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2024 Annual Report

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1. Where Your Checkoff Goes

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2. Board Leadership

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3. Growing Trust

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4. Driving Dairy Demand

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5. Fueling Innovation & Research

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6. Developing Tomorrow’s Dairy Leaders

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7. Resources

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8. Scorecard

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Making Every Drop Count in 2024

Throughout 2024, Midwest Dairy worked hard on behalf of dairy farmers. We pledge to Make Every Drop Count by investing your 15-cent checkoff contribution into efficient and effective ways to grow trust and sales in dairy regionally, nationally, and globally.

You can learn more about the projects and activations checkoff dollars supported throughout the 10-state region in the 2024 Annual Report stories below. These activations highlight how Midwest Dairy grew trust, increased sales, invested in research, and developed leaders.

An Introduction from Corey Scott, Midwest Dairy CEO, and
Charles Krause, Midwest Dairy Board Chair

Where Your Checkoff Goes

Dairy Farmer’s CHeckoff Investment

Midwest Dairy is thoughtful and purposeful of where dairy farmer’s checkoff investment goes. Learn more about these investments below.

Dairy Farmer’s CHeckoff Investment

Midwest Dairy is thoughtful and purposeful of where dairy farmer’s checkoff investment goes. Learn more about these investments below.

National Projects and Partnerships

25% of Total Expenses

The 2.5 cent funding sent to Dairy Management Inc. for research and promotion and the United Dairy Industry Association fee, both a part of our membership commitment.

Dairy Experience

41% of Total Expenses

Consumer-focused programming and implementation of key components of the dairy checkoff’s nationwide Unified Marketing Plan. This includes:

  • Sales – Demand: 13%
  • Sales – Youth: 1%
  • Trust – Thought Leaders: 7%
  • Trust – Adult: 12%
  • Trust – Youth: 7%
  • Strategic Insights: 1%

Research

6% of Total Expenses

Product research through the Midwest Dairy Food Research Center and efforts focused on nutrition research and consumer insights.

Ag Affairs

15% of Total Expenses

Work building coalitions with ag groups focused on reaching consumers, dairy ambassadors, farmer leadership development programs, and work in environmental sustainability.

Corporate Communications

5% of Total Expenses

Positioning with stakeholders, distributing content through digital channels, and issues preparedness.

Farmer Communications

2% of Total Expenses

Communication with internal audiences, including farmer investors, board members, and employees.

Administration

6% of Total Expenses

Includes the cost of our accounting and network infrastructure, as well as our governance of board costs.

Revenue By Division

Revenue By Division

Minnesota

42.3% of Total Revenue

Iowa

22.7% of Total Revenue

South Dakota

19% of Total Revenue

Nebraska

4.9% of Total Revenue

Illinois

3% of Total Revenue

MoKan

2.6% of Total Revenue

Ozarks

1.8% of Total Revenue

North Dakota

1.1% of Total Revenue

Interest and Other Income

2.6% of Total Revenue

By the numbers

13.5 million

incremental pounds of milk sold in 2024.

13.5 million

Over 19,000,000

impressions were made and almost 4,000,000 consumers were reached through influencer work.

Over 19,000,000

134 Grants

were provided to dairy farmers, dairy farmer groups, and ag partners, totaling over $348,000 in awards through the Undeniably Dairy Grant program.

134 Grants

Board Leadership

Meet Your Board Leadership

Midwest Dairy Corporate Board members share about their favorite local and national activations that are driving trust and sales in dairy. Click on an arrow to hear from them!

State map of the representing the Midwest region of the United States

Meet Your Board Leadership

Midwest Dairy Corporate Board members share about their favorite local and national activations that are driving trust and sales in dairy. Click on an arrow to hear from them!

