Connecticut Milk Promotion Board Awards $660,000 to Increase Consumption and Expand Access of Milk and Dairy Products

The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board (CT MPB), administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), has awarded three grants totaling $660,000 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 promotion, research, and other programs designed to elevate Connecticut dairy farms and milk consumption.
 
“The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board is committed to using dairy farmer checkoff dollars to increase awareness, access, and consumption of milk and dairy products in alignment with our strategic vision plan,” said CT MPB Chairman Seth Bahler. “We are pleased to continue working with established partners who have the expertise and capacity to continue building upon prior efforts in a cohesive manner.”
 
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.  The awards, determined through a competitive bidding process, will cover a two-year period to effectively use checkoff dollars to attain the stated goals and outcomes.
 
“The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board’s move to a two-year award cycle will allow for greater continuity of messaging during a critical time for the state’s dairy industry as they address consumer demands for ethical and sustainable products,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “Connecticut’s dairy farms are essential to the state’s agricultural sector, while also providing a nutritious product and tackling climate change initiatives head on to better the communities surrounding them.”
 
Camelo Communications received a $260,000 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 $260,000 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 $140,000 award to increase engagement and communication channels with state dairy farmers, 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 430 million pounds of milk in 2022. It is the second largest agricultural sales sector in the state. To learn more about Connecticut dairy farms, visit CTDairy.org.