This announcement, originally previewed in 2022 on the heels of the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, is a significant step toward ensuring food labeling is consistent with the most up-to-date nutrition scientific evidence and Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations to support individuals and families in building healthy eating patterns.

“The inclusion of walnuts in the new “healthy” definition affirms consumers’ belief that walnuts are a healthy food.* It also aligns with decades of nutrition research reinforcing the important contributions walnuts can make in a healthy lifestyle,” shared Robert Verloop, chief executive officer for the California Walnut Commission.

“It’s simple. Just adding walnuts to Americans’ daily diet can potentially have wide-ranging positive impacts.”

The 2020-2025 DGA encourage consumers to choose foods that are nutrient-dense, such as nuts, including walnuts. However, close to two-thirds of Americans do not meet the recommended intake for nuts and seeds.^2,3

Encouraging walnuts as a substitution for food choices higher in saturated fat can help support recommendations to replace intake of saturated with unsaturated fats, as strongly advised by the recently-released 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report.⁴ The total fat in walnuts (18g) is mostly comprised of polyunsaturated fats (13g/oz), including omega-3 ALA (2.5g/oz), an essential fatty acid with potential to support heart health and cognition.^5-7 Walnuts are the only tree nut to provide an excellent source of omega-3 ALA.⁸

“In my 20 plus years of practicing nutrition at a major medical institution, I have seen trends go in and out for what the public considers healthy. But what has always been foundational is the role plant-based foods like walnuts play in supporting health. Walnuts are one nut I find consistently meets the variable needs of patients in my practice,” states Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN and author. “In practice, I focus on evidence-based approaches to reducing chronic disease risk, weight management, and improvements in metabolic health.”

Walnuts qualifying as a “healthy” food is just one major milestone in a series of similar recognitions. A recent ruling, earlier in 2024, by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), ‘Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,’ will make it easier for schools to serve plant-protein rich meals and snacks that include walnuts. Using ingredients like walnuts can help reformulate meal favorites to be healthier, while also supporting vegetarian diets and other food preferences.  Additionally, for the first time, states are now allowed to include walnut butter as part of the latest WIC program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) package updates.

These new inclusions and acknowledgements of the role of walnuts in healthy dietary patterns are due, in part, to the more than 30 years of evidence-based global health and nutrition research funded by the California Walnut Commission. This growing body of research has uncovered many potential benefits of consuming walnuts within healthy dietary patterns across various ages and life stages to maximize health and well-being, including promising research into heart health, cognition, cancer, gut health, body weight, and reproductive health.

Walnuts are extremely versatile and convenient, adding nutrition to dishes at every meal, as well as simple snacks. For more information about the nutritional benefits of California walnuts, along with delicious recipe inspiration, please visit walnuts.org.

About the California Walnut Commission 

The California Walnut Commission (CWC) represents more than 4,600 California walnut growers and approximately 70 handlers, grown in multi-generational farmers’ family orchards. California walnuts, known for their excellent nutritional value and quality, are shipped around the world all year long, with more than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States being from California. The CWC, established in 1987, promotes usage of walnuts through domestic and export market development activities as well as supports health research with consuming walnuts.

To explore recipes and learn more about California walnut growers, industry information and health research, visit walnuts.org.

* California Walnut Board 2021 Consumer A&U

References

1. Public Inspection: Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Definition of Term ‘Healthy.’” Federal Register, 2024, www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-29957/food-labeling-nutrient-content-claims-definition-of-term-healthy. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
3. Analysis of What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2016, ages 1 and older, 2 days dietary intake data, weighted. Recommended Intake Ranges: Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Patterns.
4. 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2024. Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Secretary of Agriculture. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
5. Sala-Vila A, Fleming J, Kris-Etherton P, Ros E. Impact of alpha-linolenic acid, the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid, on cardiovascular disease and cognition [published ahead of print February 16, 2022]. Advances in Nutrition. doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac016.
6. Naghshi S, Aune D, Beyene J, et al. Dietary intake and biomarkers of alpha linolenic acid and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMJ. 2021;375:n2213. doi:10.1136/bmj.n2213.
7. Barceló-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n3 fatty acids: Benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009;48(6):355-74. Doi.org/10.1016/j.plipres.2009.07.002.
8. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. Fdc.nal.usda.gov.

