Posted: November 16, 2011 at 8:28 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Nearly one thousand farmers and dairy industry leaders are gathered in San Diego this week for the joint annual meeting of farmer-funded dairy promotion groups. On the agenda is a review of dairy checkoff programs and their results over the past year.
Tom Gallagher, CEO of Dairy Management Inc., says the dairy checkoff has had great success with partnerships in the pizza category and in quick serve restaurants, moving billions of additional pounds of milk. “From July of 2009 to July of 2011, pizza cheese consumption increased almost 390 million pounds,” said Gallagher. “Think about that, that’s an enormous turnaround of a category that was really starting to slide downhill.”
In addition, Gallagher says a three-year partnership with McDonald’s has helped make that chain a “dairy destination” increasing consumption by over 1.7 billion pounds. “That’s milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. And obviously, when McDonald’s does something, all the other quick serve restaurants follow, so the catalytic effect is just enormous,” he said.
Gallagher told dairy farmers at the meeting this week that these kinds of partnerships demonstrate that the dairy checkoff is working to increase sales, as it should.
Posted: October 24, 2011 at 11:09 am
By News Editor
Congratulations to the 15 students who were awarded $1,500 scholarships from the United Dairymen of Idaho (UDI) and its two branches – the Idaho Dairy Products Commission and the Idaho Dairymen’s Association!
The Idaho dairy industry’s first scholarship recipients include the following 15 students, who will graduate this spring:
Billy Arriaga, son of Lynn and Rick Arriaga, attending the College of Southern Idaho; Charisse DeVries, daughter of Cynthia and Curtis DeVries, attending Seattle Pacific University; Katylyn DeVries, daughter of Julie and Gregory DeVries, attending Whitworth University; Jeremiah McKell Funk, son of Shirlene and David Funk, attending the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston; Jacob Harris, son of Becky and Nils Harris, attending Brigham Young University – Idaho; Morgan Hubsmith, son of Kaysi and Rod Hubsmith, attending Idaho State University; Kilee Lehman, daughter of Lauri and Russel Lehman, attending the College of Southern Idaho; Adam Machado, son of Jacquline and Matt Machado, attending the University of Idaho; Elizabeth Russell, daughter of Claudia and Steve Russell, attending the University of Idaho; Michael Siegersma, son of Wendy and Mike Siegersma, attending Carroll College; Nolan Stouder, son of Charleen and Gary and Stouder, attending Point Loma Nazarene University; Katelin Taber-Barth, daughter of Karla Barth and Chris Taber, attending the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor; Kaitlin Troost, daughter of Joyce and Greg Troost, attending Dordt College; Andrea Annie VanderWoude, daughter of Bridget and George, attending the University of Idaho; and Danielle Yett, daughter of Fran and Dan Yett, attending Providence Christian College.
UDI’s scholarship program honors the academic excellence of children of dairy farm families. Besides their academic success other factors in awarding the scholarships’ included; extracurricular activities, community and volunteer activities and an essay on how the applicant planned on using his degree in their chosen career path.
Posted: October 14, 2011 at 8:54 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
The Dairy Checkoff has been promoting the advantages of getting social to dairy producers for a couple of years now and one of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board members found out just how important that is recently.
I talked to Brad Scott, a fourth generation family dairy farmer from Southern California, during the Talk Session at World Dairy Expo last week and he told me about why he finally caught the Twitter bug. “Just recently my state contacted me because they were having 13 “mommy bloggers” come out,” Brad said. “They got to see us, have dinner with us and have lunch with us for two days and I got to know them and got to understand what their concerns are.”
Not only did these “mommy bloggers” from urban areas get to learn about animal care, milk testing, and environmental stewardship on a working dairy farm, they also taught Brad a thing or two. “They got me on Twitter, so now I have a Twitter account and all these mommmy bloggers are following me!” he said, which gave him the opportunity to follow them and find out what they were saying to their followers about their experience on his farm. “Everything was positive. They were very excited about telling their followers our story and the great things we do on the dairy.”
