Collaboration between Midwest Dairy and sustainability thought leaders is crucial for promoting innovative practices that support environmental stewardship. By sharing insights, we can collectively promote positive messaging about sustainability practices and animal welfare. Partnerships with sustainability thought leaders enhance the industry’s credibility and demonstrate commitment to sustainable development, ensuring that dairy production meets consumer needs while protecting the planet.
Midwest Dairy recently partnered with The Sustainability Alliance in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for its First Thursday event, designed to connect individuals with sustainability thought leaders. The event focused on the dairy industry’s role in advancing environmental sustainability, with farmers Adam Coblentz from Oklahoma and Bill Haak from Arkansas discussing the dairy industry’s 2050 Net Zero Goals. They shared insights on resource management, including manure management, cover crops, and water recycling. The event, attended by nearly 60 people both in person and online, provided a platform for discussions on soil health, greenhouse gas reduction, and animal care, underscoring the dairy industry’s commitment to a sustainable future.
The Sustainability Alliance, known for empowering communities with practical, sustainable solutions, emphasizes the importance of balancing the triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet. Through this partnership, Midwest Dairy and The Sustainability Alliance highlighted the dairy industry’s efforts to meet today’s needs and ensure a sustainable tomorrow. Midwest Dairy partnered with the Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education (NACEE) for the second consecutive year to sponsor their annual conference, held on February 26-27 at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska. This partnership helped Midwest Dairy connect with others involved in environmental education. At the conference, Midwest Dairy showcased dairy farmers’ commitment to sustainability and shared STEM resources for educators. They also led a breakout session titled “Influencing Tomorrow: Media, Youth Perceptions, and the Path to Sustainable Dairy Systems,” highlighting the STEM Curriculum, Media Mayhem, which explores conflicting media reports about the environmental impact of milk production. Addison Carroll from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln co-presented dairy’s advancements over the past 50 years. A full-page ad in the conference program emphasized dairy’s role in sustainability.