Here are a few stories about your dairy checkoff programs in Virginia. If you have any questions or need promotional materials please contact me.
Elizabeth Moretz  [email protected]  828-406-9482
Dairy Promoted to 200 Pediatricians
The Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics held their annual pediatric health conference on March 24 in Richmond and the ADA of Virginia promoted dairy to the 200 pediatricians in attendance. Conference attendees were provided a dairy-friendly breakfast and staffer Lisa Raum provided educational resources about dairy in the diets of children.

Photo: Staffer Lisa Raum helped educate pediatricians about dairy at their annual conference in Richmond. 
Dairy Promoted to School Nutrition Professionals
On March 18 the School Nutrition Association of Virginia held their annual state conference in Hampton and the ADA of Virginia exhibited at the event with a display focusing on milk's unique nutrient package. Dairy was also featured at a breakout session led by staffer Roseann Liberatore that focused on the importance of cold milk in schools and promoting dairy smoothies on menus.

Photo: The ADA of Virginia's exhibit at the School Nutrition Association conference showed the amount of other foods needed to match the nutrients in one glass of milk.
250 Virginia Dietitians Complete Dairy
Media Training
In March the ADA of Virginia hosted over 250 registered dietitians for a dairy advocate media training at the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual meeting in Blacksburg. Nationally-recognized trainer Joan Horbiak demonstrated the best ways to communicate about dairy in various media outlets. Dietitians from across Virginia also received resources and materials to help educate themselves and their clients about dairy.

Photo: Trainer Joan Horbiak demonstrates techniques for discussing dairy with the media at the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual meeting. 
Checkoff Partnership Helps Increase Demand
for Butter
As our checkoff partnership with McDonald's continues to create increased demand for dairy products, that increase is spreading to restaurants across the category.  For example, now that McDonald's has made the switch to butter, other restaurants are following suit. As the checkoff's work with partners continues, the increased use of butter and other dairy products on menus is likely to expand further. Click here to read more about the popularity of butter. Click here to see the commercial featuring butter in Burger King's new sandwich. 
Southeast Dairy Farmer Featured in Progressive Dairyman
Last month we covered Alabama dairy farmer Will Gilmer's attendance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas and now his account of the event was featured in a recent issue of Progressive Dairyman. Click here to read his perspective of the festival and why it was important for dairy farmers to be represented.

Photo:  Alabama dairy farmer Will Gilmer (left) and Michigan dairy farmer Corby Werth were two of eight dairy farmers to attend South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival on behalf of the dairy industry.