Power Partnerships: Extension in the City
In January, the Texas AgriLife Extension service hosted their annual "Extension in the City" breakfast to educate legislators about the benefits and outreach of AgriLife programs in urban communities with a focus on the state-wide Fuel Up To Play 60 (FUTP60) partnership driven by Dairy MAX.
One-hundred guests met with student Healthy Lifestyle/FUTP60 Ambassadors, several AgriLife leaders and dairy industry representatives to learn how FUTP60 and the AgriLife programs are spreading the message that dairy plays an important role in student health and wellness.
Patty Littlefield, director of special projects for Dairy MAX, said the partnership with AgriLife Extension has been a great way to help spread the positive dairy message across the state.
"AgriLife brings great expertise in consumer-facing dairy communication efforts," said Littlefield. "They help us reach kids and their families on the local level so we can make a greater impact in communities."
To date, Dairy MAX has trained AgriLife Extension agents in more than 250 AgriLife offices about dairy health and nutrition. The most recent training was held in February, reaching 38 county offices.
"Our trainings build dairy knowledge that the agents can use in their local counties to write press releases, conduct community workshops and other interactions above and beyond just the FUTP60 school program," added Littlefield.
In the last three years, this partnership has shown a positive return on investment of more than one million dollars used to promote dairy, healthy food choices and well-being of Texans.
