Insight With Sylvia Maus 061823 PA Dairymen's Association

June is Dairy Month and Dave Smith, Executive Director of the PA Dairymen's Association says, "Don't believe what you hear about chocolate and strawberry milk. Both are just as healthy as regular milk." Dave also talks about those awesome milkshakes and his partnership with Weis Markets.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I am Sylvia most and this isin Sight, a presentation of iHeartMedia,
where we really do care about ourlocal communities and all our listeners who live
here today, among other important things. We're going to take a look at
a recent controversy that's been spurred onby the United States Department of Agriculture.
Now, take seriously what the federalgovernment has to tell us. I don't

(00:21):
know about that. All I cansay is get those grains assault ready,
folks, because you're gonna love thisone. The Agriculture Department wants to ban
flavored milk options in school cafeterias bymaking changes to school nutrition standards. Basically,
what they're saying is that tiny littlecarton milk and kids get at lunchtime.
They think that the chocolate story starberrymilk is making the kids fat.

(00:42):
That's a bunch of bologne. Becauseof all the work that I've done educating
myself about nutrition and more importantly,what I've learned over the less couple of
years from my guests today, I'mgonna say fooie. I needed to find
out though, how this gentleman feltabout what the government had to say.
And let me say, the governmentbureaucrats. Dave Smith is a lifelong farmer
who's been taking care of all aspectsof his family's dairy farm for many,

(01:04):
many years. He's also the executivedirector of the Pennsylvania Derryman's Association. And
whether you know or not, ourDave has been before Congress about the plight
of the American farmer. And Icould go on and on and on.
So David, I always look forwardto seeing you. What is going on
with these people? Can you explain? Are they nuts or what? Seriously?

(01:26):
I mean, come on, yeah, Sylvia, you really you know
how to stir the pot with mebecause I am very passionate about this issue
and I can talk about a littlebit absolutely. Yeah, there's there's there's
a has been a listening period withthe United States Department of Agriculture and and
their dietary guidelines are suggested to thosefolks, and they haven't got a lot

(01:46):
of people, you know, givingsuggestions about curing and helping to diminish the
obesity and children across the United States. So they work at the school lunches
and they evaluate the ingredients that areallowed in school lunches. And one of
the issues that you've mentioned is justcome along, you know. So here

(02:07):
since the beginning of the year isthat there's a study going on and an
evaluation about um, the flavored milkthat is offered in some schools, flavored
milk maybe chocolate or strawberry milk.So children in schools possibly get an eight
ounced cart in the milk per day, and they want to limit that,

(02:29):
possibly limit that flavored milk in schoolsso that they want to reduce the sugar
content, which they are saying createsthe obesity in children. So I'm to
the point and a lot of ourdairy farmers are that we're very adamant that
the nutrition that milk gives those children, and some of those children it's it's

(02:51):
it's very limited what they get athome also, so we're very concerned about
the nutrition that they get in schools. And without that flavored milk, which
so many children do like, uh, Without that, we don't believe that
the children are going to even consumesome some of the low fat, unflavored
milks because they become a custom andlike the flavored milks. So this this

(03:15):
premise that taking away an ounced eightounce serving the flavored milk is going to
help reduce obesity in in all ourchildren. Is just really it's ludicrous in
our minds, it's just, um, it's silly. Well, it sounds
to me like there's a bunch ofpeople that are making decisions that don't have

(03:36):
anything to do, right. Imean, come on, Davey, why
aren't they checking like all the contentsugar, fat, salt that's in package
foods, Absolutely, the sodas.And that's one of the other points that
if we take away a good flavoredmilk from the children, they're going to
go to someplace else that's from somethingthat satisfies them. It could be soda

(04:00):
outside of school, or it couldbe the processed products that you've just mentioned,
And that's our concern. I said, I think sometimes when we get
into these evaluations and studies like theflavored milk in schools, were we're throwing
out the baby with the bathwater insome ways. So, you know,
I think we need to bring reasonto the table. Certainly, there is

(04:24):
there is some amount of sugar inchocolate and flavoring, absolutely, but it's
a trade off in our minds.It said, do you want them to
get the nutrition of milk or doyou want them to go somewhere else where
they're going to get the sodas orflavored drinks, and they're going to consume
their calories and their sugar in thatway, which is worse than anything that's

(04:45):
right, And stay tuned for what'sgoing to happen with this one. You
know, I remember asking one timebefore we were in I think this is
something that we have to talked abouttoo. You talked about no fat,
low fat, two percent, andwhole milk. And there really isn't that
much difference in whole milk as faras fat content. Better off drinking whole
milk, right, Well, that'sabsolutely correct, and and that's another battle

