American Dairy Association North East invites consumers to visit with dairy farmers and industry representatives in the many interactive displays and events.
“We’re excited to help showcase Pennsylvania’s number one agriculture industry – dairy – in a variety of different ways during the Farm Show,” said ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi. “We hope consumers will have a greater understanding of what our dairy farmers do each day and their commitment to producing safe, wholesome products for all to enjoy.”
ADA North East’s activities kick off with the unveiling of the 2020 butter sculpture on Thursday, January 2, at 11 a.m., in the Main Hall of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. Two ADA North East dairy farmer board members – Tim Kurtz from Elverson, Berks County, and Marie Canon from West Middlesex, Mercer County, will join Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Pennsylvania dairy princesses and other special guests in the unveiling.
Chester County dairy farmer Duane Hershey of Cochranville will participate in the Fill a Glass with Hope® kickoff presentation with the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association and Feeding Pennsylvania to launch the 2020 campaign. In its sixth year, the campaign was initiated by Pennsylvania dairy farmers to ensure that families that need and want fresh milk have access to it at a reduced cost through the state’s eight member food banks.
The third annual Calving Corner, the dairy cattle live birthing center, is the cornerstone of the new “Destination Dairy” exhibit that will give visitors a firsthand look at the state’s dairy industry and will provide educational learning activities for children.
More than 80 dairy farmers and industry representatives are scheduled to volunteer at the Calving Corner to talk with show-goers one-on-one about the dairy industry. Local dairy farms providing cattle for the birthing center are Yippee! Farms owned by Arlin and Deborah Benner, Mt. Joy; Meadow Spring Farm owned by Tom and Andy Bollinger, Lititz; Meadow Wood Farms owned by Dave, Bob and Tom Bomberger, Lebanon; and Franklin View Farms owned by Jim, Nelson and Aaron Breneman, Washington Boro.
Volunteers will also be stationed at the milking parlor all week to answer visitors’ questions about the milking process and the dairy industry.
On “Dairy Day,” Saturday, January 11, ADA North East will host the Undeniably Dairy Shake-Off – a celebrity milkshake making contest – in the Culinary Connection. Local media celebrities will go head-to-head with their own milkshake recipes. ADA North East dairy farmer board members Jennifer Heltzel from Martinsburg, Blair County, and Vernon Horst from Chambersburg, Franklin County, along with a state dairy princess, will serve on the panel of judges.
ADA North East staff will be hosting a booth at the three-day Keystone Farm Show at the York Fairgrounds in York. Farmers and industry representatives are invited to stop by the booth in the Utz Arena near the main food court, to talk with staff about dairy checkoff.
For more information about ADA North East’s participation in the two shows, contact Jean Kummer at jkummer@milk4u.org.
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About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 11,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com.
