Despite rising dairy product costs, WMMB celebrates June Dairy Month with flair.
It’s the time of year when the industry celebrates America’s great bounty of dairy products and pays tribute to its dairy farmers. Officially christened June Dairy Month in 1939, the annual celebration has blossomed into a national affair. The custom presents the perfect opportunity for the industry to remind consumers of the important role dairy products play in their lives. But in light of rising dairy product costs, just how is the honorary month being celebrated in 2004?
Always with the most fanfare is the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s (WMMB) yearly celebration.
According to the WMMB, the warm days of June are synonymous with two things in Wisconsin — the month-long celebration of the state’s dairy industry and the start of another great grilling season. The WMMB combined these two events to create one delicious June Dairy Month celebration — “Wis­con­sin BBQ Rules! During June Dairy Month” promotion and sweepstakes.

This June Dairy Month, WMMB encouraged consumers to explore the flavor, texture and variety dairy products bring to the backyard barbecue. From butter and sour cream to one of the 350 varieties of Wisconsin cheese, dairy plays an important role in many grilling recipes, says WMMB. As part of the promotion, the organization offered a free Wisconsin BBQ Rules! recipe brochure, complete with recipes and usage ideas for grilling with dairy.

Consumers can obtain an order form to receive a free copy of WMMB’s Wisconsin BBQ Rules! recipe brochure by visiting the dairy case in participating grocery stores or by visiting the WMMB Web site at www.wisdairy.com. There, consumers can order up to four additional brochure copies or download grilling recipes. The recipe brochures are also available at special dairy events throughout Wis­consin during the month of June.

In addition, WMMB’s June Dairy Month “Wis­consin BBQ Rules!” Sweepstakes offers consumers the chance to win prizes, including one grand prize Weber® Summit® Gold A gas grill. Other prizes in­clude Weber Baby Q™ gas grills and gift baskets featuring a selection of Wisconsin cheeses and a barbecue tool set.

For more information on WMMB’s celebration of June Dairy Month, visit www.wisdairy.com.

MilkPEP launches new program to help processors and schools improve school milk.
The Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) has launched a new program, “Capturing the School Milk Opportunity,” to help improve school milk offerings. Many processors are already using the program in talking with schools about milk choices in the coming 2004-05 school year.

The program suggests different options for manufacturers and school foodservice directors, such as merchandising changes, al la carte and vending programs, offering new flavors and creating new packaging. The program includes 15 case studies that outline success stories from various processors and schools, giving other producers and educational institutions a springboard upon which to formulate their own plans.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all ap­proach to make the school milk experience more positive for students, but we want to be sure processors and schools are aware of the many different options they have to improve this business channel,” says Tom Nagle, vice president of marketing for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). “Schools are renegotiating their milk contracts now, so they and processors need to act quickly to implement some of these changes in time for the next school year.”

The program includes customized spreadsheets that allow for easy cost analysis and enable processors and foodservice directors to evaluate how certain improvements will affect school milk sales.