As a dairy farmer, I spend a lot of time making sure my bills are paid, my

workers get paid and my books are accu-rate and up-to-date.

As your SUDIA Board Treasurer, I have a number of duties to oversee the company’s finances and make sure we continue to be in good financial condition. I take that responsibility seriously and spend time seeing that we get the job done effi-ciently and accurately. Here are some of those duties:

• Review financial statements throughout the year.

• Chair the Finance Review Com-mittee, which is a SUDIA Board Committee that has oversight of financial procedures, investment policies, and corporate insurance and employee health insurance policies.

• Chair the Audit Committee, a SUDIA Board Committee that oversees the company’s internal accounting controls, financial reporting process, and integrity of financial statements. We also ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, includ-ing IRS forms. Other important duties are to choose the com-pany’s independent auditing firm and review the annual audit in detail.

Through our board oversight, inde-pendent auditors and capable staff, we have “clean” audits year after year. Working as your Board Treasurer, I am proud to work for the milk producers of the Southeast and oversee your checkoff dollars.

SUDIA BOARD TREASURER UPDATE

Dairy farm familiesof the Southeast

Dairy Promotion News

November 2014

How We Oversee Your FundsSUDIA CELEBRATES WORLD SCHOOL MILK DAY

World School Milk Day Makes a Splash

Ken SmithSUDIA Board Tresurer

The 15th annual World School Milk Day was

observed on September 24 in schools across the globe, and was a celebration of the nutrient-rich powerhouse, milk. World School Milk Day is celebrated by 40 countries, but was brought into southeast schools with the help of SUDIA.

SUDIA team members hosted 20 events at schools throughout the southeast, which included attendance by university officials, Extension agents, mem-bers of the media and 26 dairy farmers. SUDIA also distributed 1,365 World School Milk Day kits, which included lessons on dairy nutrition, a poster of a milk glass labeled with nutrients, milk moustaches and World School Milk Day stick-ers and pencils, to schools across the Southeast.

SUDIA also encouraged schools to be active and share their day on social media, which prompted hundreds of photos to be posted online by over 50

World School Milk DayContinued on Page 2

Above: Matt Nuckols of Eastview Farms vis-ited Locust Grove Elementary School in Locust Grove, Va., with a heifer and calf. Bottom left: Dairy farmer Colin Matthews visits students during lunch at Twin Cities Elementary School in Twin City, Ga. Bottom right: A student cel-ebrates World School Milk Day.

DAIRY Promotion News

Zach Myers, a third generation dairy farmer from Jonesville, North Caro-lina and vice president of SUDIA’s Board of Directors, was elected Chair

of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board of Directors in Octo-ber.

The Dairy Promotion Board consists of 38 members, all of whom are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, and includes dairy farmers and representatives from dairy farmer organizations, general farm organizations and dairy product promotion, research or nutrition education programs. As Chair of the National Dairy Board, Myers will play a major role in the pro-gram’s national promotion campaigns.

“It is an honor and privilege for me to be elected as the Chair of the National Dairy Board,” Myers said. “I am extremely proud of the work we are doing with our dairy check-off programs.”

The National Dairy Board forms key partnerships with restaurant chains, such as Taco Bell, Domino’s and McDonald’, as well as food companies,

such as Quaker, to promote milk and milk prod-ucts on their menu. Additionally, the National Dairy Board is currently partnering with Feeding America to place milk in food-banks across the country through the Great American Milk Drive.

“Our nation’s dairy farm families are feeling our communities, our states, our nation and the world with nutritious, wholesome, great tast-ing milk and milk products. I am excited for the opportunity to play an integral part in the promotion of dairy products,” Myers said.

Myers also serves as secretary of the North Carolina American Dairy Association and as a member of the Dairy Farmer Spokesperson Network, where he works with the media and represents dairy farmers from across the South-eastern United States.

schools representing each of SUDIA’s nine state region. SUDIA also gained recog-nition from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which distributed information about SUDIA’s World School Milk Day events to thou-sands of constituents around the globe.

“It’s great to see the light come on for these children at Lake Forest Elemen-tary School as they make the connection between cows and the wholesome, nutri-tious milk that they enjoy each day,” said Eric Fors, SUDIA’s Industry Relations Communications Manager.

World School Milk Day, which is organized by the FAO, is a celebration of milk and dairy products in school lunches. The program promotes the incorporation of milk into children’s diets, encourages them to become lifelong dairy customers and focuses on the importance of dairy in a well-balanced diet.

