The 142nd Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, Nebraska, will offer fairgoers the chance to learn more about dairy from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5. For the first year, Midwest Dairy Association is sponsoring the milking parlor, which will be accompanied by People Behind the Product and From Farm to Food to You graphics created by the organization.
Nebraska dairy youth and 2011 Nebraska Dairy Princess, Chandra Mosel of Neligh, will speak with consumers during milking demonstrations in the parlor, located at the east end of the Cattle Barn. Daily demonstrations are held at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The milking parlor is a great venue for education, according to Rod Johnson, industry relations manager with Midwest Dairy. “We’re at the fair because we want people to know about who dairy farmers are and how dairy products get from the farm to the dinner table,” Johnson said.
Also appearing at the fair’s Birthing Pavilion at the east end of the Sheep Barn will be an interactive display featuring dairy trivia and a silo with a video explaining dairy production.
Within the Nebraska Department of Agriculture display in the Exhibition Building, Midwest Dairy is providing a life-size cow replica called “Annabelle.” The cow is designed so that kids can hand-milk her while also learning from the nearby feed display. The exhibit brings the education full-circle, according to Johnson.
“In order to show how dairy foods get From Farm to Food to You , we’ll be showing what a cow eats and produces each day, too,” said Johnson.
In the Commercial Building, yet another display booth will feature People Behind the Product photos and information about Fuel Up to Play 60 , the dairy checkoff’s program with the NFL that emphasizes the importance of physical activity and healthy eating, including dairy.
Visitors can pick up two popular free items in the Commercial Building, courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association. A new recipe brochure featuring dairy and a flyer highlighting facts about flavored milk are free resources to fairgoers.
The recipes in the Dairy Goodness brochure were contributed by the people behind the dairy products everyone enjoys – dairy farmers, and more specifically dairy farm moms. From breakfast to dinner, layered fruit and yogurt cup to baked zucchini ziti, each of the eight recipes comes from the kitchen of a dairy farm mom and carries her seal of approval.
For example, South Dakota dairy farm mom Jennifer Gross offers her Oatmeal Yogurt Breakfast Blend recipe, best prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator for a quick but healthy snack the next morning. The brochure highlights dairy nutrition, farm-to-fridge milk handling and the care taken by dairy farmers in producing wholesome products.
A second free item will help families understand the great nutrition delivered by flavored milk. A flyer shaped like a milk bottle, called “Five Reasons Flavored Milk Matters,” outlines key flavored milk facts related to child nutrition. Flavored milk has been the subject of discussion across the country in recent months, and the handout helps outline the importance of flavored milk to kids’ health. The fact that children who drink flavored milk have better quality diets and meet more of their nutrient needs than non-milk drinkers is just one reason shared on the flyer.
The items have been distributed at State Fairs across Midwest Dairy’s 10-state territory. This is the first year of Midwest Dairy’s involvement at the Nebraska State Fair. The American Dairy Association/Dairy Council (ADA/DC) of Nebraska joined Midwest Dairy on Jan. 1. PD
—From Midwest Dairy Association news releases
