Dairy Checkoff Partners with Environmental Education Organizations to Cultivate Third-Party Supporters
September 2, 2025 | 3 min to read
The American Dairy Association North East is collaborating with environmental education organizations to enhance trust in dairy among consumers. CEO John Chrisman emphasizes dairy's role in sustainability, while Ron Ohrel highlights the connection between agriculture and environmental issues. On-farm tours, like those held at Lawnhurst Farm and Long Green Farms, showcase sustainable practices and address misconceptions about dairy farming. These partnerships position ADA North East as a trusted ally within the environmental education community.
On-Farm Tours Help Build Trust in Dairy
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – American Dairy Association North East is partnering with state environmental education organizations to help cultivate third-party supporters of dairy, and to build trust in dairy with consumers.
“Sustainability and the environment are always on top of consumers’ minds,” said ADA North East CEO John Chrisman. “By joining forces with established environment groups within the region, we have a unique opportunity to present dairy as an environmental solution.”
“When discussing environmental issues like climate change and water quality, you can’t ignore their connections to agriculture,” said ADA North East Director of Environmental Outreach Ron Ohrel. “Collaboration with these organizations offers opportunities to connect with a key environmental audience, and by extension, their students.”
Ohrel has represented dairy farmers by participating in the annual conferences of statewide associations in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania through sponsorship, presentations and coordinating on-farm tours for conference participants.
By coordinating on-farm tours, ADA North East can showcase real-time evidence that dairy farmers are committed to incorporating sustainable practices to protect land and water resources.
Don Jensen of Lawnhurst Farm, Stanley, N.Y., hosted a tour for the New York State Outdoor Education Association. As part of the tour, ADA North East partnered with the Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District to discuss farm sustainability practices and highlight the work by the dairy industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve water quality.
Alice and Caleb Crothers of Long Green Farms in Rising Sun, Md., recently hosted a tour for the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, an ADA North East partner since 2016.
“As dairy farmers, we’re well aware of the environmental misconceptions of dairy farming, so it is imperative that we share our farm story before someone else tells it for us,” said Alice Crothers. “Sustainable farming isn’t new, and we’re proud to be raising the ninth generation on the same piece of land for over 266 years, which wouldn’t be possible without intentional efforts in conservation.”
Thanks to these efforts, ADA North East is now welcomed as a valuable and trusted partner, bringing information and resources that help the environmental education community.
For more information, contact American Dairy Association North East at 315.472.9143, or email Ron Ohrel at rohrel@milk4u.org.
About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing about 8,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com.