Dairy Farmers of America

#ICYMI: We’re #DFAProud to have partnered with Target to bring shoppers a fun and festive product this holiday season. Crafted with care from our farmer-owners' high-quality real milk, #MilkForSanta is the perfect pick for Santa’s glass—or your own! Packaged in recyclable, one-quart cartons, this ultra-pasteurized #WholeMilk is made to last through all your holiday traditions. Fans are already buzzing about this whimsical addition, with one shopper sharing, “A new Christmas tradition my son is going to love.” Don’t miss out—grab yours at a Target store near you today and make sure you stay on the nice list. Shop now >> https://bit.ly/3BblDJw.

Fortune favors the bold, and DFA farmer-owner Paul Windemuller proves it. Starting with just 30 cows, he transformed his first-generation Michigan dairy into a thriving operation built on perseverance, teamwork and innovative technology. This year, he celebrates its 10-year milestone. Drawing on his experience as a DFA leader, podcast host and Nuffield International farming scholar, Paul hopes to inspire young people from all backgrounds to explore farming. “Find out what really lights up your passion, focus on that, and figure out how to work with other people who share their own passions to accomplish something great together,” says Paul. Read more about Paul and his family's dairying journey in this recent article by Dairy Herd Management >> https://bit.ly/41VifgT.

Salted vs. unsalted butter: What’s the difference? You guessed it, salt! Salted butter has salt added, while unsalted does not, so they’re not created equal when it comes to cooking and baking. Some tips to keep in mind: 🧈 Brands use different salt-to-cream ratios in their salted butter, so you won't have exact control over the salt in your dishes 🧈 Salted butter can include a variety of salt types, from table salt to sea salt and everything in between 🧈 Bakers beware: Salted butter contains more water than unsalted, so it may be more difficult to get that flaky texture you’re after If you plan to do a lot of holiday baking this year, remember unsalted butter is a baker’s best friend for cookies and cakes. However, salted butter is great for spreading (like on toast), in sauces and for sautéing, where a little extra flavor is welcome. If you ever need to swap one for the other, remember to adjust the salt in your recipe accordingly. (A quick rule is to reduce or add ¼ teaspoon salt per ½ cup butter.) Find a DFA farmer-owned butter brand near you >>> https://bit.ly/4brJi4y.

The holiday spirit came alive last night at our annual holiday tractor parade in St. Albans, Vt.! This year, more than 70 dazzling entries lit up the streets, with tractors, trucks, and floats beautifully decorated to spread festive cheer to thousands of attendees. A special shoutout to the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade, the Rowell family of Green Mountain Dairy. This multi-generational farm in Sheldon, Vt. traces its farming roots in the U.S. back to 1637. Their dedication to dairy farming and community engagement is inspiring. And what’s a parade without delicious treats? New England Dairy Mobile Milk Bar was on-site, serving up festive flavors for everyone to enjoy. We’re #DFAProud of how the community came together to celebrate the season!

Farm Funny Friday: Holiday Edition “All I want for Christmas is a cow choir and this song on repeat forever,” says DFA farmer-owner in Kansas and #DFACreator, Stacy Rethman. Honestly? Same. Mariah Carey, if you’re reading this, Stacy’s crew is ready to take this medley to the next level. Just say the word! What holiday jam is on repeat for you this season? Drop it in the comments!

Calling all college students (or anyone supporting one)! Applications for the DFA Cares Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year are open and due by Jan. 12, 2025. Whether you're passionate about agriculture, exploring engineering, diving into food science, or pursuing another field, DFA Cares is here to support your journey. This scholarship isn’t just about dairy – it’s about fueling diverse careers that help agriculture thrive. Last year, we were #DFAProud to support 63 students from a variety of disciplines. Don’t miss your chance to be one of them! Apply now >> https://bit.ly/3Z4SsQh. Help us grow the future of Dairy and all agriculture together! Learn more about the DFA Cares Scholarship >> https://bit.ly/3OOXXNY