— California Walnut Commission

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The four-year, $7 million project, “Through the Grapevine: Developing Vitis x MuscadiniaWide Hybrids for Enhanced Disease Resistance and Quality,” is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute Food and Agriculture grant.

The research involves the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arkansas, the University of Georgia and several other institutions and agencies. Research and extension efforts related to the project will be conducted and implemented with industry partners and stakeholders.

“This project is a part of a larger departmental mission focused on sustainability, wellness and food security,” said Amit Dhingra, Ph.D., head of Texas A&M’s Department of Horticultural Sciences. “The proposed work represents an opportunity to identify new muscadine varieties for Texas to support fresh market sales, wine and other products.”

Improving the muscadine grape

Muscadine grapes are one of the 13 species of grapes native to Texas and the only native grape species that has been improved through breeding and selection. After over 100 years of muscadine breeding, plant breeders developed the first seedless selections.

Muscadines grow well in East Texas due to the area’s humid climate but are also successful in a variety of soil types, especially those that are pH neutral or slightly acidic. In addition to pest and disease tolerance, the grapes demonstrate good drought tolerance.

The grapes are typically large and ripen individually. While the skin is somewhat tough, the fruit is highly flavorful and popular for use in jams, jellies and juices as well as home and commercial winemaking.

Developing varieties for both fresh and wine markets

The overall project will involve more than 30 viticulturists, grape breeders, physiologists, food scientists and economists. Their efforts will support grape growers in propagating new seedless muscadine selections for trials across the southeastern U.S.

Texas A&M AgriLife team members from the Department of Horticultural Sciences participating in the project include Justin Scheiner, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service viticulture specialist and associate professor, Bryan-College Station; Michael Cook, AgriLife Extension program specialist and doctoral student, Denton; and Andrew King, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulture scientist and assistant professor, Overton. Scheiner will provide leadership for the Texas A&M AgriLife team.

Texas A&M AgriLife will also host two research vineyard sites in northeastern and southeastern Texas to evaluate new “fresh eating” or table selections as well as those for processing. One research trial will be planted at Thomas Ranch near Richards, which is operated by AgriLife Research. The other trial will be at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton. Muscadine grape trials in Texas will be planted in the spring of 2025.

Another team member, Stephen Talcott, Ph.D., professor of food chemistry in the Texas A&M Department of Food Science and Technology, will analyze fruit composition and post-harvest quality of all materials from these trials.

“This project will seek to crossbreed muscadines and Vitis vinifera, or common, grapes to get the best characteristics of these two grape species,” Scheiner said. “Both generations of grapes will be instrumental in breeding new high-quality, climate-resilient cultivars for both the fresh market and wine production.”

Cook said he and the others are thrilled to be part of a national multi-disciplinary team exploring ways to improve muscadines, as well as bunch grapes, to provide tangible solutions for growers.

“We are particularly excited in the first objective of the project where we are doing trials of advanced muscadine cultivars,” he said. “This effort could change the face of the grape industry in Texas.”

According to Cook, various environmental and input factors have made growing grapes more difficult, risky and costly over time, so the results of this multi-objective study will be vital in aiding growers in regard to future cultivar selection and best practices tailored to a changing viticulture landscape.

“Texas grape growers have expressed great interest in this project and will be kept up to date with results and recommendations through various AgriLife Extension programming in the coming years,” Dhingra added.

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“Horticulture is a very important part of U.S. agriculture and our economy,” said Dennis Koong, NASS NW Regional Director. “Responding to this census is the best way for growers to help associations, businesses, and policymakers advocate for their industry, and influence program decisions and technology development over the next five years.”

The 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties results will expand the 2022 Census of Agriculture data with information on horticultural crop production, value of products, square footage used for growing crops, production expenses, and more.

Producers who receive the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties are required to respond by federal law (Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113), as it is part of the Census of Agriculture program. The same federal law that requires producers to respond also requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential.

Growers are asked to use their unique survey code to complete the horticulture census online via NASS’ secure website. The online questionnaire is user friendly, accessible on most electronic devices, and saves producers time by calculating totals and automatically skipping questions that don’t apply to their operations. The deadline for response is February 14, 2025. Results will be available on December 16, 2025.

