St. Paul, Minn. — Midwest Dairy released its 2025 Annual Report, demonstrating a strong year of progress building trust and demand on behalf of dairy farmers.
Projects and activations drove dairy demand and expanded consumer trust in 2025. Campaigns across retail, convenience stores, and coffee chains generated more than 4 million incremental pounds of milk sales while reaching millions of consumers across the region.
“We want farmers to see the results of their investment and where their money was spent,” said Charles Krause, chair of the Midwest Dairy Board. “The report highlights growth in dairy demand, expanded consumer trust, leadership initiatives, and investments in research and innovation. It also includes measurable outcomes like incremental milk sales and consumer reach.”
Protein-powered promotions boost sales
Research indicates that among all generations, protein ranks as the number one most important nutrient for health and wellness. With 81% of consumers1 agreeing that “dairy is a good source of protein,”Midwest Dairy focused on campaigns to highlight dairy product benefits.
Retail and foodservice promotions capitalized on the protein trend to deliver measurable sales growth and inspired fresh ways to consume dairy products. In fact, limited-time seasonal offers at Kwik Trip/Kwik Star drove 1.8 million incremental pounds of milk sold, and a partnership with Chicory focused on digital recipe innovation resulted in over 3 million incremental pounds of milk sold.
Consumer outreach expands dairy trust
Midwest Dairy programs connected farmers directly with consumers, students and health professionals to build confidence and trust in dairy.
In 2025:
- More than 162,000 students reached through the 2025 Discover Dairy Adopt a Cow program.
- NCAA Big 12 college athletics partnerships generated 10,000,000+ impressions.
- Influencer partnerships delivered 10.5 million views.
- Wellness Warriors initiative connected dairy farmers with health and nutrition professionals to highlight dairy’s role in healthy lifestyles.
Checkoff investments support innovation and leadership
Midwest Dairy invests farmer checkoff resources in research, innovation and leadership development to capitalize on opportunities for dairy.
- $355,000 in Undeniably Dairy grants supported 136 dairy promotion projects. • 17 farmers graduated from the Dairy Experience and Agricultural Leadership (DEAL) program.
- Lasso grants supported on-farm innovation projects, while the Accelerator Program supported entrepreneurs in bringing innovative dairy products to market. • Youth leadership programs helped extend dairy outreach and advocacy with 29 dairy ambassadors and princesses.
Midwest Dairy is committed to building on 2025 momentum to deliver meaningful progress on behalf of dairy farmers. Read the full 2025 Annual Report at www.midwestdairy.com/annualreport.
