Celebrating 25 Years of CPDE: A legacy of learning, community and entertainment

In 2026, we proudly mark the 25th anniversary of the Central Plains Dairy Expo (CPDE) – a quarter century of learning, collaboration and growth within our dairy community.
 
The journey began on March 28, 2001, when producers, field representatives and industry leaders gathered for the very first CPDE. The inaugural event featured a day filled with educational sessions, business meetings and networking opportunities. Attendees started the morning with coffee and registration, followed by a welcome from Dean Behnke, the first CPDE chairperson.
 
The program reflected the challenges and opportunities facing the dairy industry at the time. Topics included new rules and regulations, employee management and financial risk management insights. Participants also explored succession planning with sessions on retirement and inheritance.
 
Of course, CPDE has always been about more than educational sessions and lectures. From the beginning, the event created space for producers to connect with vendors, enjoy milk and ice cream breaks, and gather for the annual business meetings of the South Dakota Dairy Fieldmen’s Association, Dairymen’s Association of South Dakota and Dairy Calf & Heifer Association.
 
Looking back, it’s clear how much the industry has evolved over the past 25 years. Yet, the spirit of CPDE has remained the same: provide education, foster community and strengthen the future of dairy.
 
As we approach CPDE 2026, we celebrate not only the history of this event but also the thousands of conversations, connections and innovations it has inspired over the past two and a half decades. Here’s to the next 25 years of progress in dairy!
 
Growing into a premier dairy event
From that small start, CPDE has grown into one of the region’s largest dairy gatherings, welcoming hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees each year. Along the way, Expo has been defined not just by the seminars and exhibits, but also by the memorable entertainment, heartfelt stories and community connections that make it unique.
 
As we step into CPDE 2026, we don’t just celebrate 25 years of history; we celebrate the people who made it possible. From producers to exhibitors, entertainers to educators, every attendee has shaped CPDE into what it is today: a one-of-a-kind gathering where dairy knowledge meets community spirit.
 
Make plans to join us March 17-19, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D., to celebrate this momentous occasion. Here’s to 25 years of success – and to the next 25 years of progress, partnerships and unforgettable Expo memories!

English

Hydration protocols for calves with diarrhea

By Julia Hamann, Actus Nutrition

Dehydration in calves is a silent threat. Calves can lose up to 10% of their body weight in water, within just one day of scouring. This rapid fluid loss can lead to serious health complications if not addressed promptly. Early identification and intervention are key to maintaining calf health and performance.
 
Milk isn’t enough
Milk replacer alone does not meet a calf’s hydration requirements. A 40-kg (88-pound) calf needs approximately 4 liters of water daily, in addition to milk. Electrolyte solutions and clean drinking water must be provided, especially during illness or heat stress.

Find the full article here.

Spanish

Protocolos de hidratación para terneros con diarrea

Por Julia Hamann, Actus Nutrition

La dshidratación en los terneros es una amenaza silenciosa. Los terneros pueden perder hasta el 10% de su peso corporal en agua, en solo un día con diarreas. Esta rápida pérdida de líquidos puede provocar graves complicaciones de salud si no se aborda con prontitud. La identificación e intervención tempranas son clave para mantener la salud y el rendimiento de los terneros.
 
La leche no es suficiente
El sustituto de leche por sí solo no satisface los requisitos de hidratación de un ternero. Un ternero de 40 kg (88 libras) necesita aproximadamente 4 litros de agua al día, además de leche. Se deben proporcionar soluciones electrolíticas y agua potable limpia, especialmente durante enfermedades o estrés por calor.

Encuentra el artículo completo aquí.

DCRC’s Portuguese webinar highlights nutrition’s influence on reproduction

“Nutritional Interventions to Enhance Postpartum Health and Reproduction in Dairy Cows,” presented in Portuguese, is the featured topic for the next Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) webinar. The free webinar starts at 1 p.m. Central time (Chicago time) on Oct. 16. Marcos Marcondes, Miner Institute research scientist, will serve as the instructor for this one-hour webinar.
 
Reproductive success in dairy cows begins with a healthy transition period, when cows face intense metabolic and inflammatory challenges. This webinar will explore how targeted nutritional strategies – especially the use of key feed additives – can improve metabolic health after calving and support timely return to estrus and conception. Marcondes will examine evidence on additives, such as yeast products, trace minerals, fatty acids and chromium, highlighting practical applications that enhance both cow health and reproductive performance.
 