Dairy Farmer Carla Taylor speaks to students at Lawndale Elementary School in Tupelo, Miss.

SUDIA Vice President Zach Myers Elected Chair of National Dairy Board

Georgia Dairy Farmer Leaves Impression at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo

More than 10,000 registered dietitians, nutrition science

researchers, policy makers and health-care providers were joined by a Georgia dairy farmer at the Acad-emy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ annual Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), which took place October 18- 21 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

During the conference, SUDIA team members hosted a “Farm to FNCE” breakfast for over 120 key influ-ential dietitians. The “Farm to FNCE” breakfast kicked off with Georgia dairy farmer Dixie Truelove, who shared her journey to becoming a dairy farmer, her commitment to dairy farming and the importance of contributing to the community.

Truelove spoke about taking over the family farm with assistance of her brother Jerry, and what being a dairy farmer means, including the care given to animals and the long hours spent at work. Truelove also took the oppor-tunity to clarify misconceptions about dairy farming, and discussed new prac-

FNCE ConferenceContinued on Page 4

World School Milk DayContinued from Page 1

Zach MyersSUDIA Board Vice President

Dedicated to Dairy Update

SUDIA’s Dairy Everywhere initiatives, which can be found in every one of SUDIA’s 1223 school districts, are continu-

ing to expand throughout the Southeast. Dairy Everywhere includes programs such as Coolers for Coaches, Smooth and Smart, Fuel Up to Play 60, Milk @ Every Meal and Yo to Go!, all promoting the consumption of dairy products to 100 percent of all future consumers, students.

Yogurt programs have become popular, with 118 new schools enrolled in the Yo to Go! and Smooth and Smart programs this year. At Bullitt Lick Middle School in Shep-herdsville, Kentucky, staffers serve over 200 smoothies at each morning’s breakfast. The smoothies, which contain 1 cup of milk, 4 ounces of yogurt and ½ cup of fruit, provide students with a nutritious, protein-packed start to the day. At Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky, the Art Department became involved in the Smooth and Smart breakfast program with the creation of “Strawberry Man,”

who encourages students to choose smoothies for break-fast. The school serves nearly 150 smoothies for break-fast daily.

SUDIA staff are maintaining a pres-ence for dairy in

Dairy Everywhere Programs Continue to Expand

FNCE ConferenceContinued on Page 4

SUDIA has been working to edu-cate and promote the image of dairy through the Dedi-cated to Dairy farm filming initiative. This program focuses on connecting the public with your farm and has raised aware-ness of dairy farms and dairy foods. To date, we have filmed on 77 farms in SUDIA’s nine-state region to create the videos we share with the com-munity through our website, consumer events and school and health profes-sional programs. Most recently we filmed on four farms in central and northwest Tennessee.

Cafeteria workers at Bullitt Lick Middle School hand out strawberry breakfast smoothies to students every morning.

school cafeterias by coming up with new programs to encourage dairy consumption. This year, a new coffee drink program was introduced in six cafeterias, three of which are funded by SUDIA: Shelby County, Ala., Davies County, N.C. and Carrabus County, N.C. Most coffees are made with milk, adding another opportunity to grow milk sales.

Production crew members work with Corey and Bridgette Lutz of Piedmont Jerseys in Lincolnton, N.C.

The production crew works with the Moss family of Tennessee to capture the cows heading into the milking parlor during Dedicated to Dairy farm filming in Cottage Grove, Tenn

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Visit Us ONLINE.tices and traditions that take place on her farm with her family’s younger generation.

“We could not take these dietitians out to a local dairy farm, but bringing Dixie here and hearing her story is the next best thing,” said Mary Martin Nordness, SUDIA Director of Nutrition Affairs. “It is impor-tant for dietitians to understand the work, dedication and love that goes into every glass of milk.”

Also speaking at the “Farm to FNCE” breakfast were chef and cook-book author Rebecca Lang, who spoke about the importance of dairy products in Southern recipes. Former All-Pro Atlanta Falcons defensive end Chuck Smith also told the group about the Fuel Up To Play 60 program and the importance of eating nutrient-packed dairy prod-ucts and staying active. The breakfast was concluded by Dr. Evelyn Crayton, Acad-emy of Nutrition & Dietetics’ President-Elect and for-mer Alabama Cooperative Extension System assistant director, who closed the breakfast with warm words of thanks for the dairy farm-ers and their families in the Southeast. More than 120 influential dietitians attended

the SUDIA-sponsored breakfast.