(05:08):
that our dairy farmers have been fightingfor over ten years. In Washington,
DC, USDA about ten years agoUM mandated that children in schools were only
allowed skim milk or one percent milkin their school lunches. Uh. And
we we are very adamant that wethink they deserve whole milk, which children
are like like more. I personallylike the flavor of whole milk more than

(05:30):
the than the skim milk. Andit's again, it's a situation where let's
give them that whole milk so thatthey can, uh, you know,
get the the nutrition that milk providesthem. But also the whole situation with
whole milk in schools is that there'sa lot of new studies that have come
out in the last ten fifteen yearsthat are talking about that there is need

(05:56):
for our diets to have some fatin. At one time, we saw
this big shift that we can't haveany fat in or diets do away with
it, you know, and it'sgoing to cure all everything. There's a
need for some fats in our dietsfor brain development, children's development also.
So I don't think these people fromDC hadn't much milk grown up, do
you, Dave Well, I don'tknow, but they have. They have

(06:17):
another side of a viewpoint to that. And the fat in milk, they're
saying provides calories that children don't need, and we're debating that with them.
We think that the children need thewhole milk. They also need the access
to flavored milk in schools so thatthey get the nutrition that they deserve.

(06:38):
One last question about nutrition, andthis is very important. Cows. Okay,
does chocolate milk come from brown cows? And oh, you're leading me
astray, no chocolate milks up wellmore, seriously, tell us about the
economic impact that the dairy industry doeshave on the common Wealth of Pennsylvania.

(07:00):
Sure, you know, and Ireally appreciate you inviting and talking to me
today because June's dairy month. It'sa special month for us. The dairy
industry in Pennsylvania is a huge segmentof our industry and agriculture and our corporate
the commonwealth economy. Actually, there'sover twelve point six billion dollars generated from

(07:20):
the dairy farms in Pennsylvania, althoughmany, many, many of those farms
are our family operations. And Ithink we have over five thousand dairy farms
in Pennsylvania, the second largest ofdairy number of dairy farms in the United
States. Wow, Wow, isn'tit the your association, the Dairhamans Association.

(07:41):
Isn't that the oldest type of thistype of association in the country.
I think it is, isn't it. Yes, the Pennsylvania Dairhaman's Association is
a nonprofit organization, but it's evolvedthrough the years. Actually, it's over
one hundred years old. It startedin Crawford County. Many many, many
years ago and it just kind ofevolved. So we are one of the
oldest organizations for dairy and Pennsylvania.Okay. One of the things when I

(08:03):
say, Dave from the Dairyman's Association, got to be honest with your Dave,
it's the milkshakes. And you adone heck of a deal or of
a job branding those milkshakes, becausethat's what people talk about all the time,
but people may not realize that you'vemade a lot of money for area
charities by selling these milkshakes. Tellus about that, I mean the Phil

(08:24):
Glass with Hope campaign. Talk tome about that. Yeah, what we
do with the Dairyman's Association, weare a nonprofit organization. We sell milkshakes
and good milkshakes we believe, ohyeah, so that we can raise some
money to give back into agriculture.And it's been a real, really neat
thing, actually a blessing in mylife to see some of the things that
we've done. And one of thethings that you mentioned is a program called

(08:46):
phil a Glass with Hope where it'sa it's a program where we've engaged with
different organizations and feeding Pennsylvania where weraise money so that we can give the
Feeding Pennsylvania Organization funds so that theycan purchase fresh fluid milk for their food
bank clients. It's really a neatdeal. Since twenty sixteen, the program

(09:11):
has raised enough money to purchase overthirty four million servings of milk for Pennsylvanians.
And uh, you know, theseare people that you know, whether
whether it's a family situation or ajob situation that's gotten them down, but
that money goes directly to to tohelp them with the nutrition of milk.
And it's been a neat development forus. So it's been for the Pennsylvania

(09:37):
Dairyman's Association and myself just so soneat to see that evolve and grow.
We've done a couple of things andone of those things is just this month
where we partner with Wise Markets.They brought in a bunch of different partners,
have donated a bunch of money.Actually, they announced a couple of
weeks ago at the beginning of Juneannouncement of forty five thousand dollars um.