For more information about the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties:

• Visit https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Census_of_Horticultural_Specialties/index.php
• Email the Northwest Regional Field Office at nassrfonwr@usda.gov
• Or call 1-800-435-5883

Access to NASS Reports

For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways:

• All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site http://www.nass.usda.gov
• Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e-mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov. Hover over the “Publications” drop down. Under “Receive reports by Email” section in the lower right corner, select the report(s) you would like to receive.

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 7:30 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@usda.gov.

— USDA NASS NW Regional Field Office

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If you have any questions about the project or would like to learn more, you can contact kaira@oceanrainforest.com.

— California Aquaculture Association

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The discovery has the potential to reduce reliance on antibiotics and ultimately help combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in both humans and animals, said Adrian Barragan, associate research professor and extension veterinarian at Penn State and co-lead author on the paper.

The findings are particularly significant for the organic dairy industry where antibiotic use is restricted, he added, and may also pave the way for future studies in humans on the use of sugar-based formulations for uterine infections such as endometritis.

“The disease is an infection of the uterus that occurs after calving and it’s one of the top diseases that affect dairy cattle in the United States,” said Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes at Penn State and co-lead author on the study. “We treat cows with antibiotics only when necessary to ensure their welfare, following strict withdrawal periods to prevent residues in milk. Minimizing antibiotic use helps reduce the risk of resistant bacteria that can impact farm workers, families and communities. Antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine is a growing public health concern, so the main goal of this research was to test an antibiotic-free alternative option against the current gold standard for treating this prevalent disease.”

The study compared two treatments for a common uterine infection, called clinical metritis, that can lead to serious health problems for dairy cows. The condition is typically treated using systemic antibiotics, like ceftiofur, which are effective in treating the condition, but may contribute to the growing antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals.

“We have been searching for alternative therapies that can effectively treat metritis without relying on antibiotics,” Barragan said. “We asked two main questions when studying an alternative: Do the animals get cured with this treatment? And do treated animals have similar performance? Although the alternative treatment had the same clinical cure rate as the antibiotics, the answer wasn’t as clear cut as expected since performance between treatment groups differed based on disease severity.”

The study focused on using intrauterine dextrose, a sugar solution, as a possible alternative treatment. Dextrose has been extensively studied in animal and human clinical research for its ability to plasmolyze harmful bacteria, essentially the strong sugar solution pulls water out of the bacteria, causing them to dry out and die, Barragan explained. The approach had shown some promise in human wound healing, but previous studies in cattle yielded mixed results.

“We were hopeful that we would find positive results, but we were definitely not expecting to find that both treatments worked similarly for mild cases of metritis,” Barragan said. “That was a very exciting discovery.”

To investigate the effectiveness of dextrose, the researchers conducted a study on a dairy farm in central Pennsylvania. They enrolled 77 cows diagnosed with clinical metritis and randomly assigned them to one of two treatment groups: intrauterine dextrose or systemic ceftiofur. The researchers then monitored the cows’ recovery and analyzed their uterine microbial communities using advanced DNA sequencing to better understand the overall health of their microbiomes.

Although the sample size was not ideal for assessing clinical cure rate, Barragan said, the results suggested that both treatments had similar clinical cure rates, meaning dextrose could be just as effective as antibiotics in treating mild metritis cases.

Additionally, the analysis of the cows’ microbiomes revealed that dextrose does not significantly disrupt the bacterial balance of bacteria in the reproductive tract, unlike antibiotics, which can alter microbial communities and potentially impact the long-term health of the cow, Ganda explained.

Further research is needed to understand the full potential of dextrose as an alternative to antibiotic treatment, Barragan said, but one day that potential could even extend to treating humans.

“Our findings may be applicable for reproductive disease in human medicine,” he said. “In fact, we were inspired by medical literature and sugar-based wound treatments for people.”

The other Penn State authors on the paper are Jennine Lection, who earned a doctoral degree from Penn State and is currently an assistant professor at North Carolina State University; Emily Van Syoc, postdoctoral scholar; Asha Miles, former postdoctoral research associate who is currently a research geneticist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Julia Hamilton, undergraduate student; Marcela Martinez, research technologist; and Justin Silverman, assistant professor of statistics and of medicine and faculty fellow of the Institute for Computational and Data Science. Santiago Bas of the Germany-based feed company Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH also contributed to the paper.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hatch Appropriations, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health funded this research.