Posted: September 30, 2011 at 8:32 pm
By News Editor
The 2010 Dairy Management Inc.™ annual report – featuring highlights of how the dairy checkoff helped impact sales of more than 6 billion additional pounds of milk is now available online.
The annual report provides an update of various dairy checkoff programs, including strategic partnerships with globally recognized companies such as McDonald’s® and Domino’s® Pizza.
The report also includes examples of industry collaboration through the checkoff-led Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy™, which works to protect and grow sales by working through the industry.
Other sections in the report include:
· Fuel Up to Play 60 – an in-school program that aims to encourage healthy eating, including dairy, and physical activity for our nation’s children
· Export marketing – includes those programs led by the U.S. Dairy Export Council® that work to develop and grow export markets for U.S.-produced dairy products and ingredients
· Health and wellness communications – designed to inform health professionals and other thought leaders about dairy’s science-based nutritional benefits
· Dairy Research Institute – created to strengthen the industry’s access to and investment in the technical research needed to drive innovation and grow sales.
· Dairy image – programs that help maintain and build consumer confidence in the U.S. dairy industry.
“The dairy checkoff continues to show how it is leading change throughout the industry,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy checkoff. “Thanks to the checkoff’s efforts, the dairy industry experienced unprecedented collaboration and innovation in 2010 that set the table for future success.”
Posted: September 28, 2011 at 2:23 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Gabrielle Elizabeth Murphy, of Airville, Pa., she was crowned the 55th Pennsylvania Dairy Princess last week. Murphy is the daughter of Donna and Greg Kennard, and Sheri and Patrick Murphy, of York County.
Contestants were judged on public speaking skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality. Each contestant prepared a speech, skit, radio spot and poster display promoting milk and dairy products, submitted a scrapbook of promotion activities, and participated in a personal interview with a panel of four judges.
A sophomore at Delaware Valley College, Murphy is studying livestock management and is active in the collegiate Dairy Society, FFA, Farm Bureau and the Block and Bridle Club. A 2010 graduate of Red Lion Area High School, she works part-time at Pennview Dairy Farm, helps on her grandparents’ Alta Vista West dairy farm and plans to become a large animal veterinarian. Murphy is a Little League baseball umpire and a junior firefighter for the Airville Volunteer Fire Company.
Two alternates were chosen to support the new princess. The first alternate is Deidra Bollinger, of Manheim, Pa., Lancaster County. The daughter of Ruby and Darryl Bollinger, she is a senior at Elizabethtown Area High School where she is active in the FFA. Her family operates Darr-Lynn Holsteins, and she is a member of Lancaster County Milk Duds 4-H Dairy Club and Elizabethtown Grange, and enjoys showing cattle and playing the viola.
Chosen as second alternate, Somerset County’s Courtney Brant is the 16-year-old daughter of Mark and Shannon Brant. Her grandparents operate Silver Valley Farms, were they milk nearly 300 Holsteins, of which Brant owns and shows four. Brant is involved with the Somerset County Fair and the Maple Festival and is a member of the Pennsylvania Junior Holstein Association. A junior at Meyersdale Area High School, she is on the varsity cross country and track and field teams.
For the next year, the new state royalty team will represent Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its 7,400 dairy farm families. The dairy industry is the state’s top agriculture industry, contributing nearly $5 billion to the economy and 45,000 jobs across the state.
Posted: September 23, 2011 at 5:35 pm
By News Editor
Going to World Dairy Expo? Schedule time to join the Dairy Checkoff at seminar called “Leading the Conversation: Answering consumer questions about dairy.”
The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, October 5 at 1 p.m. in the Mendota 2, Exhibition Hall. Learn how to more effectively engage and communicate with consumers about on-farm milk production.
Answering tough consumer questions about dairy can be challenging. This interactive workshop will help farmers and industry leaders develop skills to better connect with their neighbors, communities and consumers. Attendees will learn how to lead conversations in a positive and effective way using consumer-tested messages. Presenters Jane Hillstrom and Michele Ruby have worked with over 2,000 dairy producers across the country to help prepare them to share their positive stories with consumers.
