ATLANTA, Ga. — Farrah Newberry, the newly selected CEO of The Dairy Alliance sees untapped opportunities for the Southeast and fluid milk is key despite some regional handicaps.

Nationally, fluid milk sales saw a brief lift in 2024 before returning to long-term decline as inflation pressured consumers. The Southeast faces additional constraints, with limited processing diversification and heavy reliance on HTST bottling. Still, Newberry sees potential.

The region’s population is growing rapidly, and she believes cultural connections in cooking and hospitality, the athletic landscape, and shifting school milk conversations can help fluid milk regain momentum.

“Our region is unique,” she told Farmshine. “Consumer education remains critical for dispelling misconceptions about milk and highlighting its affordability and nutritional benefits.”

She is candid about processing challenges, emphasizing the need for targeted investments and consumer-focused initiatives to reinforce milk’s value.

“As a region, we remain steadfast in keeping fluid milk at the heart of everything we champion,” she said. “Our commitment is to showcase milk’s versatility and its role in performance and community health.”

Power in partnerships

With fewer checkoff dollars than other regions, the Southeast relies on collaboration. Newberry highlighted powerful partnerships with the Tennessee Dairy Promotion Committee (TDPC), the Virginia State Dairy Association (VSDA), and Georgia Milk Producers (GMP). These organizations are helping fund equipment, expand school programs, and extend The Dairy Alliance’s reach.

“Having industry support is huge for us,” she said. “We can place more grants in these schools. My goal is to build better partnerships to leverage opportunities that support the farms already here.”

Relationship-building is something she thrives on. She begins each morning reading to stay up-to-date on policy, pricing, and consumer trends, and spends significant time reaching out to industry partners to understand their needs and stay connected to on-farm and marketplace realities.

Four focus areas

While Newberry has not released a formal framework, her comments reflect four interlocking focus areas representing the strengths of the Southeast.

Fluid milk at the center: The Southeast remains one of the most fluid-dependent regions in the U.S., making milk quality, coldness, and experience especially important, particularly in schools.

Athletics: With the ACC and SEC college sports deeply woven into Southern culture, Newberry sees milk’s protein and recovery profile as a natural fit for student athletes and overall health and fitness.

Southern culinary heritage: Milk is foundational in Southern cooking, and she sees an opportunity to grow its presence in home kitchens, hospitality, and family traditions.

Community nutrition and food access: After years of weather-related and supply-chain disruptions, she sees increasing opportunity to strengthen local partnerships to channel more milk into food banks and support nutrition education.

Ice cold school milk

More than 300 dispensers in 216 schools across 94 districts have been placed through Dairy Alliance and partnering funds and grants from TDPC, VSDA, GMP, and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Early results are significant. In Tennessee, for example, schools with milk dispensers report about a 33% increase in milk movement.

State legislatures are also leaning in, passing or considering whole-milk-in-schools legislation even though federal rules still override them. Newberry views these moves as underpinning their preparation to flip-the-switch on the day federal restrictions change.

“Cold milk tastes better,” she said. “Even if it’s still 1% right now, it tastes better delivered cold from a dispenser. It’s kind of crazy how well it grows.”

Removing school barriers

The transition hasn’t been without hurdles. Sourcing bagged milk for the dispensers was initially challenging, but processors adapted fast.

“DFA and their brands have really stepped up and started producing more bagged milk because of the demand,” she said.

Cardboard shortages have affected half-pint carton availability, so the dispensers change the dynamic and prove themselves able to keep schools consistent with fresh milk service to kids.

Some cafeterias struggled with lifting heavy bags, so The Dairy Alliance worked with partners to design lifting aids and support transitions to systems that are easier for staff to manage.

National first in Tennessee

A milestone came in October, when Kingsport City Schools in Tennessee launched the nation’s first Udderly Cold Portable Milk Dispensers. Each rolling stainless-steel unit loads multiple 5-gallon bags below the knee, making it easier for staff to handle.

“This program marks an important step forward in supporting student health and sustainable nutrition,” Newberry said. “By providing an innovative way of delivering dairy milk directly to students, we help schools encourage lifelong healthy habits.”

Interest is now spreading beyond schools to hotels, hospitals, and foodservice operations — opening new consumer opportunities through new delivery channels for ice-cold milk.

Return on farmer investment

Producer associations value the milk dispenser program because the results are measurable. Schools track increased consumption and reduced packaging waste, a sustainability win. Cafeteria staff report smoother service and fewer storage and disposal issues.

“This is where we can show that having a good, tasty product really does make a difference,” Newberry said. “It’s easy when you talk to partners and can show that return on investment.”

Leadership rooted in people

Known for rolling up her sleeves and digging into the work, Newberry deflects attention from herself and focuses instead on the farmers and staff at the center of the mission, showing gratitude as well for the powerful partnerships.

“We have a strong team that wants to continue to serve dairy farmers,” she said, believing The Dairy Alliance is building on a solid foundation by focusing on what farmers value, ensuring programs deliver results, and drawing partners together to position the Southeast dairy sector for the future.