The Midwest Dairy Association recently named a new CEO for the first time in 35 years. Lucas Lentsch, with his long-standing, diverse experience in agriculture, took the helm with ease. Jamie Johansen spoke with him during NAFB’s Trade Talk to discuss some of the organization’s latest campaigns and new partnerships.
Midwest Dairy Association has partnered with YUM! Brands, which includes Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell. Lentsch said the relationship is an opportunity to form partnerships and collaborations between international businesses and U.S. dairy farmers.
“This company is in 140 countries, representing 43,000 restaurants, that’s essentially one restaurant for every U.S. dairy farmer, that’s the kind of global marketplace that we’re starting to have relationships we can leverage into.”
Lentsch also highlighted a $30 million equipment grant from USDA which will help ensure public schools have access to the equipment that keeps the milk and milk products served during the day properly cooled, as well as recent research that shows the health benefits of animal fats like butter.
As the new CEO of Midwest Dairy Association, Lentsch is committed to connecting with dairy farmers, with personal goals surrounded on bringing together the industry as the association moves forward in the implementation of these exciting new plans.
“Understanding who our investors are, and that’s our dairy farm families, has to be our number one baseline as we go forward as a checkoff,” said Lentsch. “We have to be connected and we have to have trust and transparency between our stakeholders.”
Learn more in Jamie’s full interview with Lucas here:
Interview with Lucas Lentsch, Midwest Dairy Association
View and download photos from the event here: 2016 NAFB Convention
