WEBVTT 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:14.039 Creeping across the pasture land. Got dirt on 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:18.719 the boots and a working hand. From the milk house 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:24.000 home to the auction call. These are the folks 00:00:24.000 --> 00:01:01.490 standing strong and tall. Yeah, this is... Welcome 00:01:01.490 --> 00:01:04.489 back to the Bullvine Podcast, where real dairy 00:01:04.489 --> 00:01:07.349 producers get real talk on today's most pressing 00:01:07.349 --> 00:01:09.810 issues and tomorrow's biggest opportunities. 00:01:10.549 --> 00:01:13.430 Have you ever wondered if video games and virtual 00:01:13.430 --> 00:01:16.409 worlds could boost your milk check? Well, you're 00:01:16.409 --> 00:01:19.349 in for a treat. Today, we're sitting down with 00:01:19.349 --> 00:01:23.370 Jenny McDowell, CEO of DairyMax, the group that's 00:01:23.370 --> 00:01:26.670 bringing more than 700 dairy farm families straight 00:01:26.670 --> 00:01:29.170 into the digital age, and not just for the hype. 00:01:29.450 --> 00:01:33.069 We're talking $600 ,000 in milk sales, thousands 00:01:33.069 --> 00:01:36.049 of new dairy advocates in places you'd never 00:01:36.049 --> 00:01:39.230 expect, and partnerships that put real dairy 00:01:39.230 --> 00:01:42.049 front and center on screens across the country. 00:01:42.650 --> 00:01:45.609 Jenny's got stories, from launching Farm Tycoon 00:01:45.609 --> 00:01:48.329 and Fortnite to teaming up with the Dallas Cowboys, 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:51.010 plus what it honestly takes to keep the next 00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:54.049 generation excited about dairy. If you've questioned 00:01:54.049 --> 00:01:57.090 how to connect with consumers or doubted if modern 00:01:57.090 --> 00:02:00.290 marketing can move real product, this episode 00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:03.230 is for you. So grab your coffee, get comfortable, 00:02:03.430 --> 00:02:08.330 and let's dive in. So let's get started. DairyMax 00:02:08.330 --> 00:02:12.650 represents over 900 farm families across South 00:02:12.650 --> 00:02:16.090 Central US. But you're taking a very different 00:02:16.090 --> 00:02:19.590 approach to how you guys market than most anyone 00:02:19.590 --> 00:02:22.979 has seen before. Can you take us back to the 00:02:22.979 --> 00:02:27.139 founding of DairyMax and point a picture of what 00:02:27.139 --> 00:02:29.919 drove the creation of the organization? Sure. 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:32.719 You know, I think that the founding of Dairy 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:36.180 Max really is the story of farmer ingenuity and 00:02:36.180 --> 00:02:39.080 forethought. And I have worked for dairy farmers 00:02:39.080 --> 00:02:42.259 now for 13 years. I just had my 13th anniversary 00:02:42.259 --> 00:02:45.580 last week. And one of the things that I am constantly 00:02:45.580 --> 00:02:48.840 amazed by just about every day doing this work 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:52.159 is how forward thinking dairy farmers are. And 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:54.159 particularly, you know, when you think about 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:57.000 somebody who is building a generational business, 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.449 they're taking over a business. that they got 00:02:59.449 --> 00:03:01.889 from their their father their grandfather however 00:03:01.889 --> 00:03:04.430 many generations back that goes and their goal 00:03:04.430 --> 00:03:07.650 is to pass that on to to their kids and grandkids 00:03:07.650 --> 00:03:11.840 um and so in that context you know it does make 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:13.860 sense that they are so forward -thinking. But 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:16.759 how Dairy Max came to be really is the story 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:19.360 of dairy farmers getting together back in even 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:23.300 1915, coming out of some public health crisis, 00:03:23.379 --> 00:03:26.020 some issues that were really making people wonder 00:03:26.020 --> 00:03:28.699 if dairy was a healthy, nutritious product. And 00:03:28.699 --> 00:03:31.060 so they built the National Dairy Council to really 00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:34.360 reinforce that belief in dairy and its importance 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:36.939 in the diet, its ability to help kids grow, to 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:39.259 build strong bones, all of the things that we 00:03:39.259 --> 00:03:41.849 know that dairy does. And so that was in 1915. 00:03:41.909 --> 00:03:45.789 And then in the 1970s, farmers got together again 00:03:45.789 --> 00:03:49.270 and under the United Dairy Industry Association 00:03:49.270 --> 00:03:52.770 really aligned promotions. They had kind of in 00:03:52.770 --> 00:03:54.849 that time frame, different promotion organizations 00:03:54.849 --> 00:03:58.520 had popped up in different places and were. doing 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:00.599 the same things, building trust and relevance 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:02.680 in the dairy industry and connecting farmers 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:04.900 to consumers, but they were doing them in kind 00:04:04.900 --> 00:04:06.699 of wildly different ways, and there was a lot 00:04:06.699 --> 00:04:08.819 of inefficiencies of duplication of work and 00:04:08.819 --> 00:04:12.419 that sort of thing. So UDIA started in the 1970s 00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:15.189 to bring all of that together. And then Dairy 00:04:15.189 --> 00:04:18.189 Max came around in the 1980s to really unify 00:04:18.189 --> 00:04:20.810 promotions in the Southwest and help farmers 00:04:20.810 --> 00:04:24.110 in this area speak with one voice. And since 00:04:24.110 --> 00:04:28.149 then, we've expanded north into Colorado, Wyoming, 00:04:28.329 --> 00:04:31.810 and Montana, and also support Louisiana as the 00:04:31.810 --> 00:04:34.149 footprint of Dairy Max has changed. But the goal 00:04:34.149 --> 00:04:36.069 and the mission has always remained the same. 00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:39.250 And that is to drive demand for dairy, connect 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:41.629 consumers to where their food comes from, and 00:04:41.629 --> 00:04:44.250 really tell the story of dairy farmers and how 00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:46.209 hard they work to produce the most nutritious 00:04:46.209 --> 00:04:50.310 food on the planet. And how would you describe 00:04:50.310 --> 00:04:53.089 the lifestyle or the values that the dairy farm 00:04:53.089 --> 00:04:57.410 families, the Dairy Max supports? Like how have 00:04:57.410 --> 00:05:01.990 consumer perceptions or needs shifted and influenced 00:05:01.990 --> 00:05:07.360 how you guys focus in promoting the values? Life 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.139 of the farm family. I think that the values of 00:05:10.139 --> 00:05:12.579 dairy farmers and dairy farm families have really 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:16.139 remained consistent over time. They're incredibly 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:18.860 committed to their families. They're incredibly 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:22.139 committed to the cows that are on their farms, 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:24.019 and they're incredibly committed to the communities 00:05:24.019 --> 00:05:26.779 that they serve. And I think that what does change 00:05:26.779 --> 00:05:29.339 around that from time to time is how connected 00:05:29.339 --> 00:05:31.439 people are to the farm. If you think about this, 00:05:32.060 --> 00:05:34.720 you know, less than 2 % of the population feeds 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:38.240 the rest of us. And so our ability to kind of... 00:05:38.250 --> 00:05:40.110 keep behind the curtain to see and know where 00:05:40.110 --> 00:05:42.649 our food comes from and to really understand 00:05:42.649 --> 00:05:45.829 what farmers are doing every day is inhibited 00:05:45.829 --> 00:05:47.970 in a way that it's never been in the past when 00:05:47.970 --> 00:05:50.290 folks were maybe one or two generations away 00:05:50.290 --> 00:05:53.149 from the farm or had an aunt or an uncle who 00:05:53.149 --> 00:05:55.069 were farmers and they could kind of get that 00:05:55.069 --> 00:05:57.980 connectivity. As we see... Our urban centers 00:05:57.980 --> 00:06:01.480 really grow in the connectivity to farms change. 00:06:01.779 --> 00:06:05.740 I think it really is about making sure consumers 00:06:05.740 --> 00:06:07.939 understand that farmers are staying consistent. 00:06:08.100 --> 00:06:10.459 They are staying consistent, again, in their 00:06:10.459 --> 00:06:13.079 commitment to the environment, in their commitment 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.160 to producing these products that are healthy, 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:17.199 that are wholesome, and that nourish the world. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:22.879 Okay. Now, when you think about the, I think, 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:26.329 over 900 families that you guys represent, in 00:06:26.329 --> 00:06:29.410 that region. Is there a story or an example that 00:06:29.410 --> 00:06:32.329 for you best captures why DairyMax exists or 00:06:32.329 --> 00:06:36.290 the need for DairyMax? I think about You know, 00:06:36.310 --> 00:06:38.730 when I think about that, I think about how hard 00:06:38.730 --> 00:06:41.930 farmers work every day on the farm. I grew up 00:06:41.930 --> 00:06:43.990 on a horse and cattle ranch myself and so have 00:06:43.990 --> 00:06:45.949 some understanding, though it wasn't a dairy 00:06:45.949 --> 00:06:48.949 farm. I do understand what it is like to be in 00:06:48.949 --> 00:06:51.689 agriculture and how things are constantly changing. 