Step into the world of pure imagination with DFA’s own Kerry Burke, technical applications culinary senior manager on our research and development team, who recently completed ‘candy school’ at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, brushing up on the manufacturing and food science of making candy. Taught since 1963, the two-week program in confectionary technology is considered the premier candy program in the United States. “We all need to refresh ourselves occasionally to stay current as consumer trends and expectations are always changing and evolving,” says Kerry, who takes dairy ingredients made from our farmer-owners’ milk and packages them in novel and unique ways for our customers. Along with candy experts at big names like The Hershey Company, Mars and Guittard Chocolate Company®, as well as smaller, independent candy makers, Kerry learned the secrets behind every confectionary delight you can imagine — from gummies to hard candies to fudge. The course included classroom time in the mornings and hands-on time at a pilot candy manufacturing plant in the afternoons. “By taking time away from the day-to-day, I was able to really focus and get fresh in the candy space,” he says. One sweet insight he brought back reinforced dairy’s essential role in chocolate-making. “Cocoa fat chemistry is very complex and to get great tasting chocolate with a great texture, you have to follow specific processing steps with exact temperatures throughout,” he says. Kerry says he’s excited to use what he learned to harness the potential of innovative ingredients DFA is developing to meet customer needs, whether that’s tweaking a product formulation to reduce sugar or creating something entirely new. “These types of professional development opportunities are so important as we strive to improve the bottom line for our farmers and meet the needs of our customers,” Kerry says.

Ever wonder how milk makes its way from farm to fridge? Meet Kate Spadgenske, a proud DFA farmer-owner at Spadgenske Dairy, who helps ensure every drop of milk meets the highest standards of care and quality. Here’s how Kate puts it: "We all know milk comes from cows, but want a glimpse behind the scenes? As a proud farmer-owner at @dfamilk, we’re #udderly dedicated to upholding the highest standards of care and comfort for our cows. At Spadgenske Dairy, our ladies have access to cozy barns, healthy diets, and plenty of TLC — because happy cows make the best milk! 🐄💛" From the milking parlor to your table, you can trust farming families like Kate's to deliver the quality milk you love.

We’re #DFAProud to cheer on Evan Deckers, long snapper for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and family member of Taft’s Milk and Maple Farm—a DFA family-owned farm in Huntington, Vermont—as he represents dairy farmers during the National Football League (NFL)'s #MyCauseMyCleats game! Evan’s custom cow-print cleats, designed by Stadium Custom Kicks, will be auctioned off after the game. All proceeds will support dairy farmers and programs that increase access to healthy foods through New England Dairy. Raised on hard work, family values, and fresh foods from his DFA farm, Evan embodies the spirit of farming and community. Catch the Buccaneers as they face the Las Vegas Raiders later today and join us in celebrating Evan’s story, which beautifully connects football and farming. Learn more in this post from New England Dairy >> https://bit.ly/4f1h1U9.

This #NationalIllinoisDay, we’re celebrating the dedication of DFA farmer-owners like Andy and Sarah Lenkaitis in St. Charles, Ill. As second-generation owners, they blend tradition with innovation, working to ensure the longevity of their farm. “This area has a really rich dairy history,” Sarah says. “There were over 140 farms and creameries in this area at one point in time.” Today, their milk goes into DFA farmer-owned brands you might recognize, like Kemps® and Dean’s® Dairy. About an hour’s drive west of Chicago, Lenkaitis Holsteins looks different today than it did when Andy’s parents started the farm in 1983. Now dotted with subdivisions, the once rural landscape has taken on a more suburban feel. The couple kept up with the times by building a new, temperature-controlled barn, adopting the latest technology and opening their barn doors to anyone interested in touring a modern dairy farm. “When we designed the barn, we wanted it to be good for the cows, good for the people working with the cows and to be good neighbors,” Sarah says. “All of those decisions add up to the farm being more sustainable from an economic, social and environmental perspective.” Step onto the farm and you’d find two robotic milkers that enable their 85 cows to be milked when they choose, cow collars with RFID tags to track each cow’s health and an automated manure system with a manure separator. With sustainability in mind, the manure goes full circle and is used as a natural fertilizer to grow the crops that feed their cows. “We didn't have any experience with robots when we started up,” Sarah says. “It was a big transition, but it was one we needed to make for the farm to be sustainable for the future.” The future is top of mind for the Lenkaitises, who have a six-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. “They love working alongside of us,” Sarah says. “Both with my husband on the crops and equipment side, and then following me around in the barn, too. We love having them involved. It's what we were brought up with and we appreciated it, and we hope they'll appreciate it one day, too.”