The Dairy Alliance brings dairy exhibits to eight Southeast state fairs

The Dairy Alliance is taking interactive dairy education to eight state fairs across the Southeast from August through October. The events are designed to connect fairgoers with dairy farmers, showcase local products, and support youth agriculture programs.

Why it matters: - The state fair tour gives consumers a direct look at the people and products behind dairy foods. - The exhibits are designed to strengthen dairy farmer education, consumer connection, youth agriculture and community engagement. - The effort spans eight states where The Dairy Alliance already works to promote dairy foods and dairy industry knowledge.

What happened: - The Dairy Alliance is presenting dairy-focused exhibits, activities and food experiences at eight Southeast state fairs this summer and fall. - The tour opened at the Tennessee State Fair in August and will end in October with fairs in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina running at the same time. - The Alliance is using interactive displays, educational programming and product sampling at each venue. - The Dairy Alliance is directing visitors to more information and to @TheDairyAlliance on Facebook and Instagram.

The details: - At the Tennessee State Fair, the “From Our Farm to Your Family” campaign featured a virtual reality farm tour, a “Chill Like a Cow” display and activities tied to Lee Family Farm, Sweetwater Valley Farm and Davis Brothers Dairy. - Tennessee fairgoers could sample Sweetwater Valley Farm cheese and learn how local dairy farms support their communities. - At the Kentucky State Fair, the program included educational displays, giveaways, a costume contest and a cheese auction benefiting youth participants. - The Kentucky effort was done with the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and dairy processor Terry Rowlett. - Kentucky fairgoers also had milkshakes, ice cream and grilled cheese while learning how local dairy moves from farms to tables. - At the North Carolina Mountain State Fair, visitors can use the “Chill Like a Cow” display, take part in trivia and giveaways, and visit the “Got to be NC Dairy” booth with documentary-style farm-to-family videos. - At the Virginia State Fair, The Dairy Alliance will sponsor a 4-H dairy food challenge in which teams create a dish using dairy as a key ingredient. - At the North Carolina State Fair, The Dairy Alliance will partner with N.C. State University, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and the N.C. Dairy Producers Association to sell milk and dairy promotional items in the Got to Be NC display area in Dorton Arena. - Proceeds from the North Carolina State Fair sales will support dairy youth organizations. - The North Carolina State Fair lineup also includes an agriculture scavenger hunt, a cinema area with agriculture videos, and additional exhibits tied to the N.C. State virtual dairy tour display. - At the South Carolina State Fair, the “Chill Like a Cow” exhibit will return in a family-friendly format. - At the Alabama National Fair, The Dairy Alliance is sponsoring a state dairy quiz bowl for middle and high school students and prizes for youth dairy showmanship livestock competitions. - At the Mississippi State Fair, the Ag-Venture Barn will offer dairy materials and “Chill Like a Cow” displays. - Prairie Farms will distribute milk at the Mississippi State Fair as part of the dairy promotion effort. - At the Georgia National Fair, The Dairy Alliance will distribute 20,000 cartons of milk over 10 days. - Houston County FFA students will help manage the Georgia booth. - Georgia fairgoers will also see a commercial dairy heifer show, a dress-the-cow contest and live milking demonstrations through the Mobile Dairy Classroom. - The Georgia activities will include baby calves and other hands-on views of dairy production. - The Dairy Alliance is a nonprofit funded by dairy farm families in the Southeast. - The organization works with farmers, schools, sports teams, health professionals, local organizations, state leaders, the media and the public. - The Alliance’s core footprint covers Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Between the lines: - The fair circuit doubles as marketing, education and workforce development for the dairy sector. - Youth contests, 4-H programming and FFA participation point to a long-term effort to build future industry support. - The repeated “Chill Like a Cow” exhibit suggests a shared, branded message across states rather than one-off local activations.

What's next: - The remaining state fair stops run through October, with several fairs taking place in the same date window. - The Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina fairs are set to overlap in October. - The Dairy Alliance will continue using fairs as a platform to connect consumers with dairy farmers and local dairy products.