To register for this webinar, go to: https://bit.ly/DCRC1016.  If you are a DCRC member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar recording at www.dcrcouncil.org after Oct. 30.
 
Marcondes earned his bachelor's degree, master's degree and PhD from at the Federal University of Viçosa. Then, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Florida. From 2010-2021, he served as a dairy cattle management and nutrition professor at the Federal University of Viçosa. In 2021, he joined the Washington State University faculty as a dairy cattle nutrition professor. Marcondes started employment with the William H Miner Institute as a dairy research scientist last year. At the Miner Institute, he focuses on researching feed evaluation, nutrient requirements and the economics of dairy operations. Also, Marcondes studies additives for mitigating methane production in cattle and the impact of nutrition on the performance and mammary gland development of calves and heifers.
 

Travis Ties, Holdgrafer Dairy, wins Employee Excellence award

Farm Journal recognizes individuals and operations that set new standards in innovation, leadership and dedication. The 2025 Milk Business award recipients exemplify the best of the dairy industry, from technological advancement to inspiring personal stories. Travis Ties, Holdgrafer Dairy, Bellevue, Iowa, earned the Employee Excellence Award.
 
For more than 25 years, Ties has been an indispensable part of Holdgrafer Dairy. Home to 500 mature cows, this family-run operation has benefited immensely from Ties’ unwavering commitment and multifaceted expertise. Owners Scott and Tricia Holdgrafer consider Ties not just an employee, but a driving force of the farm and a mentor to their five sons and a true member of the family.
 
Ties’ journey has not been without obstacles. He faced a serious childhood illness, but he prefers to focus on the present and the future, rather than dwell on the past. His resilience is matched by his humility – never using his own health battles as an excuse and always striving to do his best for the farm and those around him.
 
Currently, Ties serves as head of feed operations and assists with crop production at Holdgrafer Dairy. He oversees tillage, planting and harvesting, and manages employees involved in the farm’s custom harvesting business. During the winter, he takes on the role of farm mechanic, ensuring all equipment is well maintained and ready for the seasons ahead.
 
Ties leads by example, never asking anyone to do a job he wouldn’t do himself. He treats the farm’s equipment as if it were his own, always seeking ways to improve efficiency and productivity. His proactive approach and attention to detail ensure no task is too big or too small.
 
Both the Holdgrafer family and the farm’s nutritionist agree. Ties embodies the qualities every dairy producer hopes to find in a team member. He is humble, hardworking and dedicated, treating the farm as if it were his own. Ties is a shining example of employee excellence and his leadership continues to inspire everyone at Holdgrafer Dairy.

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DCHA to deliver its first Spanish webinar

As the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association’s (DCHA) reach grows beyond native English speakers, the association will offer its first webinar presented in Spanish. On Oct. 24, starting at 2 p.m. Central time, DCHA presents “Los 7 pilares criar becerras saludables” (“The 7 pillars for raising a healthy calf”). Tiago Tomazi, Merck Animal Health Technical Services, will lead this free, one-hour educational offering.
 
To register for the webinar, go to: https://bit.ly/DCHAMerck102425Spanish. Your webinar registration confirmation e-mail will include a web link to join the webinar.
 
With dairy replacement prices near all-time highs, it’s more important than ever to have dependable calf-raising protocols that produce results. Tomazi will provide practical management strategies for Spanish speakers to raise healthier dairy calves. This webinar will cover fetal development through the critical transition to the post-weaning phase.
 
Tomazi provides technical support to Merck’s U.S. dairy sales and marketing teams, and helps dairy producers achieve their goals. He grew up in Brazil where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Passo Fundo and completed his master’s degree and PhD at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Later, Tomazi completed his postdoctoral program at Cornell University.
 
DCHA’s Oct. 24 webinar is sponsored by Merck Animal Health. DCHA does not support one product or company over another, and any mention is not an endorsement by DCHA.
 
If you are a DCHA member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar through DCHA’s online Member Center after Nov. 7. To access the webinar recording, DCHA members need to visit https://calfandheifer.org/login and enter their username and password.

NMC selects University of Minnesota student as a 2026 Scholar

The NMC Scholars Selection Committee awarded scholarships to eight graduate students to attend the 2026 NMC Annual Meeting, Jan. 26-29, in Birmingham, Ala. One recipient is Emily Leonard.
 
