KENTUCKY
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Milk Matters Federal Issues Update
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Kentucky’s Milk Market Crisis Find out more on page 6
Dairy Night at