Taking Time to Appreciate History of Dairy Promotion

Dairy farmers can appreciate those rare moments when we have time to just think behind the wheel of a tractor or skid steer. 

Like you, I use that time to run through the long list of tasks ahead and wonder how I’m going to get it all done. 

But I also use it as a time of reflection. 

As a fifth-generation dairy farmer, I often think about my grandfather hauling milk cans by horse and wagon. It makes me appreciate the advancements we have today in caring for our cows, our land and our people. The progress is remarkable, but it goes beyond the farm. 

I also find myself thinking about how far we’ve come in promoting farmers and the products that have their start at dairies like ours. 

I’m honored to serve as the newest chair of the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) and I have taken time to think about the promotion leaders who came before us – those who understood that securing the future of the American dairy farm family would take more than hard work. It would take a unified commitment to promotion. 

Dairy promotion dates back more than a century and it actually has its roots in a crisis. After the 1914 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease shook consumer confidence and hurt sales, dairy farmers and processors formed National Dairy Council to help manage the moment. But they also laid a foundation for an enduring strategy of building trust and growing sales of dairy. 

There are too many chapters in the promotion story to share here, but a pivotal moment came in 1970 with the formation of UDIA, bringing together the American Dairy Association and National Dairy Council to strengthen our collective voice. 

You can explore more of our history in at the history section of this website. It’s worth a look and serves as a reminder that the checkoff was built by farmers, for farmers – to protect our reputation and grow demand for the products we produce every day. 

There’s also a video featuring the three UDIA chairmen who preceded me sharing their experiences and key moments in dairy promotion. Hopefully, you’ll notice one theme coming through clearly: the power of unity across the checkoff federation – nationally and locally – and its ability to evolve with today’s consumers. 

And that’s a message that resonates with me. When we’re aligned around a common purpose, we can accomplish a great deal. 

From those humble beginnings in the early 1900s, today’s checkoff supports exports, builds partnerships, drives nutrition and environmental research and connects with consumers in ways that weren’t thought of years ago.  

It’s been a true evolution, yet at its core, the mission hasn’t changed: to have farmers’ backs and to be the voice for our milk once it leaves our farm. 

None of this happens without the vision and commitment of those who came before us. 

And it’s a frequent reminder to me that what they built is ours to carry forward. 

It’s our responsibility to keep the momentum going to strengthen dairy’s future for the generation that one day will follow us.