Our checkoff mission is to drive demand and sales of U.S.-produced dairy and build trust in the farm families who work every day to feed the people around the world.

That mission comes with a responsibility of transparency with our strategies and the way we invest your checkoff dollars. Being transparent has been important to me since being named CEO of the national checkoff more than two years ago.

In the first quarter of 2024, we have talked with hundreds of farmers and dozens of industry leaders at major industry conferences, annual meetings and business settings.

Reflecting on the questions I’m asked, I’d like to share insights into some of our most impactful areas of work.

Increased emphasis on science and scientific affairs

I am so grateful for farmers prioritizing nutrition, product and environmental science through their dairy checkoff. Research and science are foundational to everything we do.

We are modernizing the science disciplines and digitizing published science for easier access and use by dairy companies. We also are securing outside investment to magnify the checkoff investment in nutrition, research and development, and environmental science, and to lead product innovation in top health and wellness areas:

• Dairy’s role in the first 1,000 days of life, from prenatal to 2 years old. Seven of 14 nutrients critical to early brain development are found in dairy. Given the growing body of science around cognitive development, our state and regional network shared these insights with 35,000 pediatricians and pediatric caregivers across the country.
• We have shared the portfolio of nutrition research with the National Medical Association, and I am thrilled to report it has published a series of six journal articles addressing the importance of dairy in the diet of the Black population from infancy through geriatrics.
• Through our collaboration with Mayo Clinic, we are working on research that reinforces the body of scientific evidence for dairy’s vital role in cardiovascular health. One study is underway, and two others are planned this year. We also are working with Mayo’s education and outreach teams to co-create content that reaches consumers with the benefits of dairy foods.

School milk consumption

I can confidently say the issue of school milk and how to improve the overall product and experience has never been more top-of-mind for industry leadership, along with continuing to ensure nutritious school meals are accessible to all students. While the checkoff cannot affect school meal policy, we play a critical role in bringing best practices and case studies to help ensure milk appeals to students.

The checkoff also continues to prioritize innovation and is investing in opportunities to enhance the school milk experience, such as our partnership with Chartwells K12, which serves more than 2 million meals daily at 700 school districts. Together, we launched smoothie and hot chocolate milk programs, which have increased dairy consumption and school meal participation.

A shelf-stable lactose-free pilot also was recently conducted in partnership with ADA Mideast, Cincinnati Public Schools and Diversified Foods. For the first time, chocolate lactose-free milk was made available to students alongside their current offerings in the milk cooler. The product was offered in aseptic packaging to alleviate worries about spoilage. Pilot schools outpaced the rest of the district for both meals and milks. Due to the success, the district opted to continue the pilot through the remaining school year and expand it to its 11 remaining high schools.

Effectiveness of food service partnerships

Our partnerships with national food service and consumer packaged goods companies came as part of the business plan change in the mid-to-late 2000s. We sought to drive additional growth through large companies committed to investing in innovation and marketing, and could spur a copycat effect among the competition. Our three big partners – McDonald’s, Domino’s and Taco Bell – represent 8 billion to 10 billion pounds of annual dairy use. There has been 2% to 3% additional annual volume growth over the lifetime of these partnerships.

This happens because of the checkoff’s expertise and our food science problem-solving capabilities that help menu and product innovation. These partners, in turn, spend hundreds of millions of dollars on product formulation, commercialization and marketing to consumers each year. 

The results continue to pay dividends, and that is from strategies such as:

• Helping McDonald’s convert from margarine to butter in all 13,000-plus restaurants, to our recent focus on soft-serve ice cream and desserts. You may have heard about the Grimace shake last year that became a viral sensation and a line-up of new McFlurry offerings, shakes and other products this year.
• For Domino’s, it started with the pizza turnaround, and the last decade has showcased a lineup of new products and technology plays, including Smart Slice for schools, Wisconsin six-cheese pizza, stuffed cheesy bites, pan pizzas and special promotions.
• We helped Taco Bell take cheese to be its menu superstar through products including the checkoff-led grilled cheese burrito and more. And we helped launch its line of frozen beverages that all contain real dairy.

Domino’s has showcased a lineup of new products and technology plays, including Smart Slice for schools, Wisconsin six-cheese pizza, stuffed cheesy bites and pan pizzas. Photo courtesy of Dairy Management Inc. 

There certainly are other areas of focus for the checkoff that I, along with our team, are always excited to share with farmers. Given the ongoing economic, environmental and competitive challenges and opportunities, we need to keep our program of work fresh and relevant.

I have challenged our staff to ask “What if?” and to seek ways to modernize the checkoff at every level, to be change agents who ask “What now?”

Farmers can be confident they have a team working on their behalf who are never satisfied and seek to build more trust and sales every day.

This article was written by Barbara O’Brien, president and CEO of Dairy Management Inc.

To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit the website or to reach us directly, send an email.