(10:01):
They've they've grown it to the pointwhere at wise Markets, every individual that
goes into Wise Markets cans round upat the cash register to help with the
program. I've done that, sohave I two cents or ninety cents,
you know, and it just everylittle bit helps. Um, we all
know you know that you've mentioned aboutcommunities. It takes a village to get
things done, and uh, we'repart of that village and we're proud of

(10:24):
that. Well, you know what, Dave, one of the people that
has been so supportive of this community. One of the businesses is renewaled by
Anderson next week. I think whatis what's the data? I think it's
on the on the twentieth. Yeah. Uh, well, before we talk
about that, let's talk about whathad happened in Lancaster with the police.
That's really set up with that onetoo. What did you do with the

(10:46):
police? Yeah, on June secondof this past month or Dairy month,
we had the Lancaster Police Department reachedout to us and they had a mission
to have more community involvement in downtownLancaster, which is really neat aspect of
them. They wanted to meet thepeople with the community and they want to
have interaction. So through some contactsand dairy farmers, we had a dairy

(11:09):
event there. We had a coupleof baby calves that were brought in so
the community could see them on aFriday night on their first Friday, and
we had some sponsors that helped theDairyman's Association, and we gave away milkshakes.
So the police department there, whichis really cool. They were there
handing out the milkshakes to the peoplein the community to come through. They

(11:30):
had a little conversation with them,just it was just a really neat thing
to happen on that first Friday inLancaster downtown. You must go home with
a happy face all the time,don't you. How come most of the
time. Well, let's get backto Renewal by Anderson because Linda, oh
my goodness, every time you turnaround that ladies making donations to really great
organizations. Fell us about that nextweek, well, and on the twentieth,

(11:52):
we've made a partnership with Renewal byAnderson, great organization, and we're
going to be out at their locationand we're gonna where is that that's on
the Carlisle Pike. I think onthe Carlisle Pike is their office. And
what we're gonna do is on thatday on the twentieth is Renewal by Anderson
is going to sponsor some free milkshakesthere, hundred free milkshakes the first people

(12:16):
there, and then after that theDairyman's Association will sell them. So renewab
by Anderson at Their location is fortyeight fifty six Carlisle Pike in mc Banksburg.
So the first hundred people there geta free milkshake. And that's next
Tuesday, June twentieth, from noonto five o'clock. That's correct, That's
awesome, Dave. A thing thatI'm also I mean I just said to
day before we start taking this program, is that before you came along and

(12:41):
the people to support you, wedidn't know about the Dairyman's Association. Now
it is exploded and everybody wants topart with you, partner, because you're
doing such wonderful stuff. One ofthe things is that you have a foundation
that you hope will ensure the futureof agriculture in Pennsylvania. Talk to us
about that. Well, you havethe you give away scholarship. Yeah,

(13:03):
we act as a as a foundation, as a nonprofit. So as I
mentioned earlier, UM, you knowwe we we sell milkshakes so we can
give you money back in the community. Um, we mentioned filled glass with
hope. But we do a lotof other things and it's really cool to
see that happen. Uh. There'suh we partner with some other organizations and
some scholarships. Uh. In fact, those scholarships were just recently given out.

(13:24):
I think we gave away about adozen three thousand scholars three thousand dollars
scholarships to some rising college students,which is really really an awesome effort.
Um. Something else that we dothat is very impactful, I believe is
we help finance some some internships.So we match some farms where some students,

(13:46):
uh, they need some experience beforethey get out in the job world,
and we match them up with somefarms where they can work for a
summer, just for a three monthstint and you know, go into those
farms. Um. There's some otherprograms that we we are invested it heavily
in the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess program.And I'd love to bring some of those
dairy princesses in here sometime against Sylviabecause you queen, give me a bus.

(14:09):
Yeah there you go. You knowwhat, now you got my wheels
turning here? Now, Sylvia.I used to be the progate Queen comes
on from the coal region, soI know how to handle the duties.
So these these ladies, Uh,it's it's it's it's spread out across the
counties where they have dairy princess programs, but these have these young girls and
they get in this program. Butit's just awesome for me to see the

(14:31):
development they they progress over a year'stime. Uh. You know, you
and I Sylvia have some time andpractice talking in front of the microphones and
talking to people, but these aregirls get good experienced speaking in front of
people, and they grow immensely andthey are able to communicate with people at
a different level. And we're happyto have that happen so that they can

(14:54):
communicate about the dairy farms in Pennsylvania. Yeah, and that's great because you
know what, these aren't just girlsthat and as they look at me,
I'm pretty these girls know about agriculture. A lot of them grew up in
family farms. They did the work, how about it. They are their
advocates and it's really neat to tellto hear them tell their story about what
happened, you know, what theydid on their farm. Maybe that morning

