“Collaboration is key to maximizing our investment,” said Charles Krause, Midwest Dairy Board Chair. “The report includes results of programs and activations that show how our checkoff contributions were invested to drive the industry forward.”

Here’s the scoop:

• 13.5 million incremental pounds of milk sold in 2024
• 134 Undeniably Dairy grants totaling over $348,000 were awarded
• Influencer work resulted in 19,030,021 impressions, 3,950,570 reached, and 172,570 engagements
• Partnered with 3 of the top Midwest pizza companies, Marcos Pizza, Pizza Ranch, and Godfather's

Below is a look at top activations from 2024.

Building Trust

With 92.9% of Americans using social networks at least monthly, according to GWI, TikTok and Instagram are key tools to share the dairy story. Online influencer partnerships were expanded in 2024 to reach Gen Z and adult consumers and promote dairy products and experiences.

Influencers were engaged for campaigns including “Cheesy Season” holidays, dairy’s vital role in the first 1,000 days of life, animal care, and sustainability.

What they’re saying: Newlywed influencers shared a *heated* cheese pull competition. Medical experts posted a video to highlight how dairy supports healthy bones, teeth, and overall growth in young children, which was reshared by parent influencers. Other influencers shared dairy recipes and day-in-the-life recaps that had a measurable, positive impact on perceptions of dairy animals being treated humanely and view of dairy farmers as environmentally friendly.

By the numbers: These campaigns resulted in over 18.21 million impressions.

Increasing Sales

American’s love pizza. So much so that it ranks among the top five most-ordered menu items and a quarter of consumers eat pizza more than twice a week.

Why it matters: What’s pizza without cheese? Pizza restaurants use more cheese than any other type of food establishment and present an opportunity for incremental sales.

Partnerships with Marco’s Pizza, Pizza Ranch, and Godfathers brought fresh flavors, extra-cheesy promotions, and a look at the people behind the fan-favorite pizza topping.

The bottom line: Pizza partnerships drove an additional 3,465,440 pounds of milk sold.

Advancing Research

Advancing dairy research is a key strategy of dairy checkoff. Midwest Dairy partnered with The Hatchery in Chicago and No More Empty Pots in Omaha to support entrepreneurs who value dairy products in their ingredients through pitch competitions.

Businesses such as Crafian Artisanal Toffee, Dundee Popcorn, and Coffee Alley developed products using 30% dairy ingredients with no alternative dairy products.

The impact: Consumers are seeking new ways to enjoy dairy, and the resulting products get dairy in front of consumers in fresh and exciting ways.

Developing Leaders

A new grant-writing support program was launched to help farmers find opportunities and secure funds for on-farm projects. Midwest Dairy partnered with Lasso, a platform that works as a grant-writer handyman for farmers.

Zoom in: Compass Rose Creamery is one grant recipient that used the Lasso program. Jill Nelson and her family farm were looking to expand and diversify by adding value through dairy processing. The financial risk was high, but grant funding made the next step possible. The Creamery was awarded the Dairy Business Builder and AGRI Value-Add grants that enabled their entry into cheesemaking.

What’s next: Midwest Dairy and Lasso will continue to connect dairy farmers to more valuable funding opportunities.

"2024 was a transformative year for Midwest Dairy,” said Corey Scott, Midwest Dairy CEO. “We are proud of the strides we've made in supporting our dairy farmers and look forward to continuing this momentum.”

Find the full 2024 Annual Report at www.midwestdairy.com/farmers/annual-report.