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, with a special focus on Gen Z (Gen Z). These grants allow farmers to connect with their communities and share their stories. The funds can be used for local promotional activities highlighting dairy’s advantages for people, the planet, and families.

In 2024, 134 grants totaling over $348,000 were awarded. Farmers have demonstrated impressive creativity in applying for these grants. Below are a few examples of recipients who have promoted dairy in fun and impactful ways. 

Iowa – Farm to Fork Event 

Farmer Doug Carrol’s “Farm to Fork” event connected local farmers, chefs, and consumers. This gathering encouraged discussions about sustainable practices employed on modern farms and showcased dairy products, including flavored butters and charcuterie trays. 

Each course began with an explanation of the food’s sourcing and local processing methods. The bread course featured three different flavored butters, while the charcuterie tray showcased a selection of cheeses. The meal concluded with flavored ice cream. Attendees were excited to learn about the food’s local origins and how farmers support the community and the environment. A total of 100 consumers attended the event. 

Illinois – PC Powers UP with Dairy Project 

The “PC Powers UP with DAIRY” project was developed by the Prairie Central FFA Chapter to promote the consumption of dairy products within the school district’s athletic programs. This initiative educated local communities about the importance of dairy in athletes’ diets and highlighted dairy farmers’ commitment to sustainability. 

FFA members created concession stand signage and distributed infographics and dairy activity books to younger community members attending the athletic events. They incorporated the Undeniably Dairy brand into the signs and shared dairy facts emphasizing dairy’s dietary benefits. They installed signs with weekly messages promoting the dairy industry, prominently featuring the Undeniably Dairy logo. These signs became a highlight, with many attendees inquiring about the information presented. 

Cheese sticks were also introduced as a new staple on the concession menu, providing a nutrient-rich snack option. Since hundreds of people from the community attend athletic events—many of whom do not have a direct connection to agriculture—targeting these events proved to be an effective way to reach consumers. So far, the group has reported reaching approximately 3,000 people and looks forward to continuing dairy promotion in the coming years. 

Kansas – June Dairy Month Promotion  

To celebrate June Dairy Month, Ashley Holle distributes dairy treat baskets to local daycares and sports teams in her community. In 2024, she used an Undeniably Dairy Grant to enhance her efforts. Holle provided local schools and daycares with bags filled with dairy promotional items, including bracelets, sunglasses, stickers, and positive messages about dairy. She distributed over 200 “dairy good” bags while educating children and their families about dairy nutrition. These bags reached families in Linn, Palmer, Firth, Nebraska, and Morrowville, Kansas. 

Minnesota – Dairy Summer Promotion 

Amanda Zigan and her team collaborated with their local radio station to record dairy advertisements for 2024. KEYL is a radio station that reaches a broad audience of consumers with little connection to agriculture. Each of their eight dairy royalty ladies recorded an ad highlighting dairy nutrition, recipe versatility, dairy deliciousness, farm-to-table practices, and sustainability. They also informed listeners that dairy products would be available at a local ice cream truck. Listeners were encouraged to spot the Undeniably Dairy logo on the ice cream trailer or t-shirts worn by staff. They also printed 10-ounce plastic souvenir cups featuring the Undeniably Dairy logo for the ice cream trailer. This promotion reached over 5,000 consumers. 

Minnesota – Ag Learning Lab 

Since 2023, 4-H programs in Freeborn, Rice, Steele, and Waseca counties have collaborated to create an “Ag Learning Lab” within their 4-H buildings during the county fairs. The Ag Learning Lab provides a welcoming space where youth and adults can engage in enjoyable agricultural activities and learn about food production, food waste, and more. 

Dairy farmer Amy Nelson partnered with Waseca County 4-H to use an Undeniably Dairy Grant to create a “ReFuel with Chocolate Milk” station at the Ag Learning Lab during the fairs in Waseca, Rice, Freeborn, and Steele counties. This station included various physical challenges for participants to compete in and signage highlighting the benefits of refueling with chocolate milk. After completing an exercise challenge, attendees received a complimentary 8-ounce bottle of chocolate milk.  

