DURLACH, Pa. — Beyond the discussion of challenges and next steps for whole milk in schools, the recent 97 MILK meeting at the Durlach Fire Hall gave farmers a clearer picture of what this volunteer non-profit is accomplishing and why the next phase depends on more people stepping in to help.

Chairman and farmer G.N. Hursh reminded attendees that 97 MILK was founded as a consumer education effort. Seven years in, that mission continues through the website, social media and face-to-face events.

Congressman Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, a guest of honor at the meeting, talked about what comes next after the policy win.

“We’ve lost one, maybe two generations of milk drinkers,” he said, noting that students who grew up with a poor milk experience are now parents. Rebuilding that connection will take more than policy; it will take the kind of outreach being described in the room.

Thompson reflected on the bill’s signing, noting the milk jug on the President’s desk came from Washington D.C.’s last operating dairy, Thompson Dairy — no relation, but a fitting coincidence.

“I told the President we’ve been working on this for 15 years. He couldn’t believe it,” Thompson said. “In the end, there’s not a single member of Congress that voted against it.”

That level of support shows how far the conversation has shifted, and Thompson credited 97 MILK’s work as a key reason.

Jackie Behr, the organization’s volunteer marketing manager, described 97 MILK as a hub for milk facts, downloadable materials, Q&A resources and promotional items.

“It is not a static website,” Behr said. “It is continually being refreshed and used.”

She reported more than 9000 website visitors for the year, with monthly traffic ranging from 600 to 1000 visits. Some users type “97 Milk” directly into their browser, while others arrive via Facebook, Google searches or referral links from agribusiness websites — a way businesses can support the effort by putting a link to 97milk.com on their own websites.

Paid Facebook advertising accounts for about 11% of traffic, while most of 97 MILK’s digital reach happens without boosting posts, indicating the strong natural interest stimulated by valuable content.

Still, engagement is a work in progress. Just 30% of website visitors go beyond the home page.

“We want to capture more of them and get them to go to the other pages,” said Behr, adding that they are looking at the data and making adjustments to gauge response.

On Facebook and Instagram, 97 MILK posts six days a week, blending whole milk facts, dairy information, recipes, positive messaging and shareable content. As of late March, the page had just under 21,000 followers and averages 7300 daily views through mostly unpaid reach.

“We could spend more time if we had more help. It could definitely go farther,” Behr said.

She also showed how online traffic ties directly to in-person events. A large mid-December spike aligned with “Christmas with the Cows” on a Ronks dairy farm, with similar patterns around other outreach efforts.

“These events drive so much traffic to our social media and the 97milk.com website. I know that because I can track it,” she said.

That connection came into focus as 97 MILK secretary and farmer Chris Landis shared his experience working the Denver Area Fair and Community Day.

“That was not exactly where I wanted to be on a Saturday in October,” he admitted, but he went and it changed his perspective.

“I talked to people outside my comfort zone, and every time I do that, it ends up being extremely satisfying,” Landis said. “They’re exactly the people we have to reach.”

After the event, Behr showed him the spike in website and social media traffic.

“He was excited and said ‘my time actually did something,’” she recalled. “It’s not as bad as you think it is to volunteer. It really isn’t.”

That connection — between conversation and measurable impact — showed how more volunteers can multiply the reach. A conversation becomes a web visit. A visit becomes a follow. Over time, the engagement shapes consumer perspectives.

Behr also shared the financial reality of operating on a shoestring budget, relying on donations, including a small number of farmers doing 97 MILK’s voluntary checkoff, bringing in $500 to $600 per month.

“The donations are what keep 97 MILK going,” she said, adding that some farmers are participating in ways the group may not always see, by downloading materials or purchasing handouts, banners, and signs to use at events in their home communities across Pennsylvania and beyond.

For example, a dairy farmer in Erie left a voicemail that he couldn’t attend the meeting, but had purchased multiple banners, worked several events, and was sharing materials locally.

Also attending from upstate New York were Duane Spaulding, Jay Hoyt and Ann Diefendorf — known as the Three Farmers Who Care — who have been actively doing events for six years.

“Just show up and do it,” Hoyt said.

The trio described long days hauling milk to events, setting up, serving thousands and tearing down late at night. In the past two years, some support has come through the 10-cent portion of the 15-cent mandatory checkoff overseen in New York State by the Department of Ag & Markets. They applied for and received a grant from the N.Y. Dairy Promotion Advisory Board to help offset expenses and fund a milk dispenser, but the Three Farmers Who Care continue to volunteer their time.

“Thank goodness for everyone in this room,” Spaulding said. “We can all be super proud that we did this, on a big scale, at the grassroots level, for the children.”

Several milk bottlers in New York have reported stronger milk sales tied to the visibility and direct consumer engagement created at these events, he added.

For Diefendorf, it’s not just engagement but preparation — painting wrapped round bales, bale caps, signs and wagons. “They get attention, that’s for sure,” she said.

During the meeting, a question was raised about national checkoff support for whole milk in schools.

“They are saying the right things,” Hursh reported from his discussions with leadership, adding that the real test will be what happens next.

97 MILK has built something that is working — but its future depends on more farmers and industry partners stepping in. More people equal more hours and more outreach.

As Hoyt said: “Just go do it. You’ll be amazed.”

To donate to 97 MILK, go to www.97milk.com/donate. Dairy farmers interested in a voluntary checkoff commitment can contact Earl Zimmerman, vice chairman, at 717-821-2287.

To be on a volunteer list to do a few hours at an event, call Mark Leid at 717-445-6548, and to provide ideas or on-farm or event photos, email 97wholemilk@gmail.com or contact Jackie Behr at 717-203-6777.