Last week, Josh and Chelsea DeBoover of DeBoover Farms in Phelps, N.Y., and Phoebe and Dave Bitler of Vista Grande Farm in Fleetwood, Pa., welcomed 12 food bloggers and dietitians in-person to build trust in dairy with their nearly 700,000 social media followers.
ADA North East coordinated the annual blogger tour with the dairy farmers and several culinary experts to offer their visitors a behind-the-scenes look into local dairy and gain a better understanding of dairy farmers’ innovative and sustainable production practices.
The dairy farmers also joined the bloggers for farm-to-table dinners that included wine and cheese pairings, allowing for one-on-one conversations and mutual learning.
“After reading some of the bloggers’ online content following the tour, it was apparent that they enjoyed the experience and were sharing valuable insights and information about the dairy industry. I’m thankful for the opportunity to share our life on the dairy farm with these influential bloggers who were eager to learn about and experience our operation. We’d be happy to host anytime!” – Josh DeBoover
“I felt that we might be able to influence the bloggers’ writings and recipes if we could show them how we provide for our herd’s nutrition; provide for each animals’ comfort and protection; how we manage our land and resources to benefit our community and our farm; and that milk is a truly wholesome, naturally nutritious food. The tour led to great questions and will hopefully the bloggers will continue to influence more understanding of our industry and greater use of our products.” – Phoebe Bitler