00:06:51.970 --> 00:06:55.769 And so we serve all dairy farmers from all sizes 00:06:55.769 --> 00:06:58.209 in our region. So from very, very small to very, 00:06:58.329 --> 00:07:01.069 very large out here in the Texas and New Mexico 00:07:01.069 --> 00:07:04.589 area, farms are growing in size. And we really 00:07:04.589 --> 00:07:07.810 see that those farmers have to change every day. 00:07:07.889 --> 00:07:10.910 They have to stay current with new farm practices, 00:07:11.089 --> 00:07:13.569 new technology, new ways of doing things, you 00:07:13.569 --> 00:07:15.709 know, staying current with the markets. And that 00:07:15.709 --> 00:07:19.769 is all consuming. And so our role then is to 00:07:19.769 --> 00:07:22.569 really help them, again, connect to consumers, 00:07:22.790 --> 00:07:25.209 make sure that their products are marketed well, 00:07:25.329 --> 00:07:27.850 that we're producing, we're helping the industry 00:07:27.850 --> 00:07:30.329 to produce products that consumers really want 00:07:30.329 --> 00:07:33.670 and meet their needs where they are today. consumers 00:07:33.670 --> 00:07:36.069 know how important and beneficial those products 00:07:36.069 --> 00:07:38.910 are so they see them as an essential part of 00:07:38.910 --> 00:07:42.149 their diet and lives. And in that way, that's 00:07:42.149 --> 00:07:44.610 how we're supporting these farm families so they 00:07:44.610 --> 00:07:46.870 can stay focused on the farm, they can stay focused 00:07:46.870 --> 00:07:49.709 on making a tremendous product, and we can help 00:07:49.709 --> 00:07:52.129 with the focus of where that product goes, what 00:07:52.129 --> 00:07:55.129 it becomes, and how the greater public connects 00:07:55.129 --> 00:07:59.870 to it. And when you look back over the history 00:07:59.870 --> 00:08:03.589 and the journey of DairyMax, Is there a specific 00:08:03.589 --> 00:08:06.290 moment or a turning point when the organization 00:08:06.290 --> 00:08:11.029 really noticed how it needed to completely rethink 00:08:11.029 --> 00:08:14.589 how it connects or markets to consumers? Sure. 00:08:14.649 --> 00:08:17.930 I mean, I think that for anybody who has been 00:08:17.930 --> 00:08:20.149 working for even a short while, I mean, the pandemic 00:08:20.149 --> 00:08:23.939 is, you know, key among those. And when I think 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:27.560 about that, before the pandemic, we were doing 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:30.199 a lot of grassroots work. We were working in 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:32.379 schools, kind of a one to one model where we 00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:36.190 were having very direct contact. With stakeholder 00:08:36.190 --> 00:08:39.850 groups, with consumers, with physicians, dieticians, 00:08:39.889 --> 00:08:41.710 health care professionals, whomever it may be, 00:08:41.870 --> 00:08:44.570 we were working with them directly to tell a 00:08:44.570 --> 00:08:47.049 dairy story. And the pandemic really shifted 00:08:47.049 --> 00:08:49.669 the way the entire world works. In fact, I remember 00:08:49.669 --> 00:08:52.730 two weeks before lockdown, we had hired two new 00:08:52.730 --> 00:08:56.110 people. One of them, their job was to work in 00:08:56.110 --> 00:08:58.230 schools every day. The other one, their job was 00:08:58.230 --> 00:09:01.029 to work in colleges and universities every day, 00:09:01.110 --> 00:09:03.590 telling the story about dairy and its benefits. 00:09:04.970 --> 00:09:07.649 We hired them, and within two weeks, both of 00:09:07.649 --> 00:09:11.370 those work sites kind of completely shut down. 00:09:11.509 --> 00:09:13.730 And so we had to stop and ask ourselves, what 00:09:13.730 --> 00:09:15.429 do we do now? What does this look like going 00:09:15.429 --> 00:09:18.379 forward? And in that way, we were able to really 00:09:18.379 --> 00:09:21.440 rally in the short term and say, OK, there is 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.080 a lot of supply of milk. Cows didn't stop producing 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.840 milk. Farmers didn't stop milking cows. But the 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:28.940 way that people are consuming and getting that 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:31.120 milk has changed significantly, particularly 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.840 in retail channels and restaurants and that sort 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:35.500 of thing. So we have a surplus of milk in some 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:38.360 areas. And then we have folks in our communities 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:41.299 who are in really significant need in other areas 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:43.179 where they're not able to go to work. They're 00:09:43.179 --> 00:09:45.679 not able to access things that they've accessed. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:48.259 the past. And so in the short term, we were able 00:09:48.259 --> 00:09:50.600 to look at that and say, OK, we have supply here. 00:09:50.700 --> 00:09:53.299 We have demand here. How can we be the connector 00:09:53.299 --> 00:09:56.690 for that? And we worked across processors. We 00:09:56.690 --> 00:09:59.450 worked across Feeding America. We worked across 00:09:59.450 --> 00:10:03.230 USDA programs to really connect the surplus of 00:10:03.230 --> 00:10:05.710 dairy that was happening at processing facilities 00:10:05.710 --> 00:10:08.549 with food banks and with folks who needed that 00:10:08.549 --> 00:10:10.649 dairy who didn't have other ways to get it. So 00:10:10.649 --> 00:10:12.690 we built trucking. We built partnerships with 00:10:12.690 --> 00:10:14.730 trucking companies who we had never worked with 00:10:14.730 --> 00:10:17.610 in the past because what we realized was the 00:10:17.610 --> 00:10:20.250 holdup, the barriers in getting product from 00:10:20.250 --> 00:10:22.769 one place to the other were really small. When 00:10:22.769 --> 00:10:25.230 you stopped and asked the question of why can't 00:10:25.230 --> 00:10:27.080 we do this? Why can't we move this product from 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:30.220 here to there? What's the holdup? You know, oftentimes 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:33.240 that was it was a really small thing. And we 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:35.480 could connect in another partner who could provide 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.120 a truck who had the opportunity. You know, they 00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:40.360 had excess capacity in their systems as well. 00:10:41.019 --> 00:10:43.379 And so they were able to step in and help with 00:10:43.379 --> 00:10:46.259 those spaces. And so that was a short term learning 00:10:46.259 --> 00:10:48.279 for us. But what it really drove for us in the 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:51.340 long term was how digitally savvy the country 00:10:51.340 --> 00:10:53.879 got and everybody got during that time frame. 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:56.679 I read a statistic one time that and I might 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.440 get these numbers just a little bit wrong. But 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:02.320 in five months in the pandemic, we jumped forward 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:05.720 five years in terms of technology adoption and 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:08.519 things like people using e -commerce, picking 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:11.360 up groceries from curbside deliveries or having 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:13.500 having things delivered through Instacart and 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:16.639 other providers. And so we while we have short 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:18.679 term solutions during that time frame, we also 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:21.399 recognize that we have the opportunity to change 00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:24.259 significantly how we engage to reach more people 00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:26.720 with a digital footprint from an online perspective 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:28.600 where they were spending more time with. they 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:30.700 were getting more comfortable, and that has significantly 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:34.519 shifted our business going forward. Now, DairyMax 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:37.720 has become, and you talk about partnerships and 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:40.659 technology, and DairyMax has become known for 00:11:40.659 --> 00:11:42.700 some groundbreaking partnerships, especially 00:11:42.700 --> 00:11:46.779 in esports. Can you walk us through the room 00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:49.759 where someone first suggested partnering with 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:52.279 Fortnite, and what was that conversation like? 00:11:52.580 --> 00:11:57.159 Yeah, you know, it was... A interesting conversation. 00:11:57.379 --> 00:11:59.940 So one of the things that I always challenge 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:02.080 my teams to think about is how high is high, 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.960 right? So when we come up with a solution, when 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:06.639 we're thinking about how to market something, 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:08.340 when we're thinking about how to connect with 00:12:08.340 --> 00:12:11.100 consumers, the last question we always ask ourselves 00:12:11.100 --> 00:12:13.159 is, are we thinking big enough? How high is high? 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:14.940 What more could we add to this? How could we 00:12:14.940 --> 00:12:17.600 make this better? How could we increase the impact 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:20.159 and reach and ultimately the impact for our dairy 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:23.080 farmers? And so we were having a conversation 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:27.179 about reaching Gen Z. And Gen Z is a critical 00:12:27.179 --> 00:12:30.559 audience for us. It's a critical audience across 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:33.980 the food chain and across the supply chain because 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:36.240 this tends to be these folks happen to be in 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:38.360 an age group where they're the most skeptical. 00:12:38.460 --> 00:12:40.259 They kind of have the lowest trust. And we also 00:12:40.259 --> 00:12:43.179 see that world dynamics are shifting and changing. 00:12:43.220 --> 00:12:44.940 And one thing that has always been true in the 00:12:44.940 --> 00:12:48.120 dairy industry. is that we may lose consumption 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:50.659 in folks a little bit in their teenage years, 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:52.539 but when they become parents, when they get married 00:12:52.539 --> 00:12:55.480 and have kids, we see that consumption go way 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:58.000 back up in their household. The challenge, however, 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.259 is that Gen Z is doing that either at a much 00:13:01.259 --> 00:13:03.679 later time frame or they're not getting married 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.840 or having kids at all. They think the latest 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:09.120 stat that I saw was about 46 % of Gen Z is predicted 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:12.600 to be unmarried and without kids by 2040, right? 00:13:13.950 --> 00:13:16.169 When we think about that, you know, how they 00:13:16.169 --> 00:13:18.250 are consuming and how we need to connect with 00:13:18.250 --> 00:13:21.230 them as individuals, not just as future parents, 00:13:21.409 --> 00:13:24.169 really has changed. And so that was what we were 00:13:24.169 --> 00:13:25.789 talking about is how do we connect with this 00:13:25.789 --> 00:13:28.009 group, even though they're kind of late teenagers 00:13:28.009 --> 00:13:30.889 now going into college at the time and we may 00:13:30.889 --> 00:13:33.570 not be thinking about them necessarily, you know, 00:13:33.570 --> 00:13:36.009 as parents yet. How do we make sure that we build 00:13:36.009 --> 00:13:38.450 a connection with them and that they are really 00:13:38.450 --> 00:13:40.330 connected to dairy and that we're building that 00:13:40.330 --> 00:13:44.399 trust? And so the first idea. was to have a retro 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:46.759 game. Like if you can remember in the early video 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:49.519 games, the snake game that you would play on 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:52.600 the old phones or on early computers, that was 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:54.440 kind of our idea was to put that on the website, 00:13:54.659 --> 00:13:56.919 on our website, drive people to it, have some 00:13:56.919 --> 00:13:58.840 engagement, share it on social media, that sort 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.539 of thing. And so we asked in that room as we 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:03.580 were having this conversation, how high is high? 00:14:03.700 --> 00:14:06.100 Is this big enough? Will this get us to what 00:14:06.100 --> 00:14:08.620 we want to get to? And then somebody said, well, 00:14:08.679 --> 00:14:10.659 we need to make our own video game. And we really 00:14:10.659 --> 00:14:13.299 need to think about how we build a dairy based 00:14:13.299 --> 00:14:16.139 video game. And then we went and talked to some 00:14:16.139 --> 00:14:18.220 experts and we realized maybe that was too high. 00:14:18.299 --> 00:14:21.379 Right. The cost, the challenges of actually building 00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:23.720 our own video game are prohibitive. However, 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.559 Fortnite has this opportunity to create maps 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:29.039 and to create sites within it that can be themed 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:31.600 and toned to what we're looking for. And we were 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:33.679 one of the first companies to actually step in 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:36.159 and do this. This was a new technology with Fortnite. 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:39.600 And there were some open developers that were 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:43.470 doing that on a... on a personal level, to build 00:14:43.470 --> 00:14:45.350 themes that they were interested in. But as a 00:14:45.350 --> 00:14:47.250 marketing tool, we were one of the first companies 00:14:47.250 --> 00:14:50.090 to really step into that. And our first map was 00:14:50.090 --> 00:14:52.610 Farmer Tycoon. And tycoon games are all about 00:14:52.610 --> 00:14:55.389 building up an empire. And so we launched that 00:14:55.389 --> 00:14:57.690 with great success. And then we've come back 00:14:57.690 --> 00:15:00.409 and since launched a Diner Tycoon. And the goal 00:15:00.409 --> 00:15:02.450 is to build on the story. We start on the farm. 00:15:02.549 --> 00:15:04.850 We go to the diner. You know, our next iteration 00:15:04.850 --> 00:15:08.450 will take the dairy story one step further. So 00:15:08.450 --> 00:15:10.789 folks who are playing this get to grow and evolve. 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:14.360 And see how those products go from the farm to 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:19.539 retail to consumers and have an impact. Now, 00:15:19.620 --> 00:15:22.580 there's been some exciting Fortnite updates and 00:15:22.580 --> 00:15:25.919 they've expanded their gaming initiatives. Can 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:27.980 you describe how these new features are changing 00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:29.960 the way the kids will be learning about dairy 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:32.759 farming? Sure. So we've learned a tremendous 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:36.659 amount from the work that we have done in Fortnite. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:40.519 And so our first iteration was wildly successful. 00:15:40.980 --> 00:15:44.919 And we were very excited to be able to take kids 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:47.360 on farms so they could see and kind of play the 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.059 game and get an understanding of some farming 00:15:50.059 --> 00:15:52.720 fun facts and figures, what it's like to be a 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:54.759 dairy farmer, as much as you can communicate 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.240 that through a video game. And in this next iteration, 00:15:58.659 --> 00:16:05.779 it is the... Restaurant tycoon. Goodness gracious. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:09.179 It's a restaurant tycoon game or diner tycoon. 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:11.240 That's what I'm looking for, diner tycoon, where 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:14.960 players are able to run a diner that sells a 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:17.320 lot of dairy -heavy products. So we have grilled 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:19.799 cheese. We have pizza. We have fun things like 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:22.480 that. And they go through and go through the 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:24.779 state of the game play. And as they are buying 00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:27.019 products for their diner, as they are serving 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:29.299 customers, as they are creating these dishes, 00:16:29.539 --> 00:16:31.940 there are different fun fact cards that pop up 00:16:31.940 --> 00:16:34.039 that tell them about why dairy. is nutritious, 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.000 why it's good for them, but in a language that 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:39.039 resonates with them. I think that is one of the 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:41.320 biggest innovations that we've had as we've come 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:44.179 along. is that in the past we tended to be very 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:46.299 clinical in how we talked about these things. 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:47.940 And we talked about things like nutrient -dense 00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:50.639 foods, which is great if you're talking to a 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:52.340 group of dieticians, but if you're talking to 00:16:52.340 --> 00:16:54.080 a group of 12 -year -olds, you know, that doesn't 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:57.059 have the same kind of impact, right? And so really 00:16:57.059 --> 00:17:00.320 making sure that all of the messaging, all of 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:04.279 the language is not only in the game, but feels 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:06.039 like it should be in the game and feels like 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:08.200 it's a part of the game. And by doing that, we're 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:10.460 helping kids to see how dairy is just a part 00:17:10.460 --> 00:17:11.970 of their life and how it can be. an important 00:17:11.970 --> 00:17:13.710 part of their life and it feels very natural 00:17:13.710 --> 00:17:17.430 to them. That's really cool. And one of the things 00:17:17.430 --> 00:17:21.509 I'd seen or read was that one of the early milestones 00:17:21.509 --> 00:17:24.509 is that we had been able to sell over 400 ,000 00:17:24.509 --> 00:17:28.289 pounds of milk generated from this initiative. 00:17:28.670 --> 00:17:32.829 And that's huge. Can you share the story behind 00:17:32.829 --> 00:17:35.329 that achievement? What did that feel like for 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:39.240 your team and how has that impacted things? Yeah, 00:17:39.299 --> 00:17:42.059 well, you know, it it'll come as no surprise 00:17:42.059 --> 00:17:45.000 that the first time I stepped in front of our 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.839 farmer or dairy farmer board and said, we're 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:51.880 going to create a map in Fortnite. We're going 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:54.799 to use gaming to talk to kids to drive sales. 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:57.500 You know, they looked at me a little skeptically. 