HOW DAIRY FARMERS SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY
How dairy farmers support local communities goes far beyond producing great‑tasting milk, cheese, and dairy foods.
During June Dairy Month, we’re celebrating the people who make dairy possible — dairy farmers. Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a cooperative of family dairy farmers caring for their cows, their land, and their communities. Our farmer-owners are deeply invested in the places they call home. Their commitment, leadership, and generosity make them a cornerstone of strong, thriving local communities — just like yours.
HOW DAIRY FARMERS SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Across the country, dairy farm families are deeply rooted in their local communities, supporting schools, food banks, and local families as well as volunteering their time, and helping bring people together through education, food access, and local events. Because they live where they farm, their impact shows up everywhere — helping neighbors feel connected to where their food comes from.
One example of a DFA farmer-owner working hard to support his community is Corey Heidtbrink, a DFA farmer-owner and co‑owner of Triple H Farms in Malcolm, Neb. Each year Corey and his family invite a class of kindergarteners to their farm. The students feed calves, watch a milking, and ask “Farmer Corey” questions about cows, milk, and life on a dairy farm. It’s just a regular day for Corey, but he knows that’s not the case for everyone.
“I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. My family started the farm in 1894,” Corey says. “But a lot of people have no idea where their food comes from.”
His love of teaching others about dairy even led Corey to help bring an FFA chapter to his kids’ high school. FFA is a youth organization that prepares students for leadership and careers in agriculture.
“My daughter is a huge advocate for agriculture,” Corey says. “She and a few other students found an instructor who would sponsor the club, and I helped them by going before the school board to get things set up.”
Corey believes that education, hands-on experience, and local dairy community events like farm visits are the bridge that can connect people to their food and tell the true story of dairy farmers.
HOW DAIRY FARMERS HELP SCHOOLS, FOOD BANKS, AND LOCAL FAMILIES
Dairy farmers produce the high-quality milk that children and families need to thrive, but they also go the extra mile to make sure that milk is accessible. From food pantries to school lunch programs, dairy farmers are passionate about getting nutritious dairy into the hands of those who need it most.
SUPPORTING LOCAL SCHOOLS
Dairy farmers often support their communities first through schools — helping students understand where their food comes from.
One way they do that is by participating in classroom agriculture education programs like Adopt a Cow, which pairs students with a dairy calf on a real dairy farm and the farm family caring for it. Throughout the school year, farmers share updates, videos, and lessons from the farm, giving students a peek into daily dairy life, animal care, and how milk makes its way from the farm to their lunch tray.
For many classrooms, these connections turn curiosity into understanding. What begins as excitement over a cute baby animal often sparks deeper conversations about food, science, and sustainability — helping students build lasting trust in the farmers who help feed their communities.
HELPING FOOD BANKS AND LOCAL FAMILIES
In the United States alone, nearly 14% of households face food insecurity, and dairy farmers show up in a variety of ways to help combat hunger in all its forms — supporting local schools, volunteering their time, and partnering with food banks.
Dairy farmers know how challenging it can be for food banks and food pantries to stock milk and dairy products due to their perishability. At Trinity Hope Pantry in Riverside, Calif., the organization can offer fresh, nutritious food like milk and dairy products to the neighbors they serve thanks to a donation of a refrigerator in 2022 from the DFA Cares Foundation, supported by DFA’s farmer-owners.
“The most common thing we hear when someone leaves our pantry is simply, ‘Bless you for what you’re doing,’” says Larry Dodson, a long-time volunteer at Trinity Hope Pantry. “I think it’s important for everyone who helps make this possible to hear that.”
Recently, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act was signed into law, bringing whole and 2% milk back into school lunchrooms. This bill’s success through the legislative process was due in part to commitment from DFA farmer-owners who contacted their representatives to voice their support for bringing nutrient-dense whole milk back to schools and restoring school milk options.
DFA and our farmer-owners’ commitment to food access also extends through The Giving Cow® Foundation. This program is an extension of DFA Cares. It helps alleviate hunger in local communities by distributing shelf‑stable milk through backpack programs, providing much-needed nutrition on weekends, holidays, and summer break when students can’t depend on school meals. Since 2020, the foundation has donated more than 5 million units of milk to children and families in need.