Video One 80 55
Midwest Dairy Illinois Board Chair: Bill Deutsch
Video Two 30 48
Midwest Dairy Nebraska Board Chair: Joyce Racicky
Video Three 55 20
Midwest Dairy Minnesota Board Chair: Kristine Spadgenske
Video Four 60 45
Midwest Dairy Iowa Board Chair: Leroy Maassen
Video Five 30 30
Midwest Dairy South Dakota Board Chair: Marv Post
Video Six 56 84
Midwest Dairy Ozarks Board Chair: Nathan Roth
Video Seven 30 10
Midwest Dairy North Dakota Board Chair: Sue Kleingartner
Video Eight 55 65
Midwest Dairy MoKan Board Chair: Byron Lehman
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Growing Trust

Reaching Consumers with Dairy’s Story

Midwest Dairy knows positive perception of dairy leads to increased trust and sales. We collaborate with partners to share dairy’s farm-to-table story in out-of-the-box ways, creating experiences that help bring dairy to life beyond the grocery store. Midwest Dairy strives to engage influential thought leaders and to meet the consumers where they are, especially Gen Z, to grow trust in dairy.

Explore Articles

Minnesota State Fairgoers in Dairy building

Dairy thrives during the state fair season

Midwest Dairy was excited to engage with consumers at state fairs throughout the 10-state region. These popular state celebrations provide numerous opportunities for people to…
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collage of dairy influencers

Building bridges: How social influencers are partnering with checkoff to share the dairy story

Midwest Dairy partners with online influencers to connect with Generation Z (Gen Z) and adult consumers by showcasing stories about sustainable nutrition in dairy. These…
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Photos from Undeniably Dairy Grants in 2024

Grant funds fuel community engagement and dairy promotion in 2024

Undeniably Dairy Grants help farmers promote the benefits of dairy for individuals, the environment, and local communities. These grants help farmers engage with their communities,…
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2024 Adopt a Cow participants

Milking success: The impact of the Adopt a Cow Program in 2024

During the 2024 back-to-school season, Midwest Dairy again partnered with the Adopt a Cow program to bring dairy’s story to students across the 10-state region.…
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Woman presenting

Supporting dairy among diverse dietitians

Midwest Dairy collaborated with Dairy Max, United Dairy of Michigan, American Dairy Association, Indiana, and the National Dairy Council to host “A Taste of Tradition,”…
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Band students playing spinning game at event

Growing trust through campus engagements

College campuses are home to many Generation Z (Gen Z) students, who research shows are the least trusting consumer segment. Positive perceptions of dairy can…
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Attendees at a sustainability thought leader event playing bingo

Empowering dairy’s story through collaboration with thought leaders

Midwest Dairy collaborates with thought leaders who attend events and conferences, participate in panels, and give interviews to share their expertise on the benefits of…
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Student looking at STEM curriculum

Science meets agriculture as checkoff leverages dairy in the classroom

Midwest Dairy focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, aiming to include dairy in school curricula. STEM is an educational approach that combines…
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Driving Dairy Demand

Growing Sales Throughout our 10-State Region

Midwest Dairy pursues opportunities with retail and foodservice partners who are dedicated to growing dairy sales and highlighting the dairy case. We know consumers love dairy products, and Midwest Dairy works with partners to promote nutritious recipes and to inspire consumers to use the dairy products they love in innovative ways.

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Mom grocery shopping on phone

Driving dairy sales during Back-to-School season

During the back-to-school season in August and September, Midwest Dairy partnered with several vendors to execute a multi-channel marketing strategy designed to increase demand for…
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close up photo of Freddy's grilled cheese steakburger

Freddy’s Frozen Custard proves a successful partnership in 2024

Midwest Dairy focuses on developing partnerships with foodservice operators in our 10-state region to drive dairy sales through menu innovation, limited-time offers (LTO), and other…
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woman baking holiday goods with daughter

Maximize the holiday season grocery shopping with Instacart

During the holiday season in November and December, Midwest Dairy partnered with Chicory and Instacart to implement a multi-channel marketing strategy to increase demand for…
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African American man checking out milk