–Adrienne Berard
Penn State

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I hope all of you will be able to look back on the year’s greatness. Put your pencil to paper as you consider all you learned from 2024; some very important lessons were sprinkled in there.

To give time for reflection and enjoyment this holiday season, we will not be sending out our daily emails the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The Morning Ag Clips’ daily email will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

There will still be news articles published on our site, so make sure to stay up-to-date by going to morningagclips.com. Every day there will be something new, and there will be an editor watching for breaking ag news every day. But like you, we all need a break, and the only way to get it is to be extremely intentional about it, so we are!

Here’s to you, your family, and a prosperous and healthy New Year! We will see you in 2025!

With love,
Kate

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I expect the January Cattle Inventory report to show some additional liquidation has occurred leading to a smaller calf crop in 2025. It seems most likely that the summer of 2026 is the soonest substantial national heifer retention may begin. While there is recently elevated uncertainty around international trade that should not be overlooked, most anticipate domestic beef availability to decline perhaps by 2-3% per year (per person) in 2025 and 2026.

Given this setting and the opportunity for some extended armchair-pondering around the holidays, some context on economic concepts and an important historical reminder is prudent. Economists analyzing the beef industry use the term “demand” to refer to the willingness and ability to buy beef at a specific price. A change in beef demand is not triggered by changes in beef prices but rather by consumer income or wealth adjustments, changes in prices of other goods, or perceptions of beef quality evolving. To this later point, the clear improvement in overall beef quality (simple example is Prime or Upper Choice percentage versus past decades) has been core to beef demand growth (see K-State demand indices here: https://agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-domestic-meat-demand-indices-usdabls-data/monthly-domestic-0 ).

As we turn to 2025 it is important to pause and connect the dots around things such as current feedlot supplies, future breeding herd size and corresponding beef availability, and what one may expect at the retail and food service level. Yes, lower beef supplies are expected and with that, most anticipate higher end-user beef prices. In fact, the industry should be hoping for that! Research with Melissa McKendree, Ted Schroeder, and Nathan Hendricks (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1093/ajae/aaz034 ) shows that feeder cattle sellers stand to gain the most when beef demand grows, and lose the most when demand falters.

If alternatively, lower beef availability is observed in conjunction with flat or lower beef prices, then beef demand clearly declined. In that unfortunate situation, economic viability for most in the industry also declines. While some younger market participants may dismiss this scenario, recall the 1980s & 90s was a period largely characterized by a shrinking herd, weakening beef demand, and overall decline in industry vitality. Indeed, lower beef volumes alone do not guarantee higher beef nor cattle prices. This experience is worth periodic reflection as the industry has made massive improvements that should not be overlooked or taken for granted. To the extent that beef prices increase reflecting stable or growing beef demand that indeed is a market outcome that should not only “be allowed” but encouraged. While the term “demand destruction” is likely to appear more in coming months, industry stakeholders are encouraged to take pause and in fact hope that higher prices develop reflecting stable or growing beef demand.

Finally, and most importantly I wish all readers a Merry Christmas, the ability to see the true reason for the season, and a joyous New Year.

— Glynn T. Tonsor, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University

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Wine enthusiasts and seafood lovers are invited to enjoy Mo’s world-famous chowder bowls and fresh Oregon Coast crab paired with Willamette wine during the weekend celebration. Guests receive a complimentary, fresh Dungeness crab with the purchase of a case of Willamette wine.

Louie, a giant inflatable crab mascot owned by the Oregon Crab Commission, is a standout feature of the event. Louie will take center stage in front of the winery, making a perfect photo opportunity for guests.

“The 25th annual event feels like a celebration of tradition and community. It’s incredible to think about how far we’ve come, and I’m excited to honor Mo’s roots while continuing to showcase the best of Oregon’s seafood and wine,” said Billie Jo Edmonds, North Coast Regional Manager for Mo’s Seafood & Chowder.

“I’m most looking forward to the connection that happens at this event, bringing together incredible food, amazing wines and the beautiful setting of Willamette Valley Vineyards,” she said.

