By Sherry Newell

“I didn’t know both males and females can have horns.”

“How much does one of those robots cost?”

“Why are the cows wearing collars?”

“Is all that feed from last year?”

“Look, I took a selfie with a cow!”

Those were among the questions and remarks by the 41 dairy case managers from the region’s Coborn’s grocery stores who participated in a Midwest Dairy Academy for Retail Excellence May 3-4 in St. Cloud.

A day spent with dairy experts in the chain’s headquarters was followed by a tour at Groetsch Dairy near Albany, where Steve and Lisa Groetsch milk cows with four robots and raise calves with a robotic feeder.

Midwest Dairy hosts the academy for retailers to help them grow dairy sales and equip them to answer customers’ questions. This is the first time Coborn’s has participated in the academy, says Beth Bunton, Midwest Dairy’s academy program manager. Numerous grocers across the organization’s 10-state region have participated in the academy over the last four years.

Often, the academy is sponsored by both Midwest Dairy and a milk processor. That was true for the Coborn’s event, where Kemps provided support. A video of milk processing shown to the group at the beginning of each academy helps tell the story of milk’s travels prior to reaching stores like those in the Coborn’s group.

Getting the facts
“Misinformation about dairy affects sales,” says Bunton. “We want these grocers to understand dairy — not only to be a better customer resource, but also to merchandise the product more fully. Many times a retailer can’t afford or doesn’t have access to the information we provide.”

That information, delivered during the daylong session repeated for two Coborn’s groups on consecutive days, included presentations on dairy food safety and quality from Lloyd Metzger of South Dakota State University, who heads up the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center, and one on dairy sustainability and on-farm practices from Leo Timms of Iowa State University.

AUTOMATED FEEDING: Lisa Groetsch explains to Midwest Dairy Academy attendees how a robot moves out periodically to push feed up to the cows.

Dairy nutrition information also was presented. Julie Mattson-Ostrow, Midwest Dairy’s registered dietitian, shared how cow’s milk compares with alternatives such as almond beverage, and why dairy’s unique nutrition has earned its longtime status in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Add that to the research Bunton provided about consumer purchasing habits and the best ways to grow dairy sales in stores, and participants walk away from the academy with an arsenal of knowledge to build the dairy category. Each of the dairy case managers is expected to carry out two in-store promotions and score 80% or higher on a test after the event. By comparing those scores to a pre-event test, Midwest Dairy can evaluate the program’s effectiveness.

Yet, it’s the final part of the academy — a visit to a dairy farm — that often delivers the most impact to those who attend.

Technology a surprise
At Groetsch Dairy, the technology drew much of the attention, with several participants saying they hadn’t seen a dairy farm in 40 years. They were surprised at the roles computers could play.

“It’s fascinating,” remarked one.

“I didn’t realize how much a cow could eat in a day,” said another, after viewing the stockpile of silage covered by 6,000 tires.

LATEST ACADEMY CLASS: This group of Coborn’s dairy managers recently visited Groetsch Dairy near Albany.

The Groetsches allowed the Coborn’s employees to feed bottles of water to the newest calves. They also showed them how the robotic calf feeder, milkers and feed robot worked. Their nutritionist was on hand to explain how they develop dairy rations specifically for milk cows. On average, the herd is milked 2.8 times per day, more than the Groetsches' crew would have been able to handle manually. 

The Groetsches treated the group to cheese from their co-op, First District Association. A Stearns County dairy princess also was on hand to greet the visitors.

Beyond the farm, one of the surprises for the dairy managers was learning how quickly dairy case lighting can affect milk flavor. Another was how quickly the milk travels from farm to store — it's often less than 48 hours.

Concluded one participant: “I can’t wait to get all this stuff home and study it some more.”

Newell is senior communications manager for Midwest Dairy.