The dairy checkoff marked its 13th year of impact through Fuel Up to Play 60 –while preparing a strategy to bring more partners together. Beginning this school year, the checkoff will shift to the “Fuel Up” platform.
The effort will expand opportunities to increase access to dairy with other foods and engage youth around healthy eating and food production. With the announcement, Dairy Management Inc. is transitioning from a partnership with the NFL to a no-cost collaboration, which paves the way to co-create programs that support youth wellness. DMI President and CEO Barbara O’Brien says, “We need to think differently to protect farmers’ ability to deliver long-term value to children and in schools.”
Fuel Up will work with schools and partners to deliver solutions and resources that increase access to dairy products, expand meal participation and educate students on the role of nutrition in physical wellness and academic achievement.