00:17:57.559 --> 00:18:00.779 Right. And this is we took a big risk in doing 00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:05.170 this. We took a big risk. in in opening up this 00:18:05.170 --> 00:18:07.890 new channel and using this as a way to connect 00:18:07.890 --> 00:18:10.009 with consumers again we were one of the first 00:18:10.009 --> 00:18:12.890 companies in the country to do this and so one 00:18:12.890 --> 00:18:14.490 of my favorite things about working for dairy 00:18:14.490 --> 00:18:16.609 farmers is that if you can make a really good 00:18:16.609 --> 00:18:18.569 case they are progressive folks and they are 00:18:18.569 --> 00:18:20.569 willing to step out and take that risk with you 00:18:20.569 --> 00:18:23.730 and so i think when we Got to the end of the 00:18:23.730 --> 00:18:26.549 results of our first round of this and saw how 00:18:26.549 --> 00:18:29.130 much we had sold in milk pounds, how many people 00:18:29.130 --> 00:18:32.490 we had connected with. I think in our first game 00:18:32.490 --> 00:18:35.849 had eight years of play time when you added up 00:18:35.849 --> 00:18:39.289 all of the minutes of play time across the folks 00:18:39.289 --> 00:18:41.009 who played it. It was played for a total of eight 00:18:41.009 --> 00:18:44.359 years. When you think about that, that really 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:47.220 is us having a captive audience for that amount 00:18:47.220 --> 00:18:49.759 of time to tell these stories. And so it felt 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:51.640 great to know that our risk paid off, that we 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:54.460 were connecting and that we were driving these 00:18:54.460 --> 00:18:56.579 stories in new ways. And in our second iteration. 00:18:57.720 --> 00:18:59.740 We've continued to grow that. And just in the 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:03.339 first month, we've had 2 .6 million minutes of 00:19:03.339 --> 00:19:06.279 playtime, which is about four years. And we've 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:08.440 reached 41 million people. And so we don't have 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:11.160 our sales data back from that. It's still currently 00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:13.140 in market. But that's been about a month and 00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:16.079 a half worth of being active. So we know that 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.119 we are way ahead of all of the benchmarks of 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:20.940 our first iteration. And it's continuing to grow 00:19:20.940 --> 00:19:25.819 and reach more folks. Now, you did mention about. 00:19:26.430 --> 00:19:29.130 explaining it to your board and you know if for 00:19:29.130 --> 00:19:31.009 a traditional dairy farmer or maybe an older 00:19:31.009 --> 00:19:33.390 dairy farmer that this seems a little kind of 00:19:33.390 --> 00:19:35.890 obscure to and kind of wondering why their checkoff 00:19:35.890 --> 00:19:38.490 dollars are being invested in esports and partnerships 00:19:38.490 --> 00:19:40.809 what would you say to them or how do you explain 00:19:40.809 --> 00:19:44.170 to them why this is a great value for their marketing 00:19:44.170 --> 00:19:46.970 initiatives Well, the first thing that we tend 00:19:46.970 --> 00:19:49.829 to do when that question comes up is to invite 00:19:49.829 --> 00:19:52.470 their kids or their grandkids into the room because 00:19:52.470 --> 00:19:55.190 they get it immediately. And so I think that 00:19:55.190 --> 00:19:58.630 that helps significantly to understand that this 00:19:58.630 --> 00:20:01.529 really is how this next generation is connecting. 00:20:02.670 --> 00:20:06.289 And it is about storytelling. It is about connection. 00:20:06.589 --> 00:20:10.069 It is about having emotional relevance with these 00:20:10.069 --> 00:20:12.650 audiences. And when we start to talk about that 00:20:12.650 --> 00:20:15.890 and really help our farmers to understand that 00:20:15.890 --> 00:20:18.329 while this may not be relevant to your demographic 00:20:18.329 --> 00:20:21.529 and your perspective of video games, maybe positive, 00:20:21.690 --> 00:20:24.390 maybe negative, maybe neutral. For this generation, 00:20:24.769 --> 00:20:28.529 96 % of Gen Z games, they are constantly on their 00:20:28.529 --> 00:20:31.269 phones. They are constantly connected in these 00:20:31.269 --> 00:20:33.569 ways. And they are genuinely connected in these 00:20:33.569 --> 00:20:35.930 ways. When they're playing video games. Most 00:20:35.930 --> 00:20:37.869 often they're connected in a chat with their 00:20:37.869 --> 00:20:39.910 friends. They might be FaceTiming with their 00:20:39.910 --> 00:20:41.890 friends. They might be watching other people 00:20:41.890 --> 00:20:45.529 play. This is very much a social engagement for 00:20:45.529 --> 00:20:48.109 kids and for Gen Z. And I think that is something 00:20:48.109 --> 00:20:51.410 that is not always obviously apparent to those 00:20:51.410 --> 00:20:53.049 of us that are a little bit older and didn't 00:20:53.049 --> 00:20:55.230 grow up playing games, is how connected they 00:20:55.230 --> 00:20:58.069 are, how social it actually is. And this really 00:20:58.069 --> 00:21:00.430 is the next version of movie night. It is the 00:21:00.430 --> 00:21:03.410 next version of families watching football. You 00:21:03.410 --> 00:21:05.339 know, it is folks getting together. play video 00:21:05.339 --> 00:21:07.259 games. So we're just moving with the market and 00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:09.180 we'll always continue to do that. There may be 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:11.980 something that comes after gaming that we'll 00:21:11.980 --> 00:21:14.940 connect into as well and continue to stay relevant 00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:17.079 to that next generation as they're growing up. 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:22.059 Now, you have this initiative with the esports, 00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:24.819 but it's not your only sports initiative. You 00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:27.500 guys are also doing work with the Dallas Cowboys. 00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:31.819 Describe how Dairy Max first partnered with the 00:21:31.819 --> 00:21:35.259 Cowboys and how that relationship started. Yes, 00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:37.940 we are incredibly proud to be the official nutrition 00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:41.299 partner of the Dallas Cowboys. And this has been 00:21:41.299 --> 00:21:43.480 a partnership that I have worked on my entire 00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:46.539 career at Dairy Max. And, you know, we first 00:21:46.539 --> 00:21:49.859 started with our in -school program, Fuel Up 00:21:49.859 --> 00:21:51.980 to Play 60, where we were working to connect. 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:55.799 kids to nutrition, to play, to really help them 00:21:55.799 --> 00:21:58.359 think about how they could grow up fit and strong 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:01.660 by both eating a healthy diet and playing outside 00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:04.900 on a regular basis. And so that was a really 00:22:04.900 --> 00:22:07.279 natural partnership for us with the Cowboys. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.119 And as we continued to do that work, what we 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.759 found was that we had tremendous strategic alignment 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:13.880 in how we looked at things and how we looked 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:16.259 at our communities. And the Cowboys really wanted 00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:19.130 to have an impact. in the community that they 00:22:19.130 --> 00:22:21.470 served, particularly around the Dallas area, 00:22:21.690 --> 00:22:26.009 and be known as somebody who helps kids and who 00:22:26.009 --> 00:22:29.210 drives a healthy lifestyle. And so we were able 00:22:29.210 --> 00:22:31.710 to partner with them and look across a multitude 00:22:31.710 --> 00:22:33.569 of their partnerships and the ways that they 00:22:33.569 --> 00:22:36.410 engage and bring nutrition messaging into that 00:22:36.410 --> 00:22:39.190 and really use their reach and their ability 00:22:39.190 --> 00:22:43.430 to amplify along with our data -backed and data 00:22:43.430 --> 00:22:46.289 -based nutrition messaging to work collectively 00:22:46.289 --> 00:22:48.150 to have this community. community impact and 00:22:48.150 --> 00:22:50.210 we see that it's having an impact every day. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:52.440 That as kids are getting ready to go back to 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:54.480 school, we're able to talk to them about how 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.180 to take care of themselves, how to stay fit and 00:22:56.180 --> 00:22:57.940 healthy. We just did that with the Arlington 00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:01.920 Back to School Celebration. We do a cooking contest 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:04.839 every year, the Taste of the Cowboys, where we 00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:07.420 bring in schools and they have a cooking competition. 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:10.180 And we talk about why these foods are healthy 00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:12.279 and how they help them. And so they get to have 00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:15.599 that really fun experience at AT &T Stadium. 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:17.779 And they get to be a part of the Cowboys while 00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:19.819 they're doing this. And they're learning. And 00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:22.019 the kids who win that competition also get to 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:25.559 come back and cook at a game, at a Dallas Cowboys 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:28.180 game during game day and be featured in the end 00:23:28.180 --> 00:23:30.420 zone. So we have this tremendous partnership 00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:33.680 that is really based around shared values of 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:35.720 helping to grow the community, staying focused 00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:37.960 on kids and really making sure that we're building 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:42.529 the healthiest communities we can. Now, what 00:23:42.529 --> 00:23:45.109 has been the reaction from, say, the professional 00:23:45.109 --> 00:23:48.309 athletes or the organizations you've been partnering 00:23:48.309 --> 00:23:51.569 with in regards to dairy nutrition? I think the 00:23:51.569 --> 00:23:55.789 most fun thing in my time working with the Cowboys 00:23:55.789 --> 00:23:59.190 and a variety of sports organizations is how 00:23:59.190 --> 00:24:02.789 excited football players will get. Particularly, 00:24:02.910 --> 00:24:04.670 you know, we get guys who are kind of right out 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:07.509 of college coming into the NFL and trying to 00:24:07.509 --> 00:24:09.309 get themselves kind of figured out. And sometimes 00:24:09.309 --> 00:24:11.049 they'll kind of sheepishly tell me. We always 00:24:11.049 --> 00:24:12.849 ask them, what's your favorite dairy food? You 00:24:12.849 --> 00:24:14.509 know, what do you eat the most of? And, you know, 00:24:14.509 --> 00:24:16.690 sometimes they'll kind of, oh, well, I like pizza. 