ROSEMONT, Ill. – Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) leaders outlined a shift in its business plan in a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue that will help farmers weather the growing challenges they face amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
DMI, which manages the national dairy checkoff on behalf of 35,000 farmers, has prioritized work focused on three key areas: schools, hunger and foodservice and industry partnerships.
In the letter, DMI President Barb O’Brien said: “With unprecedented impact on virtually every aspect of the dairy sector – from farm inputs and production and workforce challenges to disruption in transportation, processing, warehousing and marketplace access, DMI and its network of 16 state & regional units, have quickly responded to the still deepening business and cultural shifts occurring as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
O’Brien said the checkoff’s mission of building sales and trust on behalf of U.S. dairy farmers and importers will prioritize limiting milk disposal and redirecting supply to serve those in greatest need over the next two months. Details of the effort include:
Ensuring access to school meals: By working through the farmer-founded GENYOUth organization, local promotion groups, USDA and technology and food companies such as Domino’s, YUM! Brands and others, the goal is to ensure school children will continue to receive meals. This is critical not only for the health of children but to maintain the 7 percent of fluid milk that flows through the school channel.
GENYOUth created the “For Schools’ Sake – Help Us Feed Our Nation’s Kids!” movement, which so far has generated $3 million in corporate and individual donations. More than 5,000 applications have been submitted by school districts across the country requesting up to $3,000 grants for equipment, packaging and other supplies as school foodservice professionals work tirelessly to feed at-risk children. GENYOUth seeks to raise an additional $12 million to satisfy these requests.
Helping food banks meet growing need: DMI isworking with cooperatives and companies, quick serve and foodservice partners and Feeding America to broaden access to dairy foods for the growing number of people facing food insecurity. The checkoff is convening cooperative leaders seeking to find a destination for excess supply with local processors and food banks. This effort already is diverting more than 100,000 gallons of milk per week in Texas, New Mexico, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York and New England into the hunger system.
Convening partners across supply chain: Working with domestic and international partners to realign the supply of dairy products to those in need while working through U.S. Dairy Export Council to assure dairy products continue or resume flowing into the critical export market. After more than 10 years of partnership with dairy farmers, Domino’s is working with GENYOUth and local organizations to pilot a grab-and-go meal program at 31 public school sites in Miami. So far, approximately 23,000 meals have been made available and similar opportunities through other franchisees in Michigan and other locations are being explored.
“The dairy checkoff has earned the knowledge, credibility and relationships to work across the chain to accomplish — on farmers’ behalf — what no other company or sector can do alone,” O’Brien said.
“We are urgently executing these strategies across the U.S. to help dairy farmers in this time of crisis, which is more important now than ever in our history.”
For more information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com
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About Dairy Management Inc.
Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 35,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