(15:16):
they feed the calves or they talkabout different things. So it's really really
an awesome program. You and Ihad talked once before about the way the
future is going AI and all thatbologna. But what people don't realize that
also crosses over into agriculture. Soanybody who's interested in that, check out
the biggest industry in Pennsylvania. Weneed you right right. So many people

(15:37):
think that agriculture or dairy farms iscareers on the farm, and they think
that maybe you need to be bornin an aspect. But as you talked
about AI and the technology involved inall these things, agriculture and the dairy
industry goes so much further. There'scareers in biotechnology, in the seeds that

(15:58):
are developed, for the crops thatthat are grown for the cattle, and
the feed. Uh, there's somany different things. So it's so broad
um in career opportunities, and Ithink I think people um maybe are a
little narrow viewed about what opportunities arethey're in agriculture because it's immense. There's

(16:18):
there's careers in all aspects of ofof agriculture. That's right, and I'm
sure it's a lot of hard work. But but it's worth it. Well,
you know, the careers I thinkthat that are in agriculture are very
rewarding. I believe um careers thatfor people that they're they're providing the food

(16:41):
that we eat. Uh, We'rewe're providing food that is sustainable for our
society. And I think that's,uh, that's very fulfilling for for many
people to understand that they're part ofthat. They're part of that system growing,
growing food and developing food for thegenerations to come. How do we
shut these people? I should maybeI shouldn't be asking you, but is

(17:02):
there any option for people that hearstuff and know because they've educated themselves about
nutrition and things like milk? Iguess the best thing is to write your
congress person A boy, I'll tellyou what those grassroots efforts really impact these
people? Well, right, um, you know some of these issues are
so at such a high level.You know that that that is that's the

(17:22):
excellent way is to make your makeyour voice heard about about the things that
are going on. And I appreciatethat you've asked me that question because very
few people have any it's not evenon their radar that you know now that
the USDA wants to take flavored milksout of the schools possibly, So it's
important for us to communicate with otherpeople. And if you you're passionate about
it and have a have an opinionabout it, talk to your state and

(17:47):
your your US representatives. I knowevery year your big deal is the farm
Show, and I wanted to askyou this, how do you decide?
Like I've been I've been up toyou after you for many, many years,
David about this peanut butter milk shape. I guess you don't. What
can I say? A queen canonly ask so much, right, But

(18:07):
how do you decide on that I'mthe milk shape? Because you're so popular?
Yeah, you know, it's it'sreally it's really fun because we get
our marketing team together and we starttalking about it, and you know,
all those this is June and we'relooking six months down the road. Amazingly,
there's many many conversations and plans inplace already for the two thousand and
twenty four farm show in January.Yeah, so we get a team together

(18:30):
and we we we we start talkingabout it and say, hey, you
know, how do we want toplan for next January? And uh,
many times we put it to avote, so's it's the queen doesn't always
win. It goes to Amy aboutit? Where are you? Like?
I know you have this thing calledrenewal by Anderson. First thing I'd like

(18:52):
to ask you is what about everything? Like I said, you grew up
in this in this industry and youput him on the map. Would you
like people to know about the farmingindustry, about the importance of it,
everything that we may not have touchedupon. What do you think about because
I mean you can say all thesethings and I can say them, but
I have not lived on a farm. Yeah, that's a great question.

(19:15):
You know. One of the thingsthat I'd like to to speak to is
that UM many many of these decisionsabout how UM policy, how how decisions
are made about the food products areare developed, and the practices that are
farms farmers used to develop to togrow our food and harvest our food.

(19:36):
UM many of those are are madeat at a level not on the farms.
And uh, I think the biggestthing I want to mention is that
that these farmers um their their farmfamilies just like you and I and and
they have UM hot good days andthey have bad days, and I think
it's very important that that if youhave questions about some of those things,

(20:00):
find a farmer and ask the questionfrom a farmer and not somebody else that's
on the peripheral and making some decisionsfor those people. Is it like someone
telling you how to raise your childwhen they've never had children? Pretty much?
You got it, You got aQueen Sylvia. That's okay my subject.