What cheese goes with your wine? What beer goes with your cheese? These questions can finally be answered with Wisconsin Cheese Cupid. With this handy dandy iPhone and iPod Touch application, pairing a cheese with a like-minded beverage has never been easier or more fun. Bon appétit.
FEATURES
• Pairs wine, beer, and liquor with appropriate cheeses.
• Filters by beverage category (e.g., Red Wine) and beverage style (e.g., Merlot).
• Offers correct pronunciation of every cheese, beer, wine, and liquor.
• Cheese selector spotlights appropriate Wisconsin Cheese.
• Includes culinary information about selected Wisconsin Cheese.
“Our dairy farmers will have even more opportunities to tell their story to the public with Demeter establishing the connections with grassroots community organizations,” says Janet Grubbs, Director of Integrated Communications and Special Projects for the association.
The non-profit SUDIA is funded by dairy farm families of the Southeast and works with schools, health professionals, retailers, dairy processors and the public to promote dairy foods throughout Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The National Dairy Council teamed with the Midwest Dairy Council and the NFL to recently launch “Fuel Up to Play 60”, a program designed to encourage healthy eating habits and an active lifestyles to the nation’s youth who face a challenge battling the epidemic of childhood obesity. The program is summarized by its motto: “Be Healthy, Be Active, Make a Difference.”
David Crook, a dairy farmer from Humboldt, was among those present at the September 12 press conference at the Nebraska State Capitol promoting the program to Nebraska’s schools. Crook operates a 100-head dairy along with his wife and brother and couldn’t be happier with the program. “We have an extremely great product for our kids. It’s a big part of the solution to childhood obesity. How can we beat this opportunity?”
Crook applauded Governor Heineman’s support for the program and was pleased by the fact that the governor was the first in the nation to pledge support for the program. Crook, in addition to other family dairy producers across the state, was highly encouraged with the strong support for the dairy industry and to Nebraska’s youth.
In a press conference on Monday, Linda Maly from St. John Nepomucene in Weston, Neb., and “Fuel Up to Play 60” Program Advisor of the Year, outlined the program which aims to raise awareness of healthy choices and empower students to choose healthy foods and be physically active through play for at least 60 minutes per day.
It has activated more than eight million students in 70,000 schools nationwide, including 10,000 Midwest schools to be healthy, get active and make a difference.
As a demonstration of this commitment, Midwest Dairy Council awarded $507,728 to 194 schools in their 10-state territory during the 2010-2011 school year to help them jump-start and champion school wellness efforts. As part of Fuel Up to Play 60, schools can receive a free Quick Start Resources kit with planning tools and in-school collateral materials to help them implement healthy eating and physical activity “Plays” to spark positive wellness change in their schools.
Students have the opportunity to participate in a series of three Fuel Up to Play 60 Challenges this school year, and a bonus Challenge in the summer, that help educate and motivate them to showcase their talents and collaborate with their peers through Fuel Up to Play 60. The first Challenge, which launched on August 22 and runs through October 10, is the Back to School, Back to Football Challenge. It is designed to encourage students to get their school and friends excited about Fuel Up to Play 60 by creating a poster or video or planning a pep rally to inspire a healthy start to the new school year.
As youth go through the program, they are encouraged to consume nutrient-rich foods, including low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable, and to provide children with more opportunities to be physically active and choose nutrient-rich food.
In a press conference yesterday, Governor Dave Heineman joined Nebraska dairy industry representatives to highlight a national program designed to encourage healthy food choices and physical activity for Nebraska school students. Gov. Heineman, along with Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joann Schaefer and other state representatives, outlined the “Fuel Up to Play 60” program, which aims to raise awareness of healthy choices and empower students to choose healthy foods and be physically active through play for at least 60 minutes per day.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school program launched by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League in collaboration with the USDA. In Nebraska, the program is provided by the Midwest Dairy Council and is supported by dairy farmers who pay checkoff funds to the Midwest Dairy Association.
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The Fuel Up to Play 60 program is important as Nebraska and the nation continue to address childhood obesity concerns. According to the recent Division of Public Health report, Nebraska mirrors national statistics in that almost one-third of Nebraska children, 10 to 17 years of age, are considered overweight or obese.
