ANKENY, Iowa – Eight young women involved within Iowa’s dairy community will compete to win the title of 71st Iowa Dairy Princess. The coronation ceremony will be held Wednesday, August 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Multi-Media Center of the Cattle Barn at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The Iowa Dairy Princess and Alternate connect with consumers and help them understand the dedication of dairy farm families to their cows, their land and the milk they produce.  The contestants are:  Harley Baumler, 20, daughter of Mike and Amy Baumler of Fort Atkinson, representing Fayette Count ..read more

Sustainability is top of mind for consumers, and many have questions about manure management. Since dairy ambassadors share the dairy story with consumers and may receive questions about cow manure, we wanted to provide them with an opportunity to take a deeper dive into this topic.  Dr. Erin Cortus, an Associate Professor and Extension Engineer at University of Minnesota, was invited to give a virtual presentation titled “Talk the Talk of Manure Management” for our dairy ambassadors. During this webinar, Erin demonstrated the “recycling aspect” to manure management and the steps taken to ..read more

Approximately 40 people attended a webinar developed by Midwest Dairy for farmers about on-farm crisis preparedness.  The webinar, held on June 6, provided tips and resources for preparing for and managing an on-farm crisis. We reviewed the core components of a farm crisis plan, ways to practice after the plan is developed, and critical steps to take in the event of an on-farm crisis.  As part of the webinar, Midwest Dairy created and reviewed a new workbook that farmers can use to jump-start crisis planning. The workbook, a recording of the webinar, and all supporting materials can ..read more

This past May, Midwest Dairy and Price Chopper Enterprises partnered to drive sales and trust for dairy through recipes. This campaign focused on moms and was featured in Price Chopper’s Mother’s Day ad. Three recipes were developed: Strawberry-Ginger Ice Cream, Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, and Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Parfait.   All three recipes were shared via email, in the weekly ad on May 8, with corresponding dairy products on promotion, as well as on Facebook and Instagram. All digital avenues linked shoppers to Price Chopper’s website where shoppers could view the recip ..read more

In May, Midwest Dairy worked with Jewel-Osco to drive awareness of a limited time product and increase milk purchases. This activation focused on promoting Kemps new blue milk around May the 4th– a date important to Star Wars fans. Blue milk first appeared in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the first installment in the original Star Wars trilogy. The earliest use of the phrase, “May the 4th Be With You” dates back to 1978, one year after the release of this episode. Blue milk is also known as Bantha milk, a rich, blue-colored milk produced by female banthas in the Star Wars universe.  T ..read more

Dierbergs Markets and Midwest Dairy partnered to promote dairy during Easter. A primary focus for Dierbergs is promoting sales through their rewards app. Midwest Dairy supported this effort through marketing and promotional funding for a 5x points offering on products determined by the Dierbergs category manager. These products included heavy whipping cream, butter, cottage cheese, and sour cream – all Easter recipe staples.   This campaign was shared on social media, through email, via their rewards app, and in their digital ad. As a result of this campaign, over 70,000 incremental ..read more

On Friday nights at Busch Stadium, agriculture takes center stage with baseball fans thanks to Missouri Farmers Care (MFC). The agricultural coalition, of which Midwest Dairy is a partner, celebrated Dairy Night on Friday, May 17. The game attracted 37,961 fans to the stadium.  A group of volunteers, including 23 dairy farmers, in bright “Farm Team” shirts encouraged conversations at the MFC booth at Ford Plaza. Dairy Night featured Plinko and tic-tac-toe trivia with prizes, a photo opportunity with Sweet Bessie, the cow mascot of the “Race to the Plate” team, and an animal care display e ..read more

In late May 2024, Midwest Dairy hosted the second of four webinars targeting health and wellness thought leaders: “Cultured Conversations: Benefits from People to Pastures.” The webinar featured Dr. Robert Hutkins, Professor Emeritus of Food Microbiology at the University of Nebraska, and Sean Cornelius, a third-generation Missouri-based dairy farmer and dairy nutritionist.   In 2023, Midwest Dairy conducted a thought leader perception survey that revealed health and wellness thought leaders in our 10-state region view dairy’s nutritional contribution positively. However nearly half ..read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Midwest Dairy is pleased to announce Trudy Wastweet has been named Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). Wastweet previously served as Midwest Dairy’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this new position, Wastweet will guide Midwest Dairy’s strategic performance and enhance organizational health. She will lead strategic planning that delivers value to Midwest Dairy farmers through innovation, focus, and reportable impact measures. She will continue to build a positive work culture by developing processes or resources that improve employee work experience. Additionally, she will crea ..read more

ANKENY, Iowa – Midwest Dairy’s Iowa Division is seeking candidates to serve as the 71st Iowa Dairy Princess and Alternate. The entry deadline is July 1. The Iowa Dairy Princess serves as the official goodwill ambassador for the state’s dairy industry, helping communicate with consumers about dairy farmers’ stewardship for animals and natural resources, the safety and wholesomeness of dairy products, and the economic importance of dairy to Iowa.  Eligible candidates include young women from 17 to 24 years old who have an active interest in Iowa’s dairy cattle industry. Young women who live ..read more