Michigan and Florida Dairy Farmer Checkoff Promotions Join Forces

Jan 15, 2025

The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) Board of Directors and the Florida Dairy Farmers (FDF) Board of Directors have voted to proceed with a strategic partnership between the two dairy promotion organizations.

“This action results from months of discussions between our respective Boards,” says Corby Werth, UDIM President and dairy farmer from Alpena, Michigan. “Michigan and Florida dairy farmers have more commonalities than differences. This strategic partnership creates significant opportunities and efficiencies for both checkoff organizations while helping ensure a strong dairy future for everyone.”

The strategic partnership’s focus is to optimize and create market growth for dairy farmers in Michigan and Florida while reaching an ever-growing population in Florida.

“As dairy farmers, our priority is to increase dairy consumption among all consumers, while using the resources we have more efficiently, and this partnership will allow us to expand on those resources,” says John Larson, FDF President and dairy farmer in Okeechobee County, Florida. “Dairy farmer board members still drive Michigan and Florida checkoff direction and goals, meaning dairy promotion programs remain under the direction of dairy farmer leadership. We’ll do so as one organization instead of two.”

The organizations note that geography is not a limiting factor in dairy promotions. Instead, the strategic partnership presents unique opportunities to reach even more consumers with dairy’s incredibly beneficial health and nutrition story.

“The checkoff’s commitment to promoting dairy and increasing sales has not changed with this strategic partnership,” says Melissa Gerharter, UDIM CEO. “Robust efforts to share dairy’s message with consumers remain at the forefront of all programs, both in Michigan and Florida. The dynamic collaborations between and within teams create a strong foundation for the future.”

About the United Dairy Industry of Michigan

The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) is dedicated to serving Michigan’s hard-working dairy farm families and promoting Michigan’s locally produced dairy products. UDIM is the umbrella organization for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of Michigan. These non-profit organizations provide dairy product promotion and nutrition education services on behalf of their funding members.

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T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.