many schools as
possible. He joined Western Dairy this
year, coming from DairyMax, the Texasbased checkoff association.
Producer Relations & Industry
Image Relations
Bill Keating, Senior
Director of Producer
Relations & Industry
Image Relations,
has worked in dairy
processing for
over 20 years and
uses his understanding of Western
Dairy’s regional dairy processors and
cooperatives to help dairy producers
in any way he can. Bill also manages all
the dairy farm tours for Western Dairy.
He joined Western Dairy in 2012.
Kristin Tucker,
Director, Dairy
Curriculum
Development/
Activation &
Training, has been
with Western
Dairy Association for over 25 years.
Kristin is developing dairy curriculum
for 9th and 10th grade students in
partnership with Future Farmers of
America, Colorado State University
and local schools.
Michelle Bornhoft,
Manager, Industry
Events & Special
Dairy Projects,
Michelle has
managed industry
events for Western
Dairy for five years. She works with
local processors to provide milk for
local events, coordinates the annual
June Dairy Month dinner and supports
Western Dairy’s
sponsorships of county
fairs, the state fair
and Greeley Stampede.
Administrative Support
Sarah Garrison,
Office Operations
Manager, is the voice
you hear when you
call Western Dairy.
She manages the
everyday operations
of the office, including ordering
supplies, managing the mailing and
email databases and keeping the team
updated on office procedures. Sarah
has been with WDA for 3.5 years.
Darlene Clifford,
Executive Assistant,
has many years of
experience as a
teacher, campaign
coordinator and
executive assistant.
Darlene assists the CEO with her
projects, schedule and executive
communications. Darlene has been
with WDA for almost 6 years.
Jariya Phanpaktra,
Program Assistant,
has a Bachelor’s
degree in
Journalism and Mass
Communication
from the University
of Colorado and previously worked as
an administrative assistant for the CU
football program. Jariya assists the
Nutrition Marketing & Affairs, Producer
Relations and Fuel Up To Play 60
programs at Western Dairy since
joining the team this year.
“I am excited about where WDA
is headed in the years to come.”
- Cindy Haren, President & CEO of Western Dairy
15
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R.O.I. (Return on Investment) is a quarterly publication reporting all promotion and education programs implemented in Western Dairy Association’s region on behalf of the
dairy farm families of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. For questions about R.O.I., please call Jo Anne Grammond at 303.451.7711 or e-mail [email protected].