Dairy MAX 2019 Year in Review

Dairy MAX farmers and friends, 

In 2019 Dairy MAX continued working on behalf of dairy farmers to build understanding of dairy as a healthy and sustainable choice, connect the role of dairy farmers to family tables and ultimately drive sales and trust. Dairy MAX now proudly serves over 900 dairy farm families across Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. We aim to bring unification and efficient programming across the eight-state region, driving an even stronger return on investment.

This year brought several exciting new milestones accomplished at regional and local levels. Research, initiated by Dairy MAX, showcased chocolate milk outperforming commercial sports drinks with high school athletes and was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Our health and wellness initiatives reached 3,706 health professionals who have the potential to impact over 13 million consumers. Telling Your Story provided media training to dairy farmers and stakeholders and expanded to universities to help cultivate a new generation of dairy advocates. And schools in the Dairy MAX region that completed the Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) program reached 36% of the national total.

It also brought familiar successes. In 2019 we:

• Continued partnering with organizations from restaurants to sports teams to encourage healthy dairy enjoyment
• Protected dairy’s place in school nutrition through youth wellness programs like FUTP 60
• Promoted consumer confidence online and in person
• Educated health professionals so they can pass the good news about dairy to their patients
• Helped dairy farmers tell their stories through farm tours, community events and platforms like Our Land, Our Cows, Our Passion™  

We collaborated further with national checkoff efforts to help the industry speak with one voice and move the needle for dairy. We worked with national restaurant partner Pizza Hut to host a crisis drill at their headquarters in Frisco, Texas. Dairy MAX also supported the Undeniably Dairy campaign to help tell the dairy story by amplifying national efforts, as well as activating our own local content and events.

On behalf of the Dairy MAX board of directors and staff, I want to thank you for your contribution to the industry and local communities. We are proud of the successes accomplished in 2019 and are excited for what is to come this year as we continue promoting the goodness of dairy. 

Mike Konkle

Chief Executive Officer