Meet Dairy West: Idaho’s new USDA-qualified Dairy Checkoff Program

MERIDIAN, Idaho (June 1, 2017) — The Idaho Dairy Products Commission, commonly known as United Dairymen of Idaho, has changed its name – “Dairy West” to better represent the evolving needs of the state’s dairy farm families.

Dairy West is a Qualified Program regulated by the USDA National Dairy Promotion & Research Board, just like the IDPC, plus it’s a 501(c)(6) entity. Karianne Fallow, CEO of United Dairymen of Idaho and now Dairy West, says the new organization will help the state’s dairy farmers and processors prosper throughout a broader geographic area that is otherwise limited by the IDPC’s scope.

“With Idaho being the fourth largest dairy producer in the country, much of our milk is made into products that are shipped beyond Idaho’s borders and even outside the U.S.,” she says. “Other regionalized dairy promotion organizations are enjoying success, so we’re confident Dairy West can help Idaho farmers better leverage their investment in the Dairy Checkoff Program and give them a strong collective voice that has a positive impact locally and globally.”

Created by and administered under the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 and the Dairy Promotion and Research Order, the Dairy Checkoff Program is a national producer and importer program for dairy foods promotion, research, and nutrition education. To fund the program, U.S. dairy farmers pay a 15-cents-per-hundredweight assessment on their milk and importers pay 7.5 cents per hundredweight on dairy products imported into the U.S.

Fallow says Dairy West will be able to recruit members from outside the Gem State — unlike the IDPC — but currently it only represents Idaho dairies. It will continue to perform all programming and health and nutrition initiatives previously managed by the United Dairymen of Idaho.

 

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