Here we go folks, the first top 10 list of 2007! This one comes from our friends at Midwest Dairy Association and DMI and wraps up the top check-off gains from last year. Your investments have been hard at work! To read more detailed information about each numbered point, click here

“Much of our success this year is due to powerful new partnerships we have established that help provide consumers dairy products when, where and how they want them,” said Tom Gallagher, chief executive officer of Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff program. “Dairy producers, through their checkoff investment, have strategically partnered with national restaurant chains, schools, dairy manufacturers, retailers, health professional organizations, and others to drive innovation and dairy product and ingredient sales.” Through partnerships like these and others, the checkoff program has resulted in more than $200 million of industry investment in the past year alone. Gallagher highlighted several accomplishments in 2006 that provide long-term value to the nation’s dairy producers, including:

1. More than 6,000 schools now offer milk in plastic bottles on the school meal line.
2. Burger King® and Sonic® Drive-In introduce single-serve milk in plastic bottles in 10,000-plus restaurants nationwide.
3. Industry partnerships extend cheese promotion and marketing efforts.
4. Dairy ingredient marketing efforts build demand for millions of pounds of additional milk volume.
5. U.S. dairy exports set records for volume.
6. 3-A-Day of Dairy partnerships help increase milk, cheese and yogurt sales.
7. Producer-funded nutrition research and education helps promote dairy as part of a healthy diet.
8. Producer-funded campaigns educate consumers about the benefits of 3-A-Day of Dairy for bone health.
9. Product and technology innovation helps increase sales.
10. New Web site educates the public about modern dairy farms.