As another year draws to a close and we prepare to welcome the new year, it’s not a bad idea to pause and look backward for a minute and take stock of what defined the past year. Sometimes looking back helps us move forward. Join us as we journey in reflecting upon 2022.
January – Pouring on a Healthy New Year
Commitments to a healthier lifestyle are always among the top new year’s resolutions made every year. If you struggled with this one, you’re not alone. Don’t try to turn your world upside down. It’s not realistic that you’ll stick with a bunch of changes at once. Make a few small changes instead. May we recommend adding a glass of milk to your meals?
February – New York State Dairy Ambassador Competition
March – Celebration of National Agriculture Week
We celebrated the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives during National Agriculture Week. In that spirit, our media friends at KWBW visited Phillips Family Farm in North Collins, New York. They shared the story of milk’s journey from farm to table daily during the special weeklong “Workin’ It” segment.
April – Every Day is “Earth Day”
Caring for the land leaves a legacy for the future. It’s engrained in dairy farmers and part of their daily routine. In April, we arranged to plant over 1,100 trees on Pennsylvania dairy farms. Planting trees along farm waterways helps keep water clean and improves quality in local streams that empty into larger bodies of water, like the Chesapeake Bay.
May – Congratulations to our CEO, Past and Present
We bid farewell to Rick Naczi, the ADA North East CEO who retired after more than 40 years in the dairy promotion business. “It has been an honor to promote ‘nature’s most nearly perfect food,’ and the hard-working men and women that produce it,” said Naczi.
In his place, John Chrisman stepped up to our organization’s helm to represent our nearly 9,000 dairy farmers in the northeast.
June – Carrying on the Dairy Farming Tradition
National Milk Day and National Dairy Month in June is always cause for celebration! But as one generation of dairy farmers see retirement on the horizon, who are the next generation farmers taking over the responsibility of feeding the world?
Local Gen Z students shared with us their aspirations to continue in the family footsteps and carry on the tradition of dairy farming.
July – Milk and Meals for Kids During Summertime
Throughout summer, ADA North East works with school districts and anti-hunger advocates to promote the availability of Summer Meals—sometimes with the help of a cute calf!
Every summer, millions of children lose access to school meals when school is out on break. That’s when the Summer Meals program kicks in and provides them with milk and other nutritious foods, like fruits and vegetables. Funded through the USDA, the meals are free to children 18 and under.
August – Fair Time!
Our butter sculpture at this year’s New York State Fair celebrated the 50th anniversary of the landmark Title IX law spotlights female athletes and how today’s athletes refuel with chocolate milk. U.S. Olympic athlete and professional runner Elle St. Pierre, who herself is a Vermont dairy farmer, participated in the unveiling along New York State Commissioner of Agriculture Richard Ball.
September – Back to Learning!
With classes underway, thousands of students from across the country participated in virtual visits to our dairy farms—without ever leaving their classroom. ADA North East provided free curriculum standards lesson plans for participating schools.
During the live tours, students learned directly from dairy farmers about life on the farm, how farmers care for their cows and how dairy foods are produced in a sustainable way.
October – Every Gallon Has a Story
In October, we offered a glimpse into the lives of our hardworking farmers, like Matt Brake, with the Season 4 launch of “This American Dairy Farmer. This digital series highlights family, tradition and sustainable food production on local dairy farms. It’s an opportunity for anyone to meet and learn about the people who produce the milk for everything from your morning coffee and to your children’s school meals. Who knew flying and farming go hand-in-hand?
November – Gratitude!
Ask our nearly 9,000 dairy farm families and they will tell you: They are grateful for being able to provide nutritious food for all to enjoy. They are grateful to have the freedoms afforded to them through dairy farming, like regularly working alongside family. And time with family is something you never get back.
December – A Time to Feast
During the holidays, entertaining your guests was (hopefully) made less stressful with inspirations we highlighted for you through Savor Recipes. From cakes and pies to tarts and cobblers, there were plenty of Thanksgiving dessert recipes to choose from. And eight delicious nights of Hanukkah. Did you count down the 12 days of Christmas with these dairy-licious recipes? Or try this festive Christmas Tree Cheese Ball?
As we prepare to welcome in the New Year, jazz up your New Year’s Eve celebration with a new butter board recipe – we hear it’s all the rage!
With our reflection upon 2022 completed, it’s time to think ahead toward the New Year: A fresh slate. A year full of promise and new opportunities.
Cheers to the New Year!