Leonard, who grew up on a dairy farm, earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and continued as a graduate student. Her research is dedicated to exploring sustainable, immune-based alternatives to antimicrobials used for mastitis prevention and treatment. The goal of Leonard’s thesis is to evaluate a novel liposome-Toll-like receptor agonist complex immunotherapy to enhance the innate immune response in the mammary gland. By priming the natural immune defenses, this approach could serve as an alternative to long-acting antibiotics, which are traditionally used during the dry period.

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DCHA is educating workers and managers

In the quest to develop leaders and build employee skills, the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) is seeking participants for its 2025 Vision & Training Seminar, set for Oct. 28, in Garden City, Kan. To register for this personal development program, go to: https://bit.ly/DCHA2025VT.
 
This year’s DCHA Vision & Training Seminar kicks off with a tour of Kansas Dairy Development (KDD), Deerfield, Kan. KDD houses up to 80,000 head of cattle – from a few days old to springers nearly ready to calve. Their formula for success is all in the details.
 
Afternoon sessions will be presented in Spanish and English.
 
Spanish session topics and presenters include:

• Respiratory events and the calf immune response (Eventos respiratorios y el sistema inmunológico del becerro) – Julia Hamann, Actus Nutrition
• Effective leadership for the transformation of the team (Liderazgo efectivo para la transformación del equipo) – Cecilia Rosas, Zoetis
• Calf handling: Keep it calm, keep it safe (Manejo de becerros: Menos estrés, más seguridad) – Luis Briones, Elanco

• Prevention starts within: Protecting our farm from activist risk – Luis Briones, Elanco
• Why do protocols fail? Setting up on-farm processes for success – Marisol Orellana, Diamond V
• From compliance to culture: Transforming safety training in livestock operations – Lesa Dike and Jessie Potterton, McNess                                                 

 
“Last year’s DCHA Vision & Training Seminar far exceeded our expectations,” stated DCHA President Kendall Wassenaar, Orange City, Iowa. “We anticipated 50 participants and ended up with 90. The event generated future community and DCHA leaders, and helped employees and managers strengthen their livestock handling and management skills. The DCHA Vision & Training Seminar is a phenomenal opportunity for those striving to boost their technical skills and leadership abilities.”

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Webinar addresses minimizing stress in dairy calves

The Four-State Dairy Nutrition & Management Conference will hold its next webinar on Oct. 6, featuring Gail Carpenter, Iowa State University state dairy extension specialist. She will describe nutritional approaches to decrease stress in calves. The free webinar runs noon-1:30 p.m. Central time.
 
Register for the webinar by 11 a.m. Central time on Oct. 6. Click here to register.

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Register for DCHA’s November 6 webinar: ‘Helping the Class of 2027 Achieve Their Potential'

The next Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) webinar features “Helping the Class of 2027 Achieve Their Potential.” This webinar starts at 1 p.m. Central time (U.S./Canada) on Nov. 6. Jonathan “Jon” Townsend, a dairy technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health, will lead this free, one-hour educational offering.
 
To register for the webinar, go to: https://bit.ly/DCHAMerck110625. Your webinar registration confirmation e-mail will include a web link to join the webinar.
 
This presentation will address the important steps in helping heifers reach their potential when they become members of the cow herd in two years. Topics to be discussed include new colostrum management guidelines, nutrition, vaccinations, housing and growth and health monitoring.
 
By attending this webinar, you’ll:

• Gain an understanding of new colostrum feeding recommendations and measurement of adequate passive transfer.
• Understand the role of nutrition and environment in both proper growth and immune system function.
• Have an appreciation of the role of measuring and monitoring heifers for proper development.

 
Townsend grew up on a small farm in Maine where the family milked Jersey cows and raised Angus beef cattle. After graduating from veterinary school at Auburn University in 1995, Townsend practiced veterinary medicine in New York State, primarily serving as a dairy practitioner. At Purdue University, Townsend concentrated on dairy production medicine and earned a PhD – focusing on liver function in transition dairy cows. Next, he worked for Land O’Lakes-Purina Feed as a technical services dairy nutritionist. In 2010, he returned to Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine where he served as an Extension veterinarian and taught dairy production medicine. Ten years later, Townsend joined Merck Animal Health.
 