00:24:16.750 --> 00:24:18.069 I know I shouldn't eat it. I know I shouldn't 00:24:18.069 --> 00:24:20.150 eat it. And we get to say, no, there's a lot 00:24:20.150 --> 00:24:22.009 of protein. in the cheese on that pizza. And 00:24:22.009 --> 00:24:23.690 there's a lot of calcium in the cheese on that 00:24:23.690 --> 00:24:25.089 pizza. It's really good for you. It's good for 00:24:25.089 --> 00:24:27.970 your bones. It's good for your growth. So I think 00:24:27.970 --> 00:24:31.369 that what is most exciting for me is how excited 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:33.430 those guys get when they find out the things 00:24:33.430 --> 00:24:35.670 that they love. They can still eat those things 00:24:35.670 --> 00:24:37.369 and those things are still good for them. And 00:24:37.369 --> 00:24:40.609 in fact, we work really closely with the director 00:24:40.609 --> 00:24:43.069 of sports performance, who is the team nutritionist 00:24:43.069 --> 00:24:45.789 for the Cowboys. And he makes sure dairy is a 00:24:45.789 --> 00:24:48.029 key and central part of the diet that the athletes 00:24:48.029 --> 00:24:50.490 are having every day. And a lot of them get really 00:24:50.490 --> 00:24:52.009 excited when they talk to me about, oh, yeah, 00:24:52.009 --> 00:24:53.769 we just had mac and cheese. And, you know, we 00:24:53.769 --> 00:24:55.829 just had this. And I know that it has protein 00:24:55.829 --> 00:24:59.069 in it. And so I think seeing that reaction is 00:24:59.069 --> 00:25:01.849 really exciting. We had one of my favorite players 00:25:01.849 --> 00:25:04.789 was Travis Frederick, who used to be the center 00:25:04.789 --> 00:25:08.410 for the Dallas Cowboys. And he is a big Wisconsin 00:25:08.410 --> 00:25:12.460 boy. if y 'all remember him and he had this story 00:25:12.460 --> 00:25:14.640 about coming out of college and having broken 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:17.779 a bone and he was going to miss the playoffs 00:25:17.779 --> 00:25:20.900 for his team because it was going to take 16 00:25:20.900 --> 00:25:23.299 weeks for his bone to heal and so he drank a 00:25:23.299 --> 00:25:25.599 gallon of milk every day and his bone healed 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:27.640 in 12 weeks, and he was able to play, and they 00:25:27.640 --> 00:25:30.019 won. And, you know, it's a movie -ending kind 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:33.099 of story. And so those stories, when players 00:25:33.099 --> 00:25:35.200 get really passionate about working with us because 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:37.880 they see the benefits that dairy had in their 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:40.279 lives and how it helped to fuel those performances, 00:25:40.299 --> 00:25:43.279 those are also really fun for us to hear. Those 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:46.480 are some really cool stories. But, and I think 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:48.720 you can relate to this as your new role as the 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:54.269 CEO, it also comes down to the bottom line. How 00:25:54.269 --> 00:25:57.349 do you feel that these relationships with like 00:25:57.349 --> 00:25:59.650 the cowboys and stuff have helped affect the 00:25:59.650 --> 00:26:02.670 bottom line for producers? Sure. You know, I 00:26:02.670 --> 00:26:05.170 think that it is all about connection. And it 00:26:05.170 --> 00:26:07.690 is in many ways what we're doing is we're giving 00:26:07.690 --> 00:26:10.190 people permission to enjoy the foods that they 00:26:10.190 --> 00:26:13.329 love. And so. When we talk about that and when 00:26:13.329 --> 00:26:15.630 we talk about connection, there's a variety of 00:26:15.630 --> 00:26:18.150 ways that we build those connections to really 00:26:18.150 --> 00:26:20.650 help build trust and drive sales in the dairy 00:26:20.650 --> 00:26:23.509 industry. And so we can do that by working with 00:26:23.509 --> 00:26:25.309 some great health and wellness professionals, 00:26:25.390 --> 00:26:28.349 some great dieticians and folks who have a significant 00:26:28.349 --> 00:26:31.210 amount of influence. But when it comes down to 00:26:31.210 --> 00:26:33.990 everyday behaviors and what folks emulate and 00:26:33.990 --> 00:26:36.579 who they follow and what they do. That's really 00:26:36.579 --> 00:26:38.960 who we're looking for is who are those influencers 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:42.000 that are going to make it OK for kids to think 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.460 about having chocolate milk and eating cheese 00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:47.500 and yogurt and really thinking about that as 00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:49.819 a part of their performance diet. And the more 00:26:49.819 --> 00:26:52.140 that we can connect folks like Travis Frederick 00:26:52.140 --> 00:26:54.900 and different players to these stories, the more 00:26:54.900 --> 00:26:57.680 real that it becomes for consumers broadly. And 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:01.259 so we have that great basis of. Science -backed 00:27:01.259 --> 00:27:04.079 nutrition, we have key opinion leaders in our 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:05.839 health and wellness communities who are saying, 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:07.539 yep, this is great for you. But we also have 00:27:07.539 --> 00:27:09.559 real -life examples of people who are using it 00:27:09.559 --> 00:27:12.119 and doing it. And all of those things come together 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:14.880 to drive trust in dairy. And we're seeing that 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:17.160 trust at an all -time high. We're seeing sales 00:27:17.160 --> 00:27:21.619 continue to grow to all -time highs. And as all 00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:23.299 of that continues, you know, it's going to be 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:25.859 important for us to reinvest and make sure that 00:27:25.859 --> 00:27:27.839 as the next generation is coming through, their 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:33.839 trust is just as strong. Now, you share a lot 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:36.940 of testimonies or examples of stories from the 00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:40.240 football teams and the consumers. Are there any 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:43.619 stories or success stories that you guys have 00:27:43.619 --> 00:27:47.099 had with your member farmers and how your programs 00:27:47.099 --> 00:27:51.019 have helped them and how that helps inspire them? 00:27:51.299 --> 00:27:56.880 Yes. One of our key focuses is making sure that 00:27:56.880 --> 00:27:59.339 our dairy farmers and the dairy farm families 00:27:59.339 --> 00:28:01.960 in our region all feel really comfortable telling 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:05.140 their story. Again, that connectivity, the trust 00:28:05.140 --> 00:28:07.660 level for farmers is off the charts when you 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:10.019 talk to the average person. And so we want to 00:28:10.019 --> 00:28:13.240 make sure that everybody feels capable and able 00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:15.880 and comfortable to step into those spaces and 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:17.920 tell their story. And most often that happens 00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:20.119 at the grocery store. It happens at a PTA meeting. 00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:22.450 You know, it happens in these different community 00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:25.710 spaces that are fairly low risk. Right. And so 00:28:25.710 --> 00:28:27.710 we have a telling your story training to help 00:28:27.710 --> 00:28:31.329 farmers know what how to frame their stories, 00:28:31.450 --> 00:28:33.910 how to tell those stories in a way that can connect. 00:28:34.009 --> 00:28:36.950 But we also have we also do a lot of work in 00:28:36.950 --> 00:28:40.410 the case of issues popping up. And that can come 00:28:40.410 --> 00:28:42.309 from the form of activists. And there was a dairy 00:28:42.309 --> 00:28:45.970 farm family in Waco whose daughter was in college. 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:49.259 And on her college campus, there was an activist 00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:52.579 group who was talking about dairy and, you know, 00:28:52.599 --> 00:28:55.500 just spreading complete misinformation about 00:28:55.500 --> 00:28:58.700 dairy farming and dairies and being very brave. 00:28:59.130 --> 00:29:02.029 She stepped up and said, no, I grew up on a dairy 00:29:02.029 --> 00:29:03.869 farm. That is not what happens. That is not what 00:29:03.869 --> 00:29:06.230 happens on my farm and engaged with the activists. 00:29:06.529 --> 00:29:09.069 And as you know, when somebody engages in that 00:29:09.069 --> 00:29:11.269 way, that can bring all sorts of attention to 00:29:11.269 --> 00:29:14.029 them. You know, it can really kind of put them 00:29:14.029 --> 00:29:16.230 in the spotlight for the activists, so to speak. 00:29:16.269 --> 00:29:18.630 So our team was able to step in and help that 00:29:18.630 --> 00:29:20.890 family navigate that, work through that, kind 00:29:20.890 --> 00:29:24.069 of manage the conversation. When the activists, 00:29:24.309 --> 00:29:27.049 she invited them to come to her farm and see 00:29:27.049 --> 00:29:29.200 what. what was actually happening on that farm, 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:31.539 we were able to step in and be a part of that 00:29:31.539 --> 00:29:33.660 and help to manage that visit, make sure that 00:29:33.660 --> 00:29:36.019 everything went positively and that that story 00:29:36.019 --> 00:29:38.519 ended in a really successful way for that family. 