By Katie Spring, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
In October, USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt visited Vermont to announce the launch of the Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP) program. This new $15 million program will expand school and youth program access to organic dairy products.
Funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the program will increase consumption of organic dairy products among children and young adults while creating new opportunities for small and mid-sized organic dairy producers. Four national Dairy Business Innovation Centers, including the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) in Vermont, will each be granted $3.75 million to facilitate the new program.
“Expanding access to a variety of organic dairy products in schools and community programs promotes healthy consumption habits and strengthens local dairy markets,” said Under Secretary Moffitt. “Announcing the Organic Dairy Product Promotion program during National Farm to School Month is yet another way to celebrate USDA’s commitment to connecting producers to new, local markets and providing youth with healthy, fresh dairy products from nearby farms.”
Read more about the program on the NE-DBIC website: nedairyinnovation.com/usda-organic-dairy-outreach
Caption: Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets Anson Tebbetts and USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt toast with organic milk in Vermont last month.