Press Releases
07/15/2022
Connecticut Milk Promotion Board Awards $500,000 To Increase Sales of Milk and Dairy Products
(HARTFORD, CT) –The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board (CT MPB), administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), has awarded three grants totaling $500,000 to projects that align with their strategic vision to increase purchases and expand the access of milk and dairy products to consumers, retailers, institutions, and other applicable outlets. The board’s mission is to develop, coordinate and implement promotional, research, and other programs designed to promote Connecticut dairy farms and milk consumption. The awards, determined through a competitive bidding process, effectively use promotion dollars to drive forward to achieve those goals.
“The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board is pleased to announce these awards which will build upon the work over the past year in alignment with our strategic vision plan,” said Chairman Paul Miller. “These awards are funded by dairy farmer checkoff dollars to increase awareness, access, and consumption of milk and dairy products"
Created in 2009, the CT MPB is a nine-member board of dairy farmers, state officials, and nutrition specialists formed to promote Connecticut dairy farms and the consumption of milk. The board is funded by Connecticut’s dairy farmers through checkoff dollars that can only be used for this purpose.
“I commend the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board for their dedication and vision to highlight the important role of Connecticut’s dairy farms as an essential food supplier and innovative industry working to mitigate the effects of climate change to create a more sustainable future for all,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “These efforts to educate consumers on where and how their food is produced are more important than ever as the marketplace shows an increased demand for ethical and sustainable products.”
Camelo Communications received a $200,000 award to develop and execute a comprehensive multimedia promotion plan that focuses on increasing the consumption of milk and dairy products in Connecticut through highlighting the benefits of dairy products and dairy farming to key consumer demographics.
New England Dairy Promotion Board received a $200,000 award to increase the purchase of fluid milk and dairy products by consumers, retailers, institutions, and other applicable outlets by developing, coordinating, and implementing promotional, research and other programs designed to promote Connecticut dairy farms and Connecticut milk consumption.
New England Dairy Promotion Board received a $100,000 award to increase engagement and communication channels with state dairy farmers on the use of Connecticut’s dairy checkoff funds and deliver strategies for dairy farms to interact with each other, and the public, to promote increased milk and dairy product consumption.
Connecticut is home to more than 85 dairy farms with 18,500 dairy cows which produced 434 million pounds of milk in 2021. It is the second largest agricultural sales sector in the state. To learn more about Connecticut dairy farms, visit CTDairy.org.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
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For Immediate Release: Friday, July 15, 2022
Contact: Rebecca Eddy, 860-573-0323, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov