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:43.180 Well, that's really cool. Now, one of the key 00:29:43.180 --> 00:29:45.480 kind of trigger points, at least from a marketing 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:48.460 standpoint, that really gets a lot of consumer 00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:52.700 attention is the sustainability and the discussions 00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:58.859 around that. Have you had challenging conversations 00:29:58.859 --> 00:30:01.180 or what has been the producer reaction when you 00:30:01.180 --> 00:30:04.480 guys want to work on the sustainability theme? 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:10.160 How do you help educate producers on why sustainability 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:12.799 is important and connect that with consumers? 00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:16.160 Yes. You know, I think sustainability can be 00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:19.519 a real pain point for for dairy farmers because 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:22.690 they. it can seem like they're constantly getting 00:30:22.690 --> 00:30:25.589 beat up about that in headlines, in the news, 00:30:25.609 --> 00:30:28.069 and in kind of public opinion. And what I think 00:30:28.069 --> 00:30:31.670 farmers don't always realize is how truly sustainable 00:30:31.670 --> 00:30:36.170 they are and how the things that they do are 00:30:36.170 --> 00:30:38.910 really important for consumers to know in terms 00:30:38.910 --> 00:30:44.650 of reusing water. And reusing compost is bedding 00:30:44.650 --> 00:30:47.009 and just all of the different things that they 00:30:47.009 --> 00:30:49.970 are doing on their farm every day that consumers 00:30:49.970 --> 00:30:53.470 are completely blown away by. They have no idea 00:30:53.470 --> 00:30:55.890 that this is happening and they have no idea 00:30:55.890 --> 00:31:00.430 how truly sustainable our farms are and how much 00:31:00.430 --> 00:31:03.490 how how they are looking to grow in their sustainability. 00:31:03.589 --> 00:31:06.190 Now, to farmers, that's just good business, right? 00:31:06.269 --> 00:31:08.049 They're doing good business. They're doing good 00:31:08.049 --> 00:31:10.390 business every day. And that doesn't really end. 00:31:10.440 --> 00:31:12.740 their mind always become a story that they need 00:31:12.740 --> 00:31:14.660 to tell. But the more that we can tell that story, 00:31:14.779 --> 00:31:17.539 the more that we can help consumers see behind 00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:19.859 the curtain and really see what those farmers 00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:22.920 are doing and how. You know, I go again back 00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:25.539 to this idea of generational businesses. If you're 00:31:25.539 --> 00:31:28.119 building a generational business, you are not 00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:29.940 going to poison the water. You are not going 00:31:29.940 --> 00:31:31.660 to poison the land. Right. You are building a 00:31:31.660 --> 00:31:33.700 generational business. You want this to live 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:36.799 way beyond you. And so I think the more consumers 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:39.339 can see that and can see how farmers actually 00:31:39.339 --> 00:31:42.220 treat their cows, how they actually treat the 00:31:42.220 --> 00:31:45.940 resources that are entrusted to them. the more 00:31:45.940 --> 00:31:48.460 connected they feel to that. And the last thing 00:31:48.460 --> 00:31:50.500 that I'll say here is that we do a lot of research 00:31:50.500 --> 00:31:53.539 around this. We survey consumers on a biannual 00:31:53.539 --> 00:31:55.740 basis. We're constantly tracking their perceptions. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:58.900 One of the number one things that consumers connect 00:31:58.900 --> 00:32:01.940 to sustainability is actually cow care. Now, 00:32:01.940 --> 00:32:03.839 when I think about sustainability, cow care is 00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:05.779 not the top thing that pops up for me, but it 00:32:05.779 --> 00:32:08.460 is for consumers. And I think that if we can 00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:11.299 get farmers comfortable telling the story about 00:32:11.299 --> 00:32:13.400 all of the things they do to care for their cows, 00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:15.119 to care for their comfort, to make sure that 00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:17.099 they're happy, that they're healthy, you know, 00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:19.839 all of the work that goes into that, that really 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:22.099 helps consumers feel confident in consuming more 00:32:22.099 --> 00:32:27.960 dairy. Now, can you describe when you kind of 00:32:27.960 --> 00:32:31.240 had or when Dairy Max had? Kind of that aha moment 00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:33.420 when you realized that your consumer outreach 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:36.400 was having positive impacts for dairy farmers. 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:43.259 Man, I think it is that I think that most often 00:32:43.259 --> 00:32:45.740 that happens in retrospect. Right. We get we 00:32:45.740 --> 00:32:47.859 get to the end of something and we can look back 00:32:47.859 --> 00:32:52.460 and see, wow, our fortnight. work is delivering 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:56.680 400 milk pounds through an online sales campaign. 00:32:57.019 --> 00:33:00.160 We can look and see our exports are growing. 00:33:00.319 --> 00:33:02.440 We have the largest export year that we've ever 00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:05.559 had last year. We see the outcomes of all of 00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:07.380 these different campaigns. You know, just in 00:33:07.380 --> 00:33:09.880 the last two months alone, in terms of our Fortnite 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:13.920 campaign and our National Dairy Month messaging, 00:33:14.119 --> 00:33:17.000 we reached an average of 3 .4 million people 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:20.299 a day. And so when we look back and see this, 00:33:20.329 --> 00:33:22.730 things and when we see the industry growing and 00:33:22.730 --> 00:33:26.009 we see farms thriving and cows moving into the 00:33:26.009 --> 00:33:28.049 area that's when we know that we're having a 00:33:28.049 --> 00:33:32.750 really positive impact and was there a specific 00:33:32.750 --> 00:33:35.269 time when you realize that when you guys switched 00:33:35.269 --> 00:33:37.470 from that traditional marketing to this more 00:33:37.470 --> 00:33:40.609 innovative consumer engagement is there a specific 00:33:40.609 --> 00:33:42.690 time when you realize that hey this is really 00:33:42.690 --> 00:33:45.750 working or you saw that why this was going to 00:33:45.750 --> 00:33:49.539 turn out for you guys You know, again, I think 00:33:49.539 --> 00:33:51.619 it's all in retrospect and I think it was the 00:33:51.619 --> 00:33:55.299 first year when we looked back at our accountability. 00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:58.920 We looked back at our KPIs. We said, how many 00:33:58.920 --> 00:34:00.839 people are we moving? How many people have we 00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:03.799 connected with? And when we moved to a more digital 00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:06.660 model, we were able to reach 10 times the number 00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:08.500 of people that we were able to reach previously. 00:34:08.739 --> 00:34:11.199 And we were able to have some tracking about 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:13.280 not only did we reach them and have a conversation 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:15.199 with them, but did it change their behavior? 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:18.139 And as we get better and better in terms of measurement 00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:20.980 and tracking and seeing that, we continue to 00:34:20.980 --> 00:34:24.219 really refine that and see that what is most 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:27.139 important for us is to be where consumers are 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:29.579 and where they're making decisions. And most 00:34:29.579 --> 00:34:31.980 often that is not in a face to face engagement. 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:34.679 Right. Most often that's in a digital space. 00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:37.940 You know, we know that just even online grocery 00:34:37.940 --> 00:34:41.099 store sales reach 10 billion dollars in July. 00:34:41.179 --> 00:34:44.139 That's a 26 percent increase to the previous 00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:47.300 year. And so being more in that digital space 00:34:47.300 --> 00:34:49.519 puts us in the center of where they're making 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:52.059 their decisions. And that for us is the big aha 00:34:52.059 --> 00:34:54.579 is how do I impact you? right when you're putting 00:34:54.579 --> 00:34:56.539 something in your cart, right when you're deciding 00:34:56.539 --> 00:34:58.360 what you're going to have for dinner, right when 00:34:58.360 --> 00:34:59.719 you're deciding what you're going to put in your 00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:03.579 kids' lunchbox. And so this is where we're continuing 00:35:03.579 --> 00:35:08.239 to stay focused. And you're reaching out to a 00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:10.800 different demographic maybe than in the past, 00:35:10.860 --> 00:35:14.940 the Gen Z marketplace. When reaching out or talking 00:35:14.940 --> 00:35:18.250 with these Gen Zs, people what is the number 00:35:18.250 --> 00:35:21.329 one miss or the biggest misconceptions that you 00:35:21.329 --> 00:35:24.690 guys uh battle that you have to help educate 00:35:24.690 --> 00:35:27.670 them on or any issues that you're facing with 00:35:27.670 --> 00:35:29.650 them and how have you overcome that or what are 00:35:29.650 --> 00:35:33.170 your kind of success stories that way Yeah, you 00:35:33.170 --> 00:35:35.190 know, I think the two biggest misconceptions, 00:35:35.429 --> 00:35:39.070 I think one is a consumer misconception. And 00:35:39.070 --> 00:35:43.190 so I think that does come down to on -farm practices, 00:35:43.530 --> 00:35:46.230 sustainability, cow care, those sorts of things. 00:35:46.309 --> 00:35:48.309 That's a pretty easy story to tell, though, because 00:35:48.309 --> 00:35:50.489 people love dairy, right? They love dairy. They 00:35:50.489 --> 00:35:52.750 just want permission to continue to love it. 00:35:52.809 --> 00:35:54.630 And so that's what we give them by telling the 00:35:54.630 --> 00:35:57.570 story. I think that one of the biggest misconceptions 00:35:57.570 --> 00:36:00.309 is actually a misconception that we have in the 00:36:00.309 --> 00:36:04.070 industry, which is that imitators, the almond 00:36:04.070 --> 00:36:06.630 milks, the soy milks, those folks are actually 00:36:06.630 --> 00:36:09.210 competitors. And when we look at the market share, 00:36:09.289 --> 00:36:11.170 when we look at the marketplace, what we see 00:36:11.170 --> 00:36:15.050 is imitators own about 14 % of the market, and 00:36:15.050 --> 00:36:17.429 that's about what they've always owned. And so, 00:36:17.489 --> 00:36:19.289 you know, it ebbs and flows just a little bit. 00:36:19.980 --> 00:36:22.440 But somewhere right between 11 and 14 percent. 00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:25.000 And they just eat each other. And we hear about 00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:28.480 new cashew milk and hemp milk and pea milk and 00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:31.079 all these different imitators coming out onto 00:36:31.079 --> 00:36:33.940 the marketplace. And we feel like dairy is under 00:36:33.940 --> 00:36:36.480 attack. Real dairy is under attack. But that's 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:38.619 really not what we see play out in the marketplace. 00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:41.019 What we see play out in the marketplace is they're 00:36:41.019 --> 00:36:43.280 attacking each other. They own a very, very small 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:46.079 part of the market share. And the truth is that 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:48.320 we're in 92 percent of households. Consumers 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:50.800 love us. Consumers. love dairy. They're connected 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:53.579 to dairy. And again, they just want to have permission 00:36:53.579 --> 00:37:00.219 to eat the foods they love. Now, your role has 00:37:00.219 --> 00:37:04.019 changed here recently. You're now the CEO. So 00:37:04.019 --> 00:37:06.679 I'm sure you've been doing some looking ahead. 00:37:06.940 --> 00:37:10.699 And so I ask you, over the next five years, can 00:37:10.699 --> 00:37:13.539 you paint me a picture of what success looks 00:37:13.539 --> 00:37:17.000 like for both Dairy Max and the dairy farm families 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:23.039 you serve? You know, I as I look at the industry 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:25.480 that we're in, there are so many exciting things 00:37:25.480 --> 00:37:27.760 happening. And of course, there are always challenges. 00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:30.659 But we have so many tailwinds. We're as I said, 00:37:30.659 --> 00:37:32.780 we're coming off the largest export year we've 00:37:32.780 --> 00:37:36.440 ever had. Sales overall are at all time highs. 00:37:36.619 --> 00:37:39.199 Consumer trust in dairy are at all time highs. 00:37:39.320 --> 00:37:42.480 We are headed for really great things. And I 00:37:42.480 --> 00:37:46.179 think that as we look forward. Collaboration 00:37:46.179 --> 00:37:49.239 and unity are going to be the big stories working 00:37:49.239 --> 00:37:52.199 together. And what I mean by that is there are 00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:55.480 14 organizations that look like mine across the 00:37:55.480 --> 00:37:57.920 country, along with our national organization, 00:37:58.440 --> 00:38:01.460 DMI. And the more that we can work collectively, 00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:03.780 the more we can work with one voice, the more 00:38:03.780 --> 00:38:06.420 power that we will have in reaching consumers. 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:10.239 When you look at the work that we do and the 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:12.940 budgets that we have, you know, as one organization, 00:38:13.300 --> 00:38:16.820 I don't even come. close to the average Gatorade 00:38:16.820 --> 00:38:19.079 marketing budget. But when we can all work together, 00:38:19.340 --> 00:38:22.480 then we can have a real impact. And I think you'll 00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:25.599 see over the next five years is us working more 00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:28.539 in a unified way with similar messaging, similar 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:32.199 approach, similar audience focuses, similar targets. 00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:35.360 And that will really help us to drive sales in 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:38.500 a much more impactful way. I tell my team all 00:38:38.500 --> 00:38:41.800 the time. that we cannot just be successful within 00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:44.519 the borders of our region because the dairy industry 00:38:44.519 --> 00:38:47.139 is national and it is international. And so as 00:38:47.139 --> 00:38:49.000 we are thinking about how we reach consumers 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:51.219 and how we have an impact, we have to be thinking 00:38:51.219 --> 00:38:53.239 outside of our own borders. And we're going to 00:38:53.239 --> 00:38:55.659 continue to see that grow. And I think that that 00:38:55.659 --> 00:38:58.059 is true for our dairy farm families as well, 00:38:58.139 --> 00:39:00.420 that the industry is going to continue to grow 00:39:00.420 --> 00:39:03.039 nationally and internationally. And how do we 00:39:03.039 --> 00:39:04.880 think about really being a part of that, really 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:07.780 being engaged with that and driving out of those 00:39:07.780 --> 00:39:12.170 tailwinds? that we have. So one thing you guys 00:39:12.170 --> 00:39:14.469 have really become known for is thinking outside 00:39:14.469 --> 00:39:18.449 the box. And so I'm wondering what initiatives 00:39:18.449 --> 00:39:21.710 or outside the box thinking are you guys working 00:39:21.710 --> 00:39:25.469 on now? What has you most excited? What projects 00:39:25.469 --> 00:39:28.469 or initiatives have you most excited about working 00:39:28.469 --> 00:39:31.989 on right now for Dairy Max? Well, I do think 00:39:31.989 --> 00:39:34.909 it is exports, and it is really thinking about 00:39:34.909 --> 00:39:37.969 how do we continue to drive sales beyond our 00:39:37.969 --> 00:39:40.750 borders? How do we continue to make sure that 00:39:40.750 --> 00:39:43.329 U .S. dairy is in the markets that are growing 00:39:43.329 --> 00:39:46.010 the fastest, that it is available, that it is 00:39:46.010 --> 00:39:48.590 in the sizes, the formats, the shapes, the styles 00:39:48.590 --> 00:39:51.530 that people in those countries and communities 00:39:51.530 --> 00:39:54.380 are seeking? And that is where we are going to 00:39:54.380 --> 00:39:56.820 see, you know, significant, significant growth 00:39:56.820 --> 00:39:59.079 over the next several years. I'm also really 00:39:59.079 --> 00:40:01.500 excited a little bit closer to home. It's football 00:40:01.500 --> 00:40:04.440 season. Those things are ramping up. And I am 00:40:04.440 --> 00:40:06.639 really excited to see the work that we're doing 00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:09.980 across college campuses with our NIL partnerships 00:40:09.980 --> 00:40:12.300 and some of those collegiate athletes. We have 00:40:12.300 --> 00:40:15.440 some really fun, really creative work that is 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:17.780 happening both in our region, but again, across 00:40:17.780 --> 00:40:20.039 some other SRs where we're working collectively 00:40:20.039 --> 00:40:22.380 on this. And I'm excited to see that come to 00:40:22.380 --> 00:40:24.349 fruition. as we get better and better at working 00:40:24.349 --> 00:40:27.849 together and get more effective at it. Now, you 00:40:27.849 --> 00:40:30.289 mentioned about that college age, and one of 00:40:30.289 --> 00:40:32.829 the biggest issues I've been seeing or we've 00:40:32.829 --> 00:40:36.809 been seeing is the young people that aren't coming 00:40:36.809 --> 00:40:39.150 back to the industry, that they're going off 00:40:39.150 --> 00:40:42.809 to other industries and work. If you could talk 00:40:42.809 --> 00:40:46.869 to a young person or a person who grew up on 00:40:46.869 --> 00:40:49.050 a farm or didn't grow up on a farm, but they 00:40:49.050 --> 00:40:52.320 are considering getting into dairy farming, What 00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:54.880 story would you tell them about where the industry 00:40:54.880 --> 00:40:57.579 is headed and why this is the route they should 00:40:57.579 --> 00:41:01.500 go? You know, I think if I had that opportunity, 00:41:01.639 --> 00:41:05.130 I would love to talk to somebody. about all of 00:41:05.130 --> 00:41:07.489 the different aspects of dairy farming. And if 00:41:07.489 --> 00:41:10.050 somebody going into college was seeking my advice, 00:41:10.190 --> 00:41:12.090 I would encourage them to get an engineering 00:41:12.090 --> 00:41:14.110 degree and I would encourage them to think about 00:41:14.110 --> 00:41:16.590 robotics. And I would encourage them to think 00:41:16.590 --> 00:41:19.309 about all of the technical side and aspects to 00:41:19.309 --> 00:41:21.150 the industry, because, you know, that is going 00:41:21.150 --> 00:41:23.650 to continue to grow. If that's not where their 00:41:23.650 --> 00:41:26.570 passion lies, marketing and product development 00:41:26.570 --> 00:41:29.349 and food science, you know, there are huge opportunities 00:41:29.349 --> 00:41:33.119 there. I think that looking at something just 00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:35.960 as, you know, we look at such a narrow scope 00:41:35.960 --> 00:41:38.039 sometimes when we think about farmers and we 00:41:38.039 --> 00:41:40.400 have such an image in our minds that we don't 00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:43.440 recognize all of the career paths that are centered 00:41:43.440 --> 00:41:45.880 around dairy farming and all of the technology. 