This initiative enhanced an existing 10-foot display showcasing dairy farming in the local counties and illustrated milk’s journey from farm to store. Grant funds also were used to purchase drawstring bags containing informational handouts about chocolate milk. The exhibit was strategically placed next to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s dairy display, where consumers watched videos of a working dairy farm narrated by Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Emma Kuball. By placing the exhibit at four popular county fairs in southern Minnesota, they reached an audience of approximately 2,000 consumers, including those who do not live on farms. 

Missouri – Ag Moves Summer Program  

The Agriculture Education on the Move (Ag Moves) summer 2024 program targets future consumers in elementary students and Gen Z. The in-class curriculum focuses on Missouri agriculture, featuring a dairy lesson incorporating Undeniably Dairy messaging and hands-on activities. Ag Moves partners with FFA chapters and universities to train Gen Z students, who teach the program in local classrooms. 

Dairy farmer Heather Fletcher used the Undeniably Dairy brand to teach the Ag Moves dairy lesson in classrooms and outreach events. The lesson explores dairy’s journey from farm to store, how dairy cattle are raised, and the year-round care farmers provide for their animals and land. Each session includes a hands-on activity, such as making homemade butter, allowing students to engage through seeing, touching, and tasting. This curriculum reached 3,727 students through in-class programming. 

These in-classroom experiences and outreach events were facilitated by 21 college educators representing Ag Moves statewide. These young professionals trained with Ag Moves staff as educators and gained valuable classroom management and communication experience. This experience familiarized them with the Undeniably Dairy messaging, and they served as both representatives of Missouri Farmers Care, Ag Education on the Move, and the Undeniably Dairy brand.  

North Dakota – Kids Day on the Farm 

Kids Day on the Farm was held at the Dickinson State University Multi-Purpose Arena. The event educated both local and visiting attendees about agriculture. While it primarily serves children in grades K-3, people of all ages are welcome, and many attendees from various age groups participate each year. This event helps those who are less familiar with agriculture understand its importance. It highlights how essential foods, such as dairy, contribute to nutrition, health, and the community’s overall well-being. 

An Undeniably Dairy Grant enhanced appreciation for dairy products while showcasing agriculture in southwestern North Dakota. The Undeniably Dairy brand and sustainability message educated attendees about dairy and other agricultural topics. Displays and activities reinforced positive messages about dairy. Several college students and local agricultural business representatives engaged with the children. At the end of their tour, each child received a goodie bag containing pencils, coloring books, informational pamphlets, and other items donated by Midwest Dairy. This event reached 1,400 consumers. 

Nebraska – Nebraska Ag in the Classroom  

Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) workshops offer hands-on activities for student teachers, integrating agriculture into K-12 education. These general education pre-service teachers, averaging 20 years old, receive quality materials for their teaching portfolios. The program serves about 300 teachers annually, operating on a budget of roughly $30,000, with this grant supporting about 17%. Participants engage in activities showcasing the journey of milk. 

An Undeniably Dairy Grant supported a teacher training workshop for college students preparing to be elementary and middle school teachers. The workshop focused on integrating milk into science education. Through hands-on activities, including a relay race timeline based on the National Agriculture in the Classroom lesson “Sun to Moo to You,” students explored milk’s journey from grass to cows to humans. They also completed a worksheet on types of energy while watching the “Journey of Milk” video from Dairy MAX. Additional resources were provided through the Midwest Dairy website. This approach encouraged discussions on related topics, such as recycling and health, fostering teachers’ understanding through active engagement. 

Students responded positively to the message that dairy cattle farmers genuinely care about their practices. This messaging helps pre-service teachers develop their opinions about dairy farming and establishes a foundation for the messages they will share with their future students. 

South Dakota – South Dakota State Fair 

The South Dakota State Fair is an excellent opportunity to connect with fairgoers and promote dairy. In 2024, an Undeniably Dairy grant funded a mural on the Dakota Marketplace building, home to the Dairy Bar, featuring local cows and nutrient information about milk from different breeds.  

The Undeniably Dairy logo is prominently displayed, and the mural shows cows grazing with a barn in the background, highlighting the dairy industry’s community impact. As a permanent installation on the Open Class Dairy Barn wall, it will engage visitors consistently, reminding them of the origins of their milk. The fair attracts about 200,000 attendees over five days, making this mural a vital link between consumers and agriculture.