While most people can take the time to volunteer at a food pantry or set aside a few extra dollars to donate, it takes a special kind of person to dedicate their life to producing high-quality, nutrient-dense dairy that nourishes people through every stage of life. Creating the opportunity for others to help feed their neighbors is just another example of how dairy farmers support local communities.
SUPPORTING FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH DAIRY SCHOLARSHIPS
Dairy scholarships support future generations by expanding access to education and helping students build careers connected to dairy, agriculture, and food systems.
Scholarship programs, like those offered through the DFA Cares Foundation, help invest in students pursuing paths that strengthen rural communities — whether that path leads back to the farm or into classrooms, processing plants, nutrition programs, and more.
By removing financial barriers, dairy scholarships help ensure the next generation has the skills, knowledge, and leadership needed to carry agriculture forward while continuing the tradition of caring for communities.
These investments don’t just support individual students — they help strengthen the communities those students will one day serve.
With the help of a scholarship from DFA Cares, sixth-generation dairy farmer and daughter of DFA farmer-owners, Avery Kerrick hopes to shape the future of the industry as an agricultural educator and FFA advisor.
“I want students to truly understand the importance of agriculture, especially those who don’t come from a farming background like I do,” she says. "I really appreciate the way DFA invests in young people through these scholarships. The next era of dairy advocates will be able to address consumer trust, sustainability, and innovation because of opportunities like this.”
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT DAIRY FARMERS AND COMMUNITIES
From classrooms to county fairs, dairy farmers play an active role in community life. Below are answers to some of the most common questions about how dairy farmers support local communities, families, and traditions.
WHAT IS A DAIRY SCHOLARSHIP?
A dairy scholarship helps students pursue education connected to dairy, agriculture, and food systems. These scholarships support a wide range of paths — from farm careers to roles in animal care, nutrition, science, education, processing, and more — helping ensure the next generation is prepared to care for both people and communities.
HOW DO DAIRY FARMERS SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES?
Dairy farmers support local communities by showing up beyond the farm. Many volunteer their time, partner with schools, serve on school boards or fire departments, support youth agriculture programs, and help ensure families have access to nutritious food. Because they live where they farm, their involvement is deeply personal — rooted in long‑term commitment and often carrying on their family’s legacy from previous generations.
HOW DOES DAIRY HELP LOCAL SCHOOLS?
Dairy farmers often work directly with schools through classroom visits, farm tours, agriculture education programs, and support for organizations like 4‑H and FFA. Dairy farmers helping schools gives students hands‑on exposure to where food comes from, builds leadership skills, and helps young people explore future careers connected to agriculture and their local communities.
WHY DO DAIRY FARMERS SUPPORT FOOD BANKS?
Dairy farmers support food banks and food pantries because they understand the importance of nourishment, especially for growing kids and families facing food insecurity. By partnering with food banks, food pantries, and programs like The Giving Cow® Foundation, dairy farmers help provide access to milk and dairy foods that deliver essential nutrients — supporting stronger communities.
HOW DO DAIRY EVENTS BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER?
Dairy events like local breakfasts, farm tours, county fairs, and summer festivals create shared spaces where people gather, learn, and celebrate. These traditions connect neighbors across generations, showcase youth agriculture projects, and turn everyday meals into moments of belonging — strengthening the connection of towns large and small.
HOW SUMMER TRADITIONS AND LOCAL EVENTS BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
June Dairy Month is also a peak season for dairy enjoyment, because summer is when life slows down and traditions feel simpler — shared, celebrated, and passed hand to hand.
It’s early mornings at local dairy breakfasts where neighbors gather over pancakes and a cold glass of milk, or county fairs where butter sculptures stop you in your tracks and ice cream cones melt faster than you can eat them. And behind it all are dairy farmers — doing the work that makes these moments possible.
June Dairy Month offers a moment to recognize the way dairy farmers care for their communities and support their neighbors. They are the heart and soul of the towns they call home. This summer, you can join in by bringing your own community together with moments of laughter, shared meals, and showing up for one another — just don’t forget the ice cream!