Posted: September 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm
By News Editor
School is back in session, and dairy farmers are helping provide a more nutritious pizza option to student through the national dairy checkoff’s work with the Domino’s® Smart Slice school pizza program.
Domino’s Smart Slice – which satisfies increasingly stringent school nutrition guidelines – will be delivered to more than 1,300 schools representing more than 220 districts this year. The chain aims to continue growing pizza sales at a solid pace throughout the year.
The launch and aggressive growth of Domino’s Smart Slice has made an impact within the school pizza marketplace, as frozen pizza reformulations and new product launches are creating healthier pizzas that are moving more cheese.
Most U.S. schools serve frozen pizza and most students prefer pizza to foods such as chicken nuggets and hamburgers, according to NPD Group research. However, of those students surveyed who select pizza, only 25 percent say they “like it a lot” and that “it tastes great.”
In contrast, Domino’s Smart Slice delivers a nutritious, kid-approved solution that helps increase school meal participation – a win-win for students and school nutrition directors.
“Domino’s Smart Slice is a great example of quick-service restaurants partnering with the dairy industry,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy checkoff. “This partnership is creating a ripple effect throughout the pizza industry, because Domino’s Smart Slice is innovative and maintains cheese as the key pizza ingredient.”
The dairy checkoff began partnering with Domino’s in 2009 to help grow cheese sales. The collaboration included the creation of a specialty pizza line that used more cheese, an aggressive schedule of in-store promotions, and the use of DMI expertise and resources to help the chain develop its school lunch strategy. Domino’s tapped into the checkoff’s insights and culinary expertise to develop pizza and programs to improve the school lunch experience and keep pizza – and cheese – on school menus.
Domino’s Smart Slice appeals to school nutrition professionals because it features items such as whole-grain crust, reduced-sodium “100 percent real” light mozzarella, reduced-fat/reduced-sodium pepperoni, and sauce with 35 percent less sodium than the chain’s traditional sauce. And, in research tests, its taste appeals to kids as well.
Dairy checkoff chefs collaborated with Domino’s to develop the Smart Slice line, including the Bellroni Pie that uses light mozzarella and provolone and The Cheezzzilla Pizza that blends five cheeses while staying in line with nutrition guidelines.
Posted: September 1, 2011 at 11:24 am
By News Editor
“Becky Moo-Moo” was the winning name submitted by eight-year-old Alexa Cabrera in the “name the cow mascot” contest sponsored by Milk from the Heart. The charity provides fresh 1% milk to thousands of low-income families in undernourished communities in New York City, and uses the cow mascot to help educate children about the importance of milk for a healthy diet.
Alexa and her family won a tour of the Sweetman Dairy Farm, a working farm in Warwick, New York.
Alexa, a milk lover, was thrilled with the experience. “I loved meeting the cows and listening to the farmer talk about his job,” says Alexa, who was accompanied to the farm by her parents and two siblings.
The Cabrera family toured the Sweetman Dairy Farm, seeing the cows that provide milk to New Yorkers, and learning how milk gets from farm to table. The children pet the cows, saw where the animals were milked, where the milk was stored, and got to understand life on a dairy farm.
“The family got an overall feel and appreciation for the farm,” says Tunis Sweetman, the owner of the Sweetman Dairy Farm, which is home to 175 Holstein cows that produce fresh wholesale milk year-round. “We look forward to any time we can make a connection between our farm and the consumer.”
“Dairy farmers’ commitment to providing high quality milk begins with top-notch animal care and farming practices,” says Brenda Beltram, a spokesperson for the American Dairy Association. “Visiting a dairy farm is an ideal opportunity for those far removed from rural communities to see firsthand how dairy farmers preserve and recycle natural resources to produce foods that are nutritious and wholesome.”
The New York State Fair has unveiled its 2011 butter sculpture. See it now through September 5 in the NYS Fair Dairy Products Building.
The annual butter sculpture traditionally pays tribute to the state’s farm families who feed folks in their communities and beyond, but this year, New York’s farmers have turned the tables to publically thank another group dedicated to providing nutritious food: the School Nutrition professionals, who prepare more than 2.3 million meals for students every day in New York State.