The featured wine of the event is Willamette’s 2023 Estate Pinot Gris, a perfect pairing for sweet and delicate seafood like Dungeness crab and chowder bowls. As part of the festivities, guests receive a complimentary crab when they purchase a case of wine. This exclusive offer adds to the excitement of the celebration, giving guests a taste of the Oregon Coast with their wine purchase.

“This is an event that the whole community looks forward to each year as it brings together two passions of Oregonians — great wine and delicious seafood,” said Spence Fogarty, General Manager of Willamette Valley Vineyards’ Estate in the Salem Hills. “People always look forward to dinner, visiting the wine cellar, live music, dancing and taking a photo with the icon, Louie,” he said.

In honor of the event’s 25th anniversary, all attendees will have a chance to win select prizes from Willamette Valley Vineyards. Here are more details:

• General admission tickets are $35 or $25 for Members and Owners
• The price includes a glass of wine, a $20 wine credit, live music and access to the event.
• For ticket information, please click here. Event is Friday, January 24 through Sunday, January 26, 2025, from noon on.
• Mo’s Seafood & Chowder is hosting the food portion of the event. The winery’s regular tasting menu will not be available during the festival weekend.

About Willamette Valley Vineyards
Founded in 1983 by Jim Bernau with the vision of producing world-class Pinot Noir while preserving Oregon’s natural beauty, Willamette Valley Vineyards is recognized as a leader in sustainable winemaking. With over 1,000 acres under vine and certification through LIVE and Salmon-Safe, the winery prioritizes environmental stewardship. Its family of vineyards includes the Estate in the Salem Hills, Domaine Willamette in the Dundee Hills, Tualatin Estate Vineyard and Elton Vineyard. The winery also operates 10 tasting rooms across Oregon, Washington and California, growth made possible by the stock ownership of many wine enthusiasts.

For more information, visit www.wvv.com.

For more information on Mo’s Seafood & Chowder, visit www.ilovemoschowder.com

— Willamette Valley Vineyards

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“Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Interior Department has moved at the pace needed to meet the moment and swiftly grow a robust and sustainable clean energy economy while protecting precious resources in America’s public lands. With an updated Western Solar Plan, created with extensive input from the public, the Department will ensure the responsible development of solar energy across the West for decades to come,” said Secretary Deb Haaland.

“Solar energy is an affordable and fast-growing component of the nation’s modern power supply and is helping the United States build a strong and resilient clean energy economy. The updated Western Solar Plan will ensure that solar project permitting is more efficient and offers clarity for project developers while maintaining flexibility to adapt to local needs and concerns,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Dr. Steve Feldgus.

The Department’s clean energy work on public lands is guided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since January 2021, the BLM has approved 45 renewable energy projects on public lands and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. Overall, the BLM has permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of more than 33 gigawatts – enough to power more than 15 million homes. This year, the BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, create jobs, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.

The updated Western Solar Plan, developed with substantial public input, builds on this momentum to guide BLM’s management of solar energy proposals and projects on public lands. The plan updates the 2012 Western Solar Plan, which covered six southwestern states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, to include Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The updated plan uses lessons learned and best practices to guide a strategy for the West — identifying lands near transmission lines and previously disturbed lands as available while excluding sensitive areas like specially protected lands, lands containing important cultural resources, and critical wildlife habitat. Siting projects away from areas where they may conflict with other resources and uses will help ensure responsible development, speed the permitting process, and provide greater predictability to the solar energy industry.

The updated Western Solar Plan identifies the availability of over 31 million acres of public lands across the 11 Western states for utility-scale solar project applications; however, only approximately 700,000 of those acres are anticipated to be developed by 2045 to meet projected demand. The larger available area allows for greater flexibility in considering solar proposals. No solar projects are authorized through this planning effort; all individual proposed projects must still undergo site-specific environmental review with opportunity for public comment before a decision is made on whether to approve them.

This action builds on dozens of executive actions that the Biden-Harris administration has taken to accelerate and improve federal permitting so that we can deliver more projects more quickly. The median time to complete Administration the most complicated reviews is more than six months faster than the prior Administration. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration has permitted twice as many renewable energy projects on public lands compared to the prior Administration.

Approval of the updated Western Solar Plan follows a draft plan published in January 2024 and a proposed plan published in August 2024, reflecting input received from a wide range of stakeholders, governments, and other interested parties along the way. The proposed plan was subject to a 30-day public protest period and 60-day governor’s consistency review before the BLM made the decision to approve the plan.