00:41:46.809 --> 00:41:51.469 all of the creative work that goes into innovation 00:41:51.469 --> 00:41:54.369 and moving things forward and being cutting edge. 00:41:54.429 --> 00:41:56.769 And all of that is happening every day on dairy 00:41:56.769 --> 00:41:59.150 farms. I think it's a really exciting space for 00:41:59.150 --> 00:42:01.389 someone to think about how they could engage 00:42:01.389 --> 00:42:03.849 in a way that is maybe different than milking 00:42:03.849 --> 00:42:06.429 cows every day, but still is really supportive 00:42:06.429 --> 00:42:11.110 of the industry. Now, as someone who didn't grow 00:42:11.110 --> 00:42:13.750 up in the industry, you've come into the dairy 00:42:13.750 --> 00:42:18.050 industry. but you seem to have really embraced 00:42:18.050 --> 00:42:22.230 it and you seem to have really engaged in the 00:42:22.230 --> 00:42:25.650 industry. What brought that about for you? How 00:42:25.650 --> 00:42:28.449 did you find the passion for Daria, someone who 00:42:28.449 --> 00:42:31.150 didn't start in it but now working in it? Well, 00:42:31.210 --> 00:42:33.510 I have to confess that I did an audit one time 00:42:33.510 --> 00:42:35.989 and a full 25 percent of my grocery bill was 00:42:35.989 --> 00:42:40.010 spent on cheese. So that was the first recognition. 00:42:40.650 --> 00:42:42.769 You know, somebody who did grow up in American 00:42:42.769 --> 00:42:45.610 agriculture and, you know, in Wyoming and in 00:42:45.610 --> 00:42:48.380 a space that is heavily steeped in ag. I really 00:42:48.380 --> 00:42:50.400 believe that the fact that we can feed ourselves 00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:53.960 as a nation is the reason why we're able to be 00:42:53.960 --> 00:42:56.519 a stable democracy. It's the reason why we're 00:42:56.519 --> 00:42:59.280 able to, you know, argue about politics and the 00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:01.820 different things that we disagree with. disagree 00:43:01.820 --> 00:43:04.719 about. I have traveled to enough countries in 00:43:04.719 --> 00:43:07.280 the world and spent a lot of time in spaces that 00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:10.039 didn't have that same luxury. And I, you know, 00:43:10.039 --> 00:43:11.639 I really believe that a nation that can feed 00:43:11.639 --> 00:43:13.760 itself can be free. And without that, you can't 00:43:13.760 --> 00:43:16.519 have that. And so I'm passionate about being 00:43:16.519 --> 00:43:18.679 a part of American agriculture. And I'm passionate 00:43:18.679 --> 00:43:22.300 about the work that dairy farmers do. And your 00:43:22.300 --> 00:43:24.940 passion comes through very much. And it's very 00:43:24.940 --> 00:43:27.860 exciting to listen to your passion. Are there 00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:31.510 any stories or things that you've had over your 00:43:31.510 --> 00:43:35.469 career or emotional responses that you've had 00:43:35.469 --> 00:43:40.150 to the work you guys do with Dairy Max that really 00:43:40.150 --> 00:43:44.070 helps drive that passion from either members 00:43:44.070 --> 00:43:46.829 or from consumers that really help drive your 00:43:46.829 --> 00:43:50.989 passion? You know, there is a note that I keep 00:43:50.989 --> 00:43:53.809 on my desk that during the pandemic when we really 00:43:53.809 --> 00:43:58.070 started working in food banks, And, again, making 00:43:58.070 --> 00:44:00.289 sure product was going from areas of surplus 00:44:00.289 --> 00:44:03.550 to areas of need through some USDA programs. 00:44:04.269 --> 00:44:07.349 During that time, we got a note through one of 00:44:07.349 --> 00:44:10.909 our food bank partners from a family, and it 00:44:10.909 --> 00:44:14.469 was a. grandmother who was raising her grandchild 00:44:14.469 --> 00:44:16.909 who had special needs and I don't know exactly 00:44:16.909 --> 00:44:20.349 what his challenges were but they were so excited 00:44:20.349 --> 00:44:22.590 that there was milk in their local food bank 00:44:22.590 --> 00:44:25.610 that they had not had opportunity for that. This 00:44:25.610 --> 00:44:28.150 was the first time that they had had milk in 00:44:28.150 --> 00:44:30.869 and I think she said maybe two years because 00:44:30.869 --> 00:44:32.969 of the challenges that they were living under 00:44:32.969 --> 00:44:35.860 and What that meant to her grandson was that 00:44:35.860 --> 00:44:37.820 it was a meal he could fix for himself. It was 00:44:37.820 --> 00:44:40.500 independence for him because he could make a 00:44:40.500 --> 00:44:42.539 bowl of cereal and he could eat that. And that 00:44:42.539 --> 00:44:44.980 was one thing he could do for himself. And so 00:44:44.980 --> 00:44:49.869 I. Man, I think about that story a lot because 00:44:49.869 --> 00:44:52.570 we don't always know the ways we impact people's 00:44:52.570 --> 00:44:55.050 lives, right? I know that we're providing the 00:44:55.050 --> 00:44:57.690 most nutritious product on the planet. I know 00:44:57.690 --> 00:45:00.050 that I'm helping people perform better, but never 00:45:00.050 --> 00:45:02.010 in my life would I think that we're giving somebody 00:45:02.010 --> 00:45:04.489 that measure of independence that makes a difference 00:45:04.489 --> 00:45:07.730 in their day. And so those kinds of things are 00:45:07.730 --> 00:45:10.289 really motivating to me and make me think about 00:45:10.289 --> 00:45:13.449 how important the work we do is. Wow, that is 00:45:13.449 --> 00:45:17.039 very touching. And it's neat because it hits 00:45:17.039 --> 00:45:20.420 on so many different levels there. And I think 00:45:20.420 --> 00:45:23.000 that's one of the really neat things about DairyMax 00:45:23.000 --> 00:45:26.179 is you guys really have looked at different ways 00:45:26.179 --> 00:45:31.599 of engaging both consumers and the member organizations 00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:34.940 that you work with. So that's really insightful. 00:45:36.559 --> 00:45:39.780 What are the next steps for you guys at DairyMax? 00:45:39.900 --> 00:45:42.400 What are you working on or what challenges do 00:45:42.400 --> 00:45:46.010 you foresee that you have to get past? Well, 00:45:46.170 --> 00:45:48.469 we are, you know, we're working through a leadership 00:45:48.469 --> 00:45:52.269 transition. And so Mike Conkle led our organization 00:45:52.269 --> 00:45:56.889 really effectively for 16 years. You know, as 00:45:56.889 --> 00:45:59.389 I'm taking on the helm and looking at how we 00:45:59.389 --> 00:46:02.539 move forward, I think it really is. All of the 00:46:02.539 --> 00:46:04.760 changes that we see in the world around us and, 00:46:04.800 --> 00:46:06.820 you know, some of the uncertainty and all of 00:46:06.820 --> 00:46:09.480 those pieces. And how do we stay consistent and 00:46:09.480 --> 00:46:12.159 focused in our strategy and message and make 00:46:12.159 --> 00:46:14.380 sure that we are meeting people where they are, 00:46:14.460 --> 00:46:16.579 that we are always remaining relevant, that we 00:46:16.579 --> 00:46:18.559 are always staying cutting edge and that we're 00:46:18.559 --> 00:46:20.980 always driving things forward. And so that is 00:46:20.980 --> 00:46:23.860 my primary focus, you know, particularly as we're 00:46:23.860 --> 00:46:26.460 wrapping up our planning and moving into the 00:46:26.460 --> 00:46:29.440 next year. And thinking about where we go from 00:46:29.440 --> 00:46:32.039 here. And then, gosh, we have a whole new generation 00:46:32.039 --> 00:46:34.820 coming up in terms of Gen Alpha and those folks 00:46:34.820 --> 00:46:36.300 who are going to have different ways of moving 00:46:36.300 --> 00:46:37.519 through the world. And we're going to need to 00:46:37.519 --> 00:46:40.019 be right there with them. And again, make sure 00:46:40.019 --> 00:46:42.300 that we stay incredibly relevant to them so they 00:46:42.300 --> 00:46:44.320 understand how important dairy is in their diet 00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:47.880 and how hard dairy farmers work for them. Well, 00:46:48.019 --> 00:46:51.059 I really want to just commend you guys for the 00:46:51.059 --> 00:46:53.880 work that you guys have been doing. I think that 00:46:53.880 --> 00:46:57.989 the way Dairy Max has gone about. representing 00:46:57.989 --> 00:47:01.650 us to consumers but also working with producers 00:47:01.650 --> 00:47:04.750 is really insightful so I really thank you for 00:47:04.750 --> 00:47:08.610 sharing that with us for those people who want 00:47:08.610 --> 00:47:10.969 to learn more about DairyMax and the initiatives 00:47:10.969 --> 00:47:13.690 that you are doing where would they go or where 00:47:13.690 --> 00:47:17.219 should they find that Sure. We have DaringMax 00:47:17.219 --> 00:47:20.559 .org is our website. And from there, you can 00:47:20.559 --> 00:47:23.199 branch off and find all of the different work 00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:25.960 that we're doing. Connect with our team if you 00:47:25.960 --> 00:47:28.980 have questions or thoughts. And we're always 00:47:28.980 --> 00:47:32.519 happy to hear from folks in the industry. Cool. 00:47:32.980 --> 00:47:34.880 And with that, I want to thank you for taking 00:47:34.880 --> 00:47:38.800 the time today. I learned a lot. And I think 00:47:38.800 --> 00:47:40.699 that the initiatives you guys are doing are really 00:47:40.699 --> 00:47:42.179 impressive. So I want to thank you for taking 00:47:42.179 --> 00:47:44.530 the time. Thank you as well. This was very enjoyable. 00:47:44.690 --> 00:47:46.969 I had a great time. That's a wrap for this episode 00:47:46.969 --> 00:47:49.989 of the Bullvine Podcast. Huge thanks to Jenny 00:47:49.989 --> 00:47:52.550 McDowell for sharing her time and for showing 00:47:52.550 --> 00:47:54.750 us what happens when you take dairy out of the 00:47:54.750 --> 00:47:58.849 barn and drop it into the digital world. Whether 00:47:58.849 --> 00:48:00.989 you're a skeptic or already dreaming up your 00:48:00.989 --> 00:48:04.250 own online dairy campaign, remember, innovation 00:48:04.250 --> 00:48:06.969 on the farm isn't just for technology or genetics. 00:48:07.269 --> 00:48:10.369 It's for marketing too. If you liked what you 00:48:10.369 --> 00:48:12.980 heard, Give us a follow on your favorite podcast 00:48:12.980 --> 00:48:16.840 app. Check out Dairy Max at dairymax .org and 00:48:16.840 --> 00:48:19.760 browse more producer stories, insights, and advice 00:48:19.760 --> 00:48:23.679 at thebullvine .com. Until next time, keep milking 00:48:23.679 --> 00:48:25.880 those opportunities and keep challenging the 00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:29.400 status quo. This industry needs it. Have a great 00:48:29.400 --> 00:48:30.860 week, and we'll catch you down the road.