Created from 800 pounds of unsalted butter, “Feeding our Future” features students selecting healthy breakfast items, such as milk, fruit, cereal and yogurt from a cafeteria line.
Fairgoers are invited to nominate their favorite school food worker for a day of pampering as an additional thank you. Details are available at the Dairy Princess Booth at the Dairy Products building or by visiting the website. The contest runs August 24-September 15th.
When the Fair is finished, the butter will once again find new life by turning corn’s best friend into fuel—biodiesel, to be exact—as part of a joint collaboration between American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc. (ADADC), and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). The sculpture is expected to yield more than 90 gallons of fuel, which will be used to transport SUNY-ESF students.
The 800 pounds of unsalted butter are provided courtesy of Wegmans Food Markets. Artists Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken created the sculpture for the 9th straight year.
Congratulations to Mary Zahurones, the 58th Princess Kay of the Milky Way! Zahurones is an 18-year-old college student from Pierz, Minnesota.
As Princess Kay, Zahurones, who represents Morrison County, will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s nearly 4,500 dairy farmers. Mary is the daughter of Chuck and Pat Tax of Pierz, and will attend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities this fall as a pre-med student studying biology and chemistry.
Twelve county dairy princesses competed for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. Stephanie Kasper of Owatonna, representing Steele County, and Theresa Twohey (TOO ee) of Stewartville, representing Olmsted County, were selected as runners-up. Twohey was also named Miss Congeniality. Scholarships were awarded to Erin Daninger of Forest Lake, representing Washington County, April Johnson of Heron Lake, representing Cottonwood County, and Emily Krekelberg of Le Sueur, representing Le Sueur County.
One of Zahurones’ first duties as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler for about six hours on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter. Each of the 11 other finalists will have her likeness carved in butter during the fair as well. This year marks butter sculptor Linda Christensen’s 40th year carving Princess Kay of the Milky Way and finalists at the Minnesota State Fair.
Throughout her year-long reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Zahurones will make public appearances helping consumers make a connection with Minnesota dairy farm families who are dedicated to producing wholesome milk while caring for their animals and natural resources.
Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills, personality and enthusiasm for dairy promotion. The Midwest Dairy Association sponsors the Princess Kay program with funds provided by dairy farmers.
Congratulations to Renee Wilson, who was crowned Maryland Dairy Princess on July 17! Sorry we missed this news Renee, and best wishes promoting dairy!
Wilson, 17, lives on her family’s 350-acre dairy farm in Parkton, where she helps with daily feeding and milking chores.
She is the daughter of Steve and Kelly Wilson and is the fourth generation of the family to work on the farm. It currently has 400 cows, 146 of which are milked. She owns 50 cows that she has shown at the Hereford Junior Farm Fair, Baltimore County 4-H Fair and the Maryland State Fair.
Wilson was named Upper Chesapeake Dairy Princess on May 29 as she competed against three other girls for the regional title. There were a total of six girls vying for the state title.
Wilson is on the honor roll at Hereford High School, where she is also president of the Future Farmers of America club. She helped create that group’s annual Ag Day for the community. She is also president of the Parkton 4-H Club.
The Dairy & Nutrition Council of Indiana, Inc. and the American Dairy Association of Indiana have unveiled a 1,400 pound cheese sculpture commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Dairy & Nutrition Council. Created by Sarah Kaufmann, the sculpture will be on display from August 5-21 at the “Our Land Pavilion” at the Indiana State Fair. Watch the video below to see the cheese sculpture from start to finish!
Congratulations to the new Iowa Dairy Princess, Gina Fisher!
Fisher, 17, is the daughter of David and Mary Fisher of Edgewood, Iowa. Fisher was also named Miss Congeniality from among the seven contestants.
Jessica Hammerand will assist Fisher as 2011-12 Iowa Dairy Princess Alternate. The Dubuque County teen was also named winner of the presentation portion of the contest. Hammerand, 19, is the daughter of Jeff and Tammy Hammerand of Epworth, Iowa.
