As dairy farmers, we believe in stretching every dollar as far

as it will go. As the treasurer and chair of SUDIA’s Audit and Finance Review Committees, I want to assure you that I am committed to doing that with your checkoff dollars. The SUDIA Board of Direc-tors is charged with fiduciary responsibility of checkoff dollars collected from our nine South-east states, plus additional income SUDIA receives from

dairy farmers all over the country, as milk comes into the region. We take this charge seriously and have a number of processes in place to safeguard our investment: • Budgets are reviewed in detail for the following year and then again at mid-year. • Monthly financials are analyzed at all state and SUDIA Board Meetings. • A third party audit is conducted every year. Two other dairy farmers and myself on the Audit Com-mittee choose the auditing firm and meet with the auditors annually to make sure SUDIA finances are in order and proper internal controls are in place. We also attend educational sessions to learn about the latest trends and issues in non-profit accounting and auditing.

• The audit is also reviewed by SUDIA’s Finance Review Committee and made available to all directors and delegates at our Annual Meeting. • The Fi-nance Review Committee reviews and submits forms

required by the IRS for non-profit organizations. All of these efforts produce a clean audit each year. Rest assured that proper internal controls are in place to make sure that continues.

Fifteen Southeast school nurses recently attended SUDIA’s “Tackling Childhood Obesity: A Communications Training

Camp with Tools, Techniques and Motivational Interviewing Skills for Healthier Kids.” The training, led by media trainer Joan Horbiak, was held on December 4 and 5 in Atlanta. The training camp provided an opportunity to educate school nurses about how to incorporate dairy products to create health-ier school nutrition environments. Participants also received nutrition education materials that can be used to further educate school nurses, students and teachers on dairy nutrition, includ-ing information on successful Fuel Up to Play 60 programs. Participating school nurses will be activated as dairy advocates in their respected schools, distributing positive dairy messaging to parents and students. “Research has shown the benefits of dairy as being a part of a well-balanced meal,” said Rebecca Turner, nutritional affairs program manager for SUDIA. “That’s why we believe in its value towards the health and well-being of our children. We recognize that school nurses hold the key to educating students and par-ents about childhood obesity in schools.” SUDIA conducts several health professional training camps an-nually, providing dairy messaging and educational materials to health professionals who help protect and promote dairy prod-ucts, creating dairy advocates. To date, 162 health professionals have been trained to speak out on behalf of dairy. For more information, contact Mary Martin Nordness at mmnordness@sedairy.org or 1-800-343-4693.

Southeast school nurses learn important dairy messaging during recent training camp

DAIRY HIGHLIGHTED DURING MEDIA TRAINING

Dairy farm familiesof the Southeast

Dairy Promotion News

December 2013

SUDIA staff held a communications training in Atlanta this Decem-ber for school nurses with media trainer Joan Horbiak. The camp educated school nurses on how to use dairy to create healthier school nutrition and physical activity environments.

We take oversight of dairy farmers’ funds seriouslyBy: Ken Smith, SUDIA Board Treasurer

Ken SmithSUDIA Board Treasurer

The Smith Family resides in Remington, Va., where they operate Cool Lawn Farm.

DAIRY Promotion News

Dairy farmers and McDonald’s continue to build on a partnership that has increased fluid milk consump-

tion by more than 1 billion pounds over the last four years.

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), dairy farmers’ national promotion organization, works closely with national partners like McDonald’s, to develop new innovative dairy products. DMI dairy specialists, located at Mc-Donald’s Product Development Center in Oak Ridge, Ill., help streamline the development of new dairy-based menu items.

Recently, McDonald’s thanked the nation’s dairy farm-ers with an extended YouTube video that highlighted the hard work, commitment and dedication they have for our nation’s health and well-being.

“We’re the only company in the world that has staff working at McDonald’s,” said David Pelzer, DMI’s senior vice president of strategic communications. “Because we have check-off staff doing menu development, it com-presses time and moves the future into now.”

This past spring, McDonald’s added new milkshakes, McFlurries and cheese burgers to its expanding menu that features dairy foods. Moving forward, DMI will con-tinue to work closely with McDonald’s staff in creating innovative snacks, desserts and sandwiches that include dairy products.

Through the partnership, McDonald’s launched sev-eral new dairy-based menu items during 2013.

• Three versions of its Premium McWraps, all of which feature Cheddar Jack Cheese

• Egg White Delight McMuffin, featuring White Ched-dar

• Strawberry Creme Pie, features cream cheese• Smoothies made with blueberries, pomegranate and

yogurtFor every dollar dairy farmers contribute, national

partners such as McDonald’s invest more than six.To learn more about the McDonald’s partnership,

contact Amanda Trice at atrice@sedairy.org or 1-800-343-4693.

National partnerships increase dairy consumption through innovation

DMI works with national partners like McDonald’s to develop new, innovative dairy products. Because of this partnership, Mc-Donald’s has dairy specialists at its Oak Ridge, Ill., development center to streamline the creation of new dairy-based menu items.

For students at a local high school in Alabama, fuel-ing up with breakfast foods that include dairy has

just gotten easier. School officials all over the Southeast are using cre-ativity to reach students on the go and increase break-fast participation through grants awarded via the Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP60) program. This past June, Albert Brewer High School in Mor-gan County, Ala. was awarded $4,000 in grant fund-ing through SUDIA’s FUTP60 program. The school

used the grant to purchase a meal vending machine that dispenses reimburs-able breakfasts: meals that schools receive monetary federal reimbursements for distributing. The machine holds 144 pre-packaged breakfast options, includ-ing dairy foods that feature milk, cheese and yogurt. “The students at Brewer High School are excited about the new meal vending machine purchased through a grant with Fuel Up to Play 60 funds,” said Mary Beth Henry, child nutrition direc-tor with Morgan County Schools in Alabama. “Stu-dents like the Grab ‘n’ Go vending machine, it’s quick, easy and dispenses a break-fast every 20 seconds.” The vending machine uses

a keypad to deduct funds from student accounts, mak-ing the transactions efficient. The machine brings the Grab ‘n’ Go Breakfast concept to students who may have not eaten breakfast in the past. The machine also

reduces the size of serving lines, allowing more stu-dents to be served in a shorter period of time. The Morgan County School System in Alabama has increased dairy sales with breakfast and continue to bring healthy dairy options to students. “Break-fast participation has increased by 20 percent at this school,” said Henry. “This is a win-win for everyone!” For more information, contact Molly Szymanski at mszymanski@sedairy.org or 1-800-343-4693.

Alabama high school uses Fuel Up to Play 60 funds to promote healthy breakfast options with a vending machine

A student at Albert Brewer High School in Morgan County, Ala. purchases a quick breakfast from the meal vending machine. The school used grants from SUDIA’s FUTP60 program to purchase the unit that holds 144 pre-packaged breakfast options that feature milk, cheese and yogurt.

“The students at Brewer High School are excited about the

new meal vending machine purchased

through a grant with Fuel Up to Play

60 funds. Students like the Grab ‘n’ Go

vending machine, it’s quick, easy and dis-penses a breakfast every 20 seconds.”

Mary Beth HenryChild Nutrition DirectorMorgan County Schools

Decatur, Ala.

With a 2 p.m. call time, it was a far cry from a dairy farmer’s lifestyle, but well worth the visit.

This past November, 10 supermarket registered dietitians (RDs) from across the Southeast visited Scott and Jennifer Glover’s Glo-Crest Dairy and Mountain Fresh Creamery in Clermont, Ga. where they had the chance to learn about cow care, comfort, farm practices and the nutritional value of milk. Many Southeast supermarket chains are hiring RDs or nutrition experts to help customers with food choices. These RDs provide nutrition knowledge when and where consum-ers need it the most: shopping for family meals at their local grocery store. They also offer classes on cooking, nutrition and food safety. SUDIA staff are working with these spokes-persons to offer educational opportunities like farm visita-tions, learning about the farm to table transition and where their food comes from.

Supermarket registered dietitians visit dairy farm, learn about cow care, farm practices and the nutritional value of milk

Georgia dairy farmer Scott Glover speaks to 10 supermarket registered dietitians about cow care, comfort, farm practices and the nutritional value of dairy during their visit to his Clermont dairy farm.

DietitiansContinued on page 4

Pizza is one of the nation’s favorite Friday night tradi-tions and with partners like Domino’s slicing up

dairy goodness, other industry competitors are starting to take notice and pack on the cheese. In a new partnership, Pizza Hut, the national number one pizza chain, worked closely with Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) in developing its newest permanent menu item. Pizza Hut recently introduced its new 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza to millions of consumers across the Southeast and the nation. The pizza was developed using research, consumer trend analysis and in-sights provided by the national dairy check-off related to “millennials” (those born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s). DMI’s research highlighted positive con-sumer preferences on cheese blends, which ultimately led to Pizza Hut creating the 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza featuring a combination of Cheddar, mozzarella and provolone cheeses. “The new 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza is another ex-ample of how the checkoff works with companies to find innovative ways to use our product,” said National Dairy

Board Vice President and North Carolina dairy farmer Zach Myers. “Our strategy provides resources and in-sights to partner with companies such as Pizza Hut to help drive sales.” With restaurants such as McDonald’s, Domino’s and

Taco Bell adding menu items that feature milk, cheese and yogurt, and major food com-panies like Quaker encouraging consumers to use milk with their products, overall sales of dairy products are advancing while consumer trust and appreciation for dairy farmers is strengthened. Pizza Hut’s new 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza landed on menus across the nation on October 20. DMI continues working with Pizza Hut to develop additional dairy-friendly menu items

to further boost dairy sales and build demand. “Promoting our products through these national partnerships is an ideal way to stretch our dollars and increase sales of milk, cheese, yogurt and also increase the positive image of dairy families,” said Myers. For more information, contact Amanda Trice at atrice@sedairy.org or 1-800-343-4693.

Farmer-funded research leads to first permanent Pizza Hut menu addition in nearly two decades

When ordering materials, please

allow 2 weeks for delivery.

Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, Inc.5340 West Fayetteville RoadAtlanta, GA 30349-5416

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

www.southeastdairy.org

www.facebook.com/sedairy

www.twitter.com/sedairy

www.youtube.com/southeastdairyinc

www.dairydelivers.wordpress.com

Visit Us ONLINE. “This has been an enlightening experience. Now that I live and work in the Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee areas, I think it’s really important that I actually spent some time learning where our milk and dairy products come from,” said Audrey Kessler, registered dietitian for Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee Food Stores and Food City. “Learning about the feed, learning about how the feed is an equation of nutrients and math, to me that’s the most interesting part about it. I absolutely think this will help me educate consumers about dairy.” The Glovers provided a tour where the RDs had the opportunity to sample homemade ice cream and milk, and tour both the milk-ing parlor and barn areas. “I would love to see more of this sort of thing going on,” said Scott. “I’d love to see dairymen open up their doors for more tours. I think anytime we can reach potential sellers of our product, we need to take full advantage of it.” Following the tour, SUDIA spon-sored a supermarket RD me-dia training session with noted

trainer Joan Horbiak in Atlanta. The training session highlighted dairy’s positive attributes to a well-balanced diet, while providing the RDs with education and valuable messaging to relay to supermarket shoppers. Attendees also received nutrition education materials and informational packets on Fuel Up to Play 60 programs. For more information, contact Mary Martin Nordness at mmnor-dness@sedairy.org or 1-800-343-4693.

DietitiansContinued from page 3

Registered supermarket dietitian Janine Faber from Kentucky enjoys freshly churned ice cream at Mountain Fresh Creamery in Clermont, Ga.