Checkoff partners celebrate June Dairy Month

June is Dairy Month, a national celebration widely supported by many Midwest Dairy retail partners. It is a great time to promote dairy products in…
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Godfather's Pizza with dairy farmers

Midwest Dairy capitalizes on cheesy partnerships

Pizza is a beloved staple enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds, making it a key area of focus for Midwest Dairy. Midwest Dairy…
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Woman baking using online recipe

Making delicious connections through recipes to drive dairy sales

More than 90% of consumers rely on online recipes and meal inspiration. Additionally, 86% of consumers have been inspired by online recipes to explore new…
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Examples of We Are Family campaign assets

Appealing to families through new tactics

The We Are Family campaign was a partnership among checkoff, Walmart.com, and Dollar General aimed at connecting with shoppers who already purchase dairy and those…
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Fueling Innovation & Research

Advancing Research in Dairy

Midwest Dairy invests checkoff resources into research designed to support the dairy industry, innovate dairy technologies, and create regional and global opportunities for Midwest Dairy farmers throughout our 10-state region.

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Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center report 2024

Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center 2024 executive summary

2024 was another successful and productive year for the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center (MDFRC). With the completion and implementation of our 2024 Strategic Plan,…
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2024 Hatchery Winner

Pitch Competitions continue to fuel checkoff research

Advancing dairy research is a key strategy of dairy checkoff. Midwest Dairy funds research that solves industry challenges and partners with those who drive demand…
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Holstein cows eating

Lasso Grant showcase: Olmar Farms

In 2024, Midwest Dairy launched a free grant-writing support program for on-farm projects in partnership with Lasso. Lasso, a platform described as a “grant writer in…
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Developing Tomorrow’s Dairy Leaders

Developing Farm and Community Leaders

Midwest Dairy offers dairy farmers within our 10-state region opportunities and resources to successfully tell their dairy story within their community. These opportunities include connecting with consumers on shared values, preparing for a crisis, how to conduct media interviews, and more. Midwest Dairy is an excellent resource for farmers who want to become more active and shine a spotlight on their farms. Discover how dairy farmers utilized these resources, including items from the Promo Center, to reach consumers locally.

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Iowa dairy ambassador playing spinning game with child

Celebrating another successful year for the Dairy Ambassador program

The Dairy Ambassador program is an educational and leadership opportunity for high school and college students passionate about the dairy industry. This program allows individuals…
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DEAL class 3 at The Hatchery

Growth and change in the DEAL program for 2024

Midwest Dairy kicked off Class 3 of the Dairy Experience and Agricultural Leadership Program (DEAL), welcoming 17 new dairy leaders in 2024. This 18-month program…
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Resources

Hear from Farmers

Throughout 2024, Midwest Dairy tapped into dairy farmers to help share their dairy story at sustainability and thought leader events as well as with retail and foodservice partners. Meet these farmers as they share more about their experiences.

Meet our Partners

Meet some of Midwest Dairy’s partners, highlighting their invaluable contributions to our mission. Through collaborative efforts, we enhance our initiatives, enriching our impact on the dairy industry. Click here to celebrate a few of our partners that drive trust and sales in dairy!

Our Partners

Caseys Logo
Coborn's Logo
Fareway Meat & Grocery logo
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers logo
Illinois Farm Families logo
Iowa Food & Family Project logo
Marco's Pizza logo
Missouri Farmers Care logo
No More Empty Pots logo
University of Minnesota logo
University of North Dakota logo
University of Arkansas logo
University of Missouri logo
Midwest Dairy 2024 Annual Report Scorecard Graphic

Review the 2024 Scorecard

The Midwest Dairy scorecard is designed to inform dairy farmers of our growth across several goals, including dairy sales, trust in dairy, and more. Review the 2024 Midwest Dairy Year-end Scorecard by clicking below.

Learn More

Additional Resources

Interested in learning more about Midwest Dairy, your national checkoff DMI, or resources available to help tell your dairy story? Check out our helpful links below, including links to our Board Leadership information and 2024 financial documents!