Veterinarians and veterinary technicians may earn one Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) credit for attending this DCHA webinar. To learn more about this opportunity, contact JoDee Sattler at: jodee@calfandheifer.org.
 
DCHA’s Nov. 6 webinar is sponsored by Merck Animal Health. DCHA does not support one product or company over another, and any mention is not an endorsement by DCHA.
 
If you are a DCHA member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar through DCHA’s online Member Center after Nov. 20. To access the webinar recording, DCHA members need to visit https://calfandheifer.org/login and enter their username and password.

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Register for the DCRC Annual Meeting in Wisconsin

America’s Dairyland welcomes dairy producers, dairy cattle researchers, bovine veterinarians and dairy cattle product and service providers to the 2025 Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) Annual Meeting, Nov.11-13, at the Madison Marriott West, located in Middleton, Wis. A special highlight of this year’s event is a tour that features three award-winning dairy farms. The dairies include Maier Farms, Waunakee, Blue Star Dairy, Arlington, and the University of Wisconsin Arlington Agricultural Research Station, Arlington. Plus, the DCRC tour will make a brief stop at J. Henry & Sons, Dane, for a bourbon tour and tasting.

Those wanting to take their bovine reproductive aptitude to the next level should attend this exceptional learning event. To register for the meeting, go to: https://bit.ly/DCRC2025MtgReg. Register by Sept. 30 to take advantage of the lowest registration rate. Online registration ends Nov. 10. After that date, attendees must register on site.

“The 2025 DCRC Annual Meeting highlights topics that foster reproduction efficiency,” said Program Chair J.P. Martins, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. “This year’s speakers will address some of the latest advancements in dairy farm sustainability and provide practical applications that can be implemented to boost dairy cattle health and reproduction, and enhance dairy farm profitability.”

Plenary session presentation topics and presenters for this year’s DCRC Annual Meeting include:
•    Is in vitro fertilization the end of the road? Exploring the next generation of reproductive technologies – Peter Hansen, University of Florida
•    Beef on dairy: Lessons learned and future trends, a beef industry supply chain consultant point of view – Neil Mellers, Ranch2Retail
•    Pricing formulas, trade wars, and dairy beef: The Evolving landscape for U.S. dairy in late 2025  – Chuck Nicholson, Penn State University  

Breakout session presentation topics and presenters for this year’s DCRC Annual Meeting include:
•    Strategic economics of breeding: Balancing beef-on-dairy and replacements – Victor Cabrera, University of Wisconsin 
•    Managing culling in dairy herds – one cow at a time – Nigel Cook, University of Wisconsin
•    Evaluating reproductive performance at the farm level – Scott Earnest, ProAGtive Technologies
•    Optimizing reproductive performance in nonlactating dairy heifers – Paul Fricke, University of Wisconsin 
•    Extended lactations and cow longevity: How long is long enough? – Stephen LeBlanc, University of Guelph
•    The use of monitoring technologies to increase employee efficiency and drive employee retention – Glaucio Lopes, Merck Animal Health 
•    A new perspective on sold and dead cow analyses – Michael Overton, Zoetis
•    Resources for farm staff to learn, practice and maintain appropriate cow handling techniques – Jennifer Van Os, University of Wisconsin
•    Optimizing the use of biosensors to monitor health in dairy cows with a focus on the transition period – Aurora Villaroel, Athyr Vet

DCRC is committed to boosting dairy producer and veterinarian (employed by a veterinary clinic) attendance at its annual meeting. To encourage attendance from these two groups, DCRC is offering ten $200 travel stipends. Stipends will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact JoDee Sattler (jodee@dcrcouncil.org) if interested in this discount. Payment will be made at the meeting upon proof of attendance. 

To help veterinarians meet continuing education goals, DCRC’s Annual Meeting offers Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) credits. For more information about RACE credits, contact JoDee Sattler at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org.

Reserve your hotel room for the DCRC Annual Meeting at: bit.ly/DCRChotel2025 by Oct. 20, to get the group rate of $159 per night (plus taxes). The DCRC room block may fill before that date, so reserve your room soon.
 

 

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Why I invited social media influencers to my dairy

By Charles Krause, Midwest Dairy Chair

As a Minnesota dairy farmer, I’ve always believed in the power of showing – not just telling – what we do. But with the impossibility of getting everyone to a dairy and more people getting information from their phones than the 6 o’clock news, we must meet consumers where they are.
 
