Your Dairy Checkoff

What happens when schools offer students a lactose-free milk option? In this episode of Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast, Theresa Reps sits down with Scott Higgins for a Regional Rundown Segment to discuss a groundbreaking pilot program in Cincinnati Public Schools that is helping more students choose milk at mealtime. The pilot introduced shelf-stable lactose-free white and chocolate milk to students...

DMI's Gail Legaspi-Gaull, Group EVP of Strategic Insights and Planning, joins DMI's Scott Wallin to break down how strategic intelligence is helping the dairy industry stay ahead of change. From analyzing consumer behavior and market trends to forecasting what's next, Gail explains how these insights are used to shape marketing, drive product innovation, and support global partnerships that grow d...

What did dairy checkoff achieve in 2025—and where is the industry headed next? In this episode of Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast, dairy farmer and DMI Chair Marilyn Hershey sits down with DMI President and CEO Barb O'Brien to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the opportunities shaping dairy's future. From record-breaking exports and rising consumer demand for protein to cutting-edge science...

DMI's Kuda Lamin-Bangura, Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs, and Katie Bambacht, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs at the National Dairy Council, chat with DMI's Scott Wallin about what the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which strongly affirm dairy's role as an essential part of a healthy diet, recognizing milk, cheese, and yogurt at all fat levels—including whole milk—as...

In this episode of Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast, economist Dr. Oral Capps of Texas A&M University breaks down more than a decade of independent research measuring the impact of the dairy checkoff. Speaking from the 2025 Joint Annual Meeting, Dr. Capps shares how checkoff investments across food service partnerships, fluid milk innovation, whole-fat dairy science and exports are delivering strong, m...

DMI's Katie Bambacht, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs at the National Dairy Council, speaks with DMI's Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is working directly with schools to improve school lunches (with dairy being front and center) by collaborating with the School Nutrition Association. Katie explains that nearly 30 million students participate in school meal programs daily, with dairy provi...

In this Regional Rundown segment of the Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast , host Theresa Reps talks with Brooke Williams, Director of Communications for the American Dairy Association Indiana, about the deep connection between dairy farmers and the Indianapolis 500 tradition. Williams explains how the Indy 500's iconic "Winners Drink Milk" moment began in 1936 and sparked a beloved tradition that contin...

Discover the Latest Milk Fat Research on Whole Milk and Dairy Foods DMI's Dr. Chris Cifelli, Senior Vice President of Nutrition Research at National Dairy Council, speaks with DMI's Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is expanding the body of science around whole milk, cheese, and yogurt. With more than 80 studies conducted over the last 20 years, the milk fat research shows that these foods not o...

In this inaugural Regional Rundown segment of the Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast, DMI's Theresa Reps is joined by Nick DePalma and Kim Villani from the American Dairy Association Northeast (ADANE) to spotlight their impactful work with retailers. They discuss two major initiatives – the Dairy Aisle Performance Program and the Dairy Aisle Reinvention Program – and how these efforts drive sales, improv...

Learn About The Top Global Markets Targeted by the U.S. Dairy Export Council DMI's Scott Wallin explores how your dairy checkoff resources are driving global demand for U.S. dairy with Becky Nyman, a fourth-generation California dairy farmer and chair of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), and Rick Ortman, USDEC's Senior VP of Strategic Insights. Rick highlights USDEC's mission to make U.S. dai...

Barb O'Brien, CEO of DMI, discusses the State of the Industry report with its authors, Will Loux, analyst with NMPF and U.S. Dairy Export Council, and Mike McCully, DMI consultant. DMI commissioned the report in early 2024 and highlights the unprecedented $8-10 billion in new and expanded dairy infrastructure. Key findings include the significant impact of new cheese plant capacity, consumer recov...

Domino's leaders, Jim Zimmer and Kris Holley, along with DMI's Rebecca MacKay Allen, speak with DMI's Scott Wallin about the success of the Domino's Smart Slice program with schools. They highlight the 16-year partnership, which has grown from 300 to 21,000 schools, serves over 59 million slices of pizza, and sells an additional 3 million pounds of cheese. They also discuss future goals, including...

DMI's Anne Marie Splitstone, EVP for Growth Platforms and Partnerships, and Silvia Robles, VP for Growth Platforms and Partnerships, speak with DMI's Scott Wallin about the evolution of fluid milk innovation since 2015, emphasizing consumer insights and industry partnerships. They highlight the role of the Dairy Foods Research Center Network, which includes 150 R&D experts, in driving innovation....