Starting on Sept. 1, both Fisher and Hammerand will begin sharing the stories of dairy farmers during school visits and other community events. Appearances throughout the year will allow Fisher and Hammerand to educate consumers about nutritious dairy foods, on-farm animal care and environmental sustainability.
Judges considered personality, communication skills, and knowledge of and passion for the dairy industry to select the winner. The Iowa Division of Midwest Dairy Association, funded by the state’s dairy farmers, annually sponsors the Iowa Dairy Princess contest.
The butter has been shaped and revealed! The 2011 butter display, sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast, at the Ohio State Fair pays tribute to the nation’s space program and recognizes the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle program.
The retirement of the space shuttle program marks the end of an era. Throughout most of the history of the space program, Ohio produced more astronauts than any other state. In fact, twenty-four astronauts have called Ohio home, including space pioneers John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, who we previously honored by sculpting in butter. Ohio’s dairy farmers also previously paid a butter tribute to the Wright Brothers, Ohio’s fathers of aviation.
The 2011 butter display is one of the most complex displays ever sculpted at the Ohio State Fair and features the interior of a space shuttle cockpit with intricate details such as flight controls, dials, gauges and display systems. Inside the cockpit, an astronaut floats above the command console while enjoying freeze dried ice cream. These sculptures share the cooler with the traditional life-size butter cow and calf.
Three Cincinnati-based free-lance technical sculptors engaged primarily in the toy industry sculpted this year’s display, which was crafted from approximately 1,550 pounds of butter, donated in part by Dairy Farmers of America. The display was completed in 475 hours, in which approximately 250 of those hours were spent actually sculpting the butter.
Congratulations to Torri Meyer for being crowned the 2011 Western Illinois Dairy Princess! Meyer is the daughter of Marvin and Brenda Meyer.
The banquet also honored Randy and Debbie Rossmiller with the Heritage Farm Award. The Rossmiller family has been hauling milk since 1951, when Randy’s dad bought his first axle truck to haul milk in 10-gallon cans. Rossmiller Milk Service now has 13 employees and 12 trucks ranging from 4,300 to 6,500 gallons. The company serves 72 Grade A producers in three states.
Meyer, the new princess, will promote wholesome and nutrient-rich milk products, riding in parades, helping with dairy judging activities, speaking at dinners and working milk shake stands at county fairs. “I look forward to promoting dairy products as well as participating in parades and fair activities,” Meyer said.
Meyer will be a senior at Liberty High School this fall, where she is involved with FFA, FCCLA, golf, cheerleading, National Honor Society, Science Club and Operation Snowball.
Meyer’s family farm focuses on raising, breeding and marketing dairy cattle not only in the United States but internationally as well. Meyer’s work on their farm consists of feeding and pushing up feed, identifying cattle by inserting ear tags, record-keeping on heifers, sorting cattle, cleaning lots and livestock trailers, assisting with health care, corresponding with buyers in other countries and operating farm equipment.
“My favorite activity on the farm is sorting cattle. It allows for quality time with my dad and brothers,” she says.
Contestants for dairy princess were judged on an interview and a prepared speech.
Nearly one thousand farmers and dairy industry leaders are gathered in San Diego this week for the joint annual meeting of farmer-funded dairy promotion groups. On the agenda is a review of dairy checkoff programs and their results over the past year.
Tom Gallagher, CEO of Dairy Management Inc., says the dairy checkoff has had great success with partnerships in the pizza category and in quick serve restaurants, moving billions of additional pounds of milk. “From July of 2009 to July of 2011, pizza cheese consumption increased almost 390 million pounds,” said Gallagher. “Think about that, that’s an enormous turnaround of a category that was really starting to slide downhill.” 
I talked to Brad Scott, a fourth generation family dairy farmer from Southern California, during the Talk Session at World Dairy Expo last week and he told me about why he finally caught the Twitter bug. “Just recently my state contacted me because they were having 13 “mommy bloggers” come out,” Brad said. “They got to see us, have dinner with us and have lunch with us for two days and I got to know them and got to understand what their concerns are.”