It means embracing new tools, new messengers and new ways of telling our story.
 
That’s why I recently welcomed a group of social media influencers and registered dietitians to my farm for an event organized by our checkoff team at Midwest Dairy. The guests included a chef, former Olympic athlete and lifestyle influencers.
 
But they all had one thing in common: the ability to reach large audiences of people I’ll never meet in person and to tell the story of dairy in a way that’s relevant to their followers.
 
The strategy was called Savor the Story: Farm, Food & Flavor and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a farmer. We toured the barns, milking parlor, calf pens and even let them climb on tractors and put their hands in the soil. They met my family and long-time employees who care for our animals and land every day.
 
And because they were content creators, they captured photos, videos, interviews – it was a flurry of storytelling. But it wasn’t just selfies with the calves (though we made time for that!). They were genuinely curious about how dairy fits into a sustainable, healthy food system and how to convey that to their audiences.
 
At one point, I talked about a video from my farm that went viral: 13 seconds of our calves running around with the zoomies. Dairy Farmers of America posted the video, which has generated more than 6 million views! The influencers were impressed and maybe a little surprised that a Gen Xer like me had “street cred” with a bigger viral moment than they had!
 
But the takeaway was the short video illustrated how people are hungry for real stories about where their food comes from and in a format that is much different than holding the morning newspaper in your hands.
 
The experience didn’t end with the farm visit. Midwest Dairy hosted a second day of workshops, including one on the science and nutrition of dairy and another on communication skills. To bring the experience full circle, the group attended a cooking class to learn about mozzarella pulling and built their own pizzas, continuing the conversation about dairy from farm to table.
 
While I post on social media when I can, I don’t have the bandwidth to give it more time. But on this day, my role was to help those who are influencers see dairy through a new lens and share that insight with their followers. And they delivered.
 
Between Instagram and TikTok, they created more than 120 pieces of content that reached more than 100,000 people. Feedback after the event was overwhelmingly positive. People said they learned something new, appreciated dairy more and felt the engagement with our farm was real. That’s the kind of connection the dairy industry needs more of.
 
I’ve done many tours over the years, but this one was different. It was strategic and it built relationships. I began following the influencers’ channels and I comment on their posts to keep the conversation going. It’s about building a lasting bridge between our world and theirs.
 
I know a tour like this isn’t for every farmer. And I get that some might feel they don’t have a story worth sharing. But everything we do is interesting to someone who’s never stepped onto a dairy. We don’t need polished presentations or pristine farms. We just need to be ourselves and lean on support from our state and regional and national checkoff teams like Midwest Dairy, which handled all the logistics. I basically had to show up in a clean shirt and talk openly.
 

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Checkoff launches dairy health innovation contest for students

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is now accepting entries for its 2026 New Product Competition, inviting undergraduate and graduate students across the United States to develop innovative dairy-based products that meet today’s consumer demands for bone and muscle health and weight management.
 
This annual contest challenges students to create forward-thinking products that showcase the power and versatility of dairy in promoting health and wellness. The deadline for entries is Jan. 12.
 

 
 

As consumers increasingly seek functional foods to support active and healthy lifestyles, dairy’s nutrient-rich profile presents a major opportunity. The competition encourages students to tap into current industry and consumer insights, aiming to bring fresh dairy-based concepts to market.
 
Products should target one or more of the following benefits:

• Bone Health
• Muscle Health
• Weight Management

 
“This competition is about more than innovation; it’s about preparing the next generation of food and dairy leaders to respond to evolving consumer needs with dairy at the center,” said Rohit Kapoor, vice president of product research at DMI.
 
Finalists will have their entries evaluated by a panel of industry experts and will be recognized at the 2026 American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting, June 21-24, in Milwaukee.
 
Cash prizes will be awarded, including:

• Platinum Dairy Innovator Award – $10,000 (1st place)
• Gold Dairy Innovator Award – $7,000 (2nd place)
• Silver Dairy Innovator Award – $4,000 (3rd place)
• Dairy Innovator Awards – $2,000 each (for three additional teams completing Phase 2)

 
To learn more about product criteria and marketplace insights, view the “2026 Challenge: Consumer and Marketplace Insights” at: USDairy.com.
 
