Entering a five-year partnership, the national dairy checkoff organization - Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) - along with the National Dairy Council (NDC) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy (IC,) have teamed up with the Mayo Clinic to explore consumers outreach efforts and conduct research to improve public health and advance consumer knowledge of dairy’s benefits.
According to DMI’s CEO, Barb O’Brien, this is a milestone moment for dairy producers who have made this possible through their long-lasting commitment to research and dairy nutrition. “This doesn’t happen without the strong national reputation farmers have built through National Dairy Council,” O’Brien says. “This is a powerful collaboration that shows how the dairy checkoff is expanding our scientific network to bring a modernized complement to our legacy and move us further into the future.”
The collaboration will be incorporated across Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla.
Three Areas of Focus
Three focus areas have been outlined by teams comprised of NDC scientists and registered dietitians, Mayo Clinic physicians and health professionals, as well as Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy experts.
- Research to discover how dairy foods, particularly whole milk dairy, impacts cardiovascular health and metabolic conditions. Other potential research areas include dairy’s role on calm, sleep, digestive health and immunity.
- Communicating dairy’s strong body of evidence, new research and insights with the scientific community, health and wellness professionals and consumers.
- Exploring dairy’s role through digital platforms to propel people into a new way of precisely managing their wellness.
Marilyn Hershey, chair of DMI and a Pennsylvania dairy farmer says, “This collaboration illustrates the checkoff’s consumer-first focus and our commitment to leading with credible science.”
In addition, co-created content will help debunk dairy myths and help consumers maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses.
“People mention Mayo Clinic and everyone knows the name and what they can do and what they stand for. I think farmers will understand the level of depth and the opportunity that we have with Mayo. The opportunity is all upside,” Hershey remarks. “It’s so exciting to have a new partner like this at this level who can help us tell our story and help consumers know the value and incredible powerhouse that we have in a glass of milk. It’s something we as farmers get excited talking about and thinking about.”