For more information on the updated Western Solar Plan, please visit the Federal Register Notice webpage or visit the project’s National NEPA Project Register (ePlanning) website.

— Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

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Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) President and CEO Barbara O’Brien pointed to a collective effort of national and local teams that delivered results this year.

“The checkoff is working, and we have achieved a lot in building the next chapter of our history,” said O’Brien, who outlined “now, next and future” checkoff strategies at this year’s joint annual meeting. “This success was made possible by the dedication and hard work of everyone across the checkoff federation. This was a strong year of results as we continue to work with and through others to catalyze action against our trust- and sales-building priorities.”

Checkoff-led highlights from 2024 include:

Increasing Dairy Access in Schools

A partnership provided hot chocolate milk to students during a pilot with Chartwells K12, which serves more than 2 million meals daily at 700 school districts. National Dairy Council (NDC) and Chartwells launched the Hot Chocolate Milk program in 58 schools, which features hot chocolate milk – with toppings such as cinnamon and peppermint – served during breakfast and lunch.

Another school pilot offered lactose-free chocolate milk and increased consumption and reached students who weren’t drinking milk because of real or perceived lactose intolerance. NDC and American Dairy Association Mideast worked with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) to offer the country’s first single-serve lactose-free chocolate milk program. When compared to the rest of the district, the pilot schools experienced a 16-percent increase in milk consumption. The pilot was so successful that CPS is offering lactose-free chocolate milk in all schools.

Partnerships Growing Sales

The checkoff’s longstanding strategy of working with and through powerful partners continues to deliver results. For example, the checkoff supported Domino’s with its launch of cheese-centric items, including the New York Style Pizza and five-cheese mac and cheese.

This strategy of working with pizza partners also continues to find success internationally, a key tactic to reach the 95% of the world’s population that lives outside of the United States. DMI’s partnership with Pizza Hut Japan led to the chain announcing a permanent 30% increase of cheese use on all pizzas.

Other partnership innovations included working with General Mills to create YoBark, a yogurt-based snack designed to give families a tasty option and expand yogurt’s presence in the snacking category.

Sharing The Science of Dairy

One emerging research area is dairy’s impact on the first 1,000 days of life – encompassing pregnancy through a child’s second birthday. This is a critical period for brain development, which is impacted by nutrition and dairy can significantly support cognitive development, thanks to nutrients including iodine and choline. Checkoff organizations nationally and locally teamed with MilkPEP to elevate awareness and understanding of dairy’s contributions with expecting mothers and parents seeking nutrition guidance.

NDC also showed its ability to convene thought leaders when it hosted more than 100 national and international health and wellness experts for a two-day scientific conference addressing the dairy matrix, the concept of exploring the unique nutrient, non-nutrient and molecular compositions of dairy foods. Among the meeting attendees were representatives and speakers from major health professional organizations leading universities and organizations.

Supporting Dairy’s Sustainability Legacy

 The checkoff is focused on deepening its knowledge and attracting the investment in research on practices and technologies that work from a mitigation standpoint, and tools and resources to support adoption. DMI is tracking more than $29 million in additional investment from partners for pilot projects and research that empower sustainability action. One example is the Greener Cattle Initiative, a collaboration which announced a second round $5 million funding for enteric methane mitigation research.

The checkoff launched the Dairy Conservation Navigator, a resource hub designed to provide farm advisors, stakeholders and conservation professionals with science-based information on sustainable practices and technologies. Checkoff scientists and others developed a list of 80-plus practices that have a positive environmental benefit.

Checkoff Sparking Innovation

 The checkoff showcased dairy innovation and its nutrition package to 70,000 people attending Natural Products Expo West, the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry. DMI unveiled its www.InnovateWithDairy.com tool, which serves as a one-stop shop for anyone seeking information about dairy innovation.

DMI also kept its focus on future innovators with its New Product Competition. A University of Minnesota team took first with a creamy Norwegian-style, whey-based cheese spread.

More checkoff results, including financial reports, can be found at www.dairycheckoff.com.

About Dairy Management Inc.

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is funded by America’s more than 26,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

–Dairy Management Inc.

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