For contest rules and entry details, visit www.usdairy.com/research-resources/new-product-competition and for questions, contact Kapoor at rohit.kapoor@dairy.org.

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Paper-based test could quickly, affordably and reliably detect HPAI viruses

Purdue University researchers developed an innovative paper-based test that rapidly detects highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu. The test can be effective for a variety of animals, including poultry, cattle, wild birds, rodents and even humans. It requires only an oral or nasal swab that is applied to a paper strip, making it ideal for field use or in areas lacking access to advanced laboratory facilities. This Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR)-funded breakthrough stems from earlier FFAR research tackling bovine respiratory disease (BRD), a different costly and deadly infection found in cattle.
 
“Because of what I learned about BRD virus testing from my FFAR New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award research, we were already a step ahead in developing a similar test for HPAI. It turns out we started to build the foundation for an HPAI test that’s fast, accurate and easy for farmers and vets to use in the field four years before the world would know that animals beyond birds would be infected with HPAI,” said Mohit Verma, associate professor in Purdue’s department of agricultural and biological engineering and the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.
 
Verma’s research team introduced and validated a new paper-based test that could quickly, affordably and reliably detect HPAI viruses.
 
Verma and four co-authors published the details of their HPAI test in Scientific Reports. This work was funded in part by FFAR, with additional funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Clinical and Translational Sciences Award from the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
 
Verma initially received a $715,500 New Innovator Award in 2020 to develop a rapid diagnostic BRD test. FFAR provided Verma with $450,000, which Ault Farms, Elanco and Goldstar Cattle matched for a total of $715,500. Verma’s research led to a user-friendly, low-cost test that can detect viruses causing BRD in less than 60 minutes. The test will be able to assist veterinarians and cattle producers in determining the most effective methods for BRD prevention and treatment, with the goal of reducing the nearly $1 billion in annual losses the disease causes the U.S. beef industry.
 
“One of the most powerful aspects of scientific research is its ability to generate insights that extend beyond the original question,” said Angela Records, FFAR chief scientific officer. “Findings from Verma’s original FFAR grant, aimed at BRD challenges, are now helping us better understand a different – more widespread and critical – problem. This kind of cross-cutting impact is exactly what we hope for when we invest in innovative science to support U.S. farmers.”

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USDA Secretary Rollins announces reinvigorated Farm to School grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is delivering on its commitment to support child health and American agriculture by opening applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants. Through this grant opportunity, USDA will invest up to $18 million in farm to school projects that connect farmers to USDA’s child nutrition programs through local food procurement, agricultural education and school gardens.
 
USDA reimagined the Farm to School Grant program, implementing several improvements, including streamlining the application, removing barriers to innovation and emphasizing partnerships to give family farms the best chance at success.
 
Since the Farm to School Grant program’s inception in 2013, USDA has awarded $100 million to more than 1,200 Farm to School Grant projects across the country. This year’s grants represent the largest total amount USDA has offered in Farm to School Grants in a single year.
 
Farm to School Grants support projects that:

• Incorporate more unprocessed, locally sourced foods into meals served at school, summer sites and/or by childcare providers
• Provide producers training on procurement requirements and food safety standards to protect child health
• Integrate agricultural education into career and technical programs to support the longevity of America’s agricultural legacy
• Encourage increased consumption of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables

 
This grant opportunity is open to state and local agencies, Tribes, child nutrition program operators, small- to medium-sized agriculture producers, groups of agricultural producers and nonprofits. Detailed information about eligibility and application requirements can be found in the request for applications. Applications close on Dec. 5.

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Dairy makes the moment

By Don Schindler, Dairy Management Inc.
 
There is nothing better than an ice-cold shake after a day on the beach, a perfectly melted slice of cheese on a burger at a summer cookout or a cold glass of chocolate milk after a good workout. Dairy has a way of making the moments richer and that is what the checkoff’s Undeniably Dairy campaign has been focused on.
 
Targeting Gen Z and early parents, the Undeniably Dairy social channels are showing how dairy is not a passive participant in life’s best moments. Instead, dairy is the active ingredient that makes them more memorable, meaningful and enjoyable.
 
To emphasize the importance of dairy in our lives, the Undeniably Dairy team is showing what life is like without dairy.
 
Click here to read the full Hoard’s Dairyman article.