(20:21):
What I also wanted to ask youis you had mentioned about the preparation
for the farm show. What's goingon down the road the rest of the
year. You guys going to beout with your what do you call it,
your momobile milkshakes on the move andwe have some milkshake trucks on the
road and they get booked quite quickly. We're very very busy with that,

(20:42):
serving some milkshakes throughout the year.Also, I want to ask you your
website and what people can find onthe website. And I know you do
a lot of outreach where children areconcerned, Like kids love it when you
come in there. I don't thinkyou take a cow in there, do
it into the classrooms? But whatdo you do? No, we haven't
done that yet, but that's oneof the one of the programs we do

(21:03):
support is through Pennsylvania Farm Show.It's a agg in the classroom where they
take a lab with a projects aroundto too many that many did schools to
talk about agriculture. So um,So that's the situation's going on to educate
young people and through the through thenext six months, you know, we'll
be planning for the Pennsylvania Farm Showand have the milkshakes on the move truck

(21:26):
out there in the communities. Howdo we support you? People are listening
out there, They're gonna listen,Dave, because I started trouble by bringing
that up. Now I'm kidding.But if people say we care, we
care, we care. Uh,let's see if you care. I mean
you've got wonderful people because of thebecause of the milkshakes. I mean you
you run out of milkshake stuff.I'm sure. I mean you, like

(21:48):
I said, you really branded yourself. People didn't know before then it was
the milkshake and everything that was behindit. Yeah. Um, how can
people help good? Another good question? And I'm gonna say this from the
perspect of our Pennsylvania farmers, andI think it's very important for our farmers
and our consumers. But our consumerscan help most by by looking now and
seeking local, locally produced products.UM. You know, look for a

(22:11):
PA preferred label on those products asmeans it's produced in Pennsylvania. You can
ask the question where was this productUM grown or produced? UM. Many
many of our stores just because oflogistics, they do bring food in from
sometimes other countries and other parts ofthe world. So so my my thing

(22:33):
would be if you really are dedicatedto supporting our farmers by by locally produced
products and those those UM, thoseproducts helped to support our local farms and
economies. Have you seen things changewith these campaigns over the years. I
mean I know I have, Butas a farmer, have you and I
know you're testified before Congress a fewyears ago. Has was there any impact

(22:59):
did you you had to say,have any impact on them? And with
the organization for as active as youor have you seen positive changes? I
have seen positive changes, and andI'm I'm certain it's it's not just because
of my input. It's the it'sthe input of many, many individuals.
It's it's many voices that are outthere just you know, helping to drive

(23:19):
that policy and those changes. Soit's it's it's never one or two people
that are are are making you knowthat uh, that input, it's many
voices. Do you drink milk taveabsolutely, okay. Do you drink it
before is pasteurized? I do notm The milk that I get is from
a store, okay, and it'spasturized maybe. And you know, when

(23:42):
we think about cows, we thinkabout a farmer sitting on the stool,
talk about technology and the way thingsare moving quickly. It's not that way
anymore, is it. Well,it's not at all. Um there there's
automatic milking machines and many of ourmost progressive farms right now I have moved
on to even robotic milkers where thelabor situation is one where the labor is

(24:06):
short and they've made investment in someof the technology and the machines are put
on the cows and so much ofit is automated. It it's incredible that
the changes in the last twenty years, thirty years around agriculture. And you're
going to keep that going through youryour organization. One more time before we
wrap things up, tell me againyour websited rest. We can find a
lot of stuff we talked about todayor as always I say contact me,

(24:29):
I'll contact Dave. But also theevent next Tuesday on the twentieth at Renewal
by Anderson. Yeah. Well,the website's padariumans dot com. UM we
we're just working on a new revisedone that we're coming out here pretty soon.
Has some some tidbits about what wedo UH sometimes and where we're giving
money away, but also to I'dlike to send people to our Facebook page,

(24:52):
which is UH is informational for manypeople. UM has has things like
the Renewal by Anderson event and somedifferent things that we're going to do with
the community, so people can checkus out there about where we are and
where we're going to be. David, you never disappoint your humble You inspire
me. But one thing I requestis if you could keep on inspiring us

(25:15):
here at the station by continuing tobring those shakes in force once in a
while, we will do that foryou. Queen Sylvia, thank you,
dear, thank you. If youhappen to miss Insight this weekend, it's
always available on your iHeart podcasts orand lots of other podcasts apps. David
so much, thank you, somuch for coming in. Dave is Dave
Smith, the executive director, executivedirector of the Pennsylvania David, Who are

(25:37):
you. I'm the executive director ofthe Pennsylvania Dayman's Association. Thank you,
thank you. I'm Sylvia Moss.This has been insight Thank you for listening.
To see you next week.