Dairy West’s Post

The end of the school year marks the conclusion of the 2023-2024 high school athletics season. Together with our local high school activities associations, Dairy West remains committed to youth wellness, education, and success. Through this commitment, student athletes in Idaho and Utah benefit from sports nutrition education opportunities and nutrient-rich chocolate milk. Over 650,000 individuals attended the Idaho and Utah state tournaments this year. Fans and athletes experienced chocolate milk at select sport championships, with our sports nutrition marketing signage, program ads, digital ads, and more visible at all the tournaments. Fun fact: Over 140,000 Unbottled chocolate milks were enjoyed! 🤩 The Replenish with Chocolate Milk Program led 83 high school teams to attend our “Game Winning Fueling Strategies” virtual team talk, where they learned the importance of good nutrition habits to improve performance. Additionally, 237,000+ Unbottled chocolate milks were provided to over 4,600 student athletes as an effective way to refuel and recover post-competition. 💪 #HighSchoolAthletics #Partnership #ChocolateMilk #Fueling #GameDay #Education #WeKnowDairy

🇺🇸 🎆 Happy 4th of July! 🎆 🇺🇸 As we celebrate the birth of our great nation, let's take a moment to honor and thank the brave veterans who have fought and sacrificed for our freedom. Your dedication and service inspire us all. On this day of gratitude, let's also recognize the hardworking dairy farmers who keep our country strong and nourished. Your efforts in providing quality dairy products are essential to our daily lives. Today, we celebrate freedom, hard work and the American spirit. Enjoy the fireworks, the barbecues and the time with loved ones. Happy Independence Day! 🗽🥛 #IndependenceDay #ThankYouVeterans #Celebrate #AmericanHeroes #Gratitude

This June, the Utah and Idaho School Nutrition Association chapters hosted conferences with 213 attendees in Idaho and 235 attendees in Utah, with Dairy West serving as the premier sponsor. In addition to sponsoring keynotes at both conferences, Dairy West staff led three different breakout sessions. Preston Olsen presented “Tips and Tricks for School Food Photography” to boost participation in school meal programs, Marissa Watson highlighted the role of sustainability in schools, and Deena Benson, SNS discussed the importance of building an engaging workplace culture. Supporting these conferences is intended to bolster the confidence of school nutrition professionals and other participants in the resources provided by Dairy West, emphasizing the importance of incorporating more dairy into school meals. #Sponsor #Partnership #Development #SchoolNutrition #SchoolMeals

Check out the newest episode of the "In Udder Words" Podcast! 📣 In this episode, Lacey Papageorge, manager of farmer relations, meets with Rob Peterson, manager of retail outreach. Rob has 23 years of retail work experience, giving him an understanding of how consumers shop and how retail-focused marketing guides their purchase decisions. Through Dairy West's retail brand, Real. Local. Dairy., Rob has been heightening demand for dairy through in-store and digital shopping experiences. Efforts, such as the "front-end milk," initiative give consumers high-quality, nutritious food options. 🔗 Listen at https://spoti.fi/4eOIjhq. #Shopping #ConsumerExperiences #Grocery #RetailMarketing #DigitalMarketing #ConsumerBehavior #WeKnowDairy

While dairy and fruit juice might not be your first choice for quenching your thirst, a new beverage developed by Dairy Farmers of America food scientists could change your mind. Introducing Very Cherry Berry Dairy, a kids’ drink that blends the essential nutrients of dairy with the natural sweetness of fruit. While the commercial future of this drink is still being finalized, we are excited by the opportunity and innovation this presents for dairy. This unique beverage uses cultured dairy protein and heavy cream powders sourced from the high-quality milk of our farmer-owners. The use of powdered dairy, instead of fresh milk, effectively addresses the challenge of mixing dairy with fruit juice, ensuring a smooth texture and delicious taste without the curdling caused by fruit's high acidity. Remarkably, this refreshing drink contains no added sugar, making it a health-conscious choice for parents and children alike. The idea for Very Cherry Berry Dairy was inspired by consumer insights from social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. These insights revealed a growing awareness of nutrition among parents and a demand for healthy, kid-friendly recipes, highlighting a market need for a wellness drink that kids would love. With more than half of U.S. children not getting adequate hydration, this innovative beverage offers a tasty, health-conscious solution with natural electrolytes from dairy and a flavor that appeals to both kids and adults. Creating products that consumers crave is one of the many ways we bring value to our farmer-owners. Props to DFA for developing a new, intriguing and relevant product! #Dairy #VeryCherryBerryDairy #Juice #Milk #Innovation #FoodCombos #WeKnowDairy

This past week, we showed Boise Music Festival attendees the right way to beat the heat...with dairy! We had two booths representing our sister brand, Unbottled, which promoted dairy as a fun, nutritious and delicious way to refuel. It's safe to say we had the coolest booths there! The 'Cool Down Lounge' was an air-conditioned space where attendees could recover from the 100-degree temperatures. Inside the iceberg-inspired display, we served chocolate milk to refuel their energy and played promotional videos. The Matchmaker Station intrigued festival goers with its 1980s matchmaker game show feel. Inside the booth, the public could spin the double wheel to discover their cheese and beer pairing and learn about Unbottled's Matchmaker. Thanks to Ballard Cheese, participants went home with an eight-ounce block of cheese along with some cheese and beer pairing coasters. Want to see more of Unbottled's booths? Check out this video by Hello Meridian, a Treasure Valley influencer: bit.ly/3RIufw7/. Thanks to Byron L. Pfordte, MBA, Dairy West's VP of marketing and communications, and On The Go Marketing for your creativity, hard work and dedication. This presence at Boise Music Festival increased awareness and curiosity about Unbottled and local dairy. #BoiseMusicFestival #CoolDownWithDairy #CheesePairing #LocalFoods #Idaho #ChocolateMilk #Cheese

June is the most significant and dynamic time of the year for Dairy West employees. Amidst our extensive planning and execution of numerous initiatives, our dedicated staff took the opportunity to celebrate June Dairy Month in a delightfully cheesy way. 🧀 Yesterday, employees from both the Meridian and Draper offices gathered to enjoy pizza and camaraderie. Our team comprised of highly driven and hardworking individuals, making it both enjoyable and meaningful to come together, catch up and support one another. #EmployeeAppreciation #EmployeeCare #Recognition #JuneDairyMonth #WeKnowDairy

Kraft Heinz has introduced a new product line, Signature Shreds, aiming to elevate home-cooked meals to gourmet standards. This thick cut, restaurant-style cheese comes in three varieties: Cheddar Blend, Mozzarella Blend, and Mexican Blend, all packaged in 8oz reusable bags. This launch is Kraft's first new product since its acquisition by Lactalis American Group. Elena Umanskaya, VP Marketing of Lactalis Heritage Dairy, highlighted the high brand awareness of Kraft Natural Cheese in the U.S. and the collaboration with Lactalis’s manufacturing expertise to create Signature Shreds. She emphasized the rise in home cooking, which peaked at 88% during the pandemic, as a significant factor in developing this product. The R&D for Signature Shreds began shortly after Lactalis's acquisition and took two years to perfect. The product caters to the growing trend of at-home cooking and increasing cheese consumption, which remains a strong market despite the pandemic's end. Cheese consumption per capita and overall sales continue to rise in the U.S., with shredded cheese alone generating close to $7 billion in sales in 2023. In mid-May, Kraft launched the product with an official debut featuring brand ambassador Shawn Johnson East, former Olympic gymnast. The brand chose to collaborate with Johnson East due to her loyal fanbase and authentic depiction of modern family life and relatable experiences. Johnson East appreciates that this partnership allows her to make mealtime as family-friendly as possible. #Dairy #FoodScience #Innovation #HomeCooking #Development #NewProduct #Marketing #WeKnowDairy

Local ties and creative minds come together at Ballard Cheese with fan favorites like Ballard Idaho Grilling Cheese, Huckleberry Cheddar and Garlic & Herb Cheese Curds. In 1995, Steve and Stacie Ballard moved to Gooding, Idaho, with a dream and no dairy experience. They started from scratch, milking cows and gradually learning the art of cheese making. By 2004, they began producing their own cheese, starting with curds and expanding to over 11 varieties. Ballard Cheese is made from rich, flavorful Jersey cow milk. Their artisanal approach ensures quality and taste you won’t find in mass-produced cheese. "We make for quality, not just yield," says master cheesemaker Travis Ballard. Find Ballard Cheese at the BOISE FARMERS MARKET INC, WinCo Foods, Albertsons Companies, Boise Co-op, Lark & Larder and local restaurants. You can also order directly from their website. 🔗 Check out a full feature on Ballard Cheese by Boise Dev at https://bit.ly/3VBag4L. #Idaho #ArtisanCheese #LocalFarmers #FarmToTable #CheeseLovers #SupportLocal