Minnesota dairy farmer Charles Krause and DMI's Jessica Learman speak with DMI's Scott Wallin about how the checkoff builds sales and consumer trust for dairy farmers and importers who fund the checkoff. They discuss the importance of transparency in dairy checkoff programs and highlight the "Making Every Drop Count" campaign, which aims to unify various checkoff initiatives and make them more vis...

DMI's Chris Urban speaks with DMI's Scott Wallin about the new dairy product innovation, YoBark, created with General Mills. YoBark targets teens and tweens who tend to leave the yogurt category due to a desire for on-the-go, shareable snacks. The product was developed through consumer insights and testing, resulting in a stand-up pouch yogurt bark that is both indulgent and has a good nutrient pr...

DMI's Megan Maisano and  Aris Georgiadis  speak with DMI's Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is sharing dairy's impact on children with the "First 1000 Days". She also explains how the checkoff is promoting this research through our nutrition and health professionals and to consumers via trusted online resource centers.   Tune in to find out! Host & Guest: Host: Scott Wallin, Vice President of F...

DMI's Nancy Gannon speaks with DMI's Scott Wallin about the dairy checkoff's international strategies for increasing U.S. cheese exports globally, focusing on partnerships with pizza chains like Pizza Hut. In Indonesia, Pizza Hut's innovative Limited Time Offers, such as the "Cheese Overflow" and culturally relevant Ramadan campaigns, have boosted cheese sales. In Japan, Pizza Hut's monthly "Hutto...

Barb O'Brien, CEO of Dairy Management Inc., and Marilyn Hershey, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer and Chair of DMI, discuss the "dairy renaissance" in US, driven by increased consumer engagement, health professional recommendations, and innovative social media campaigns.  O'Brien emphasizes the "Now, Next, Future" strategy, with the "Now" focus on immediate results, "Next" on ongoing science and partne...

Listen as Erin Walter, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, shares how Midwest Dairy's local partnership helps drive new dairy product innovations through Limited Time Offers (LTOs). With over 500 restaurants and growing, Freddy's loves using LTOs to grab customers' attention and get them into their expanding regional chain. This three-year partnership has...

Listen as Katie Bambacht, Vice President for Nutrition Affairs, shares how the National Dairy Council educates, innovates, and supports the School Nutrition Association in getting kids to understand and consume healthy meals at school. They discuss the strength of our relationship with the School Nutrition Association, the new collaboration for the "Made With School Lunch" campaign, lactose educat...

Listen in as California dairy farmer and United Dairy Industry Association board member Arlene Vander Eyk has a conversation with Mike Ciresi, Vice President and On-site Dairy Scientist for Dairy Management Inc. about working at Taco Bell's test kitchen. They discuss into Taco Bell's approach to dairy product innovation, the performance of dairy products since partnering, and what future dairy off...

Listen as Sarah Hetke, Director of Farmer Outreach, interviews Tyler Beck, owner of Beck Farms in New York, about his family's experience in hosting Vanessa Bayer, a comedian and actress, on the farm for the filming of the Dairy Diaries . This video series follows Vanessa as she is thrust into the unfamiliar world of dairy farming. Through Bayer's experiences, viewers get an up-close look at the r...

Listen as Scott Wallin, Vice President of Farmer Relations, chats with Beau Hayden, vice president of strategic intelligence, about his work with online retailers such as Instacart and Amazon. They will also discuss promotional partnerships with both local checkoffs and retailer, Dollar General, as well as international partnerships with U.S. Dairy Export Council. Tune in to find out!   To learn m...

Is U.S. dairy consumption going up or down? What is the current dairy product mix and how has it changed over time? What are some of the latest product trends that dairy is part of? Listen in as New York dairy farmer and National Dairy Board member Val Lavigne asks two legendairy experts, Madlyn Daley, Senior Vice President, Strategic Insights & Evaluation at Dairy Management Inc. and Peter Vitali...

Why would the checkoff be involved in dairy food safety? How does this help dairy farmers sell more dairy? Listen as Scott Wallin, Vice President of Farmer Communications, discusses how the checkoff is helping the dairy industry increase food safety education with Tim Stubbs, Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Product Research for Dairy Management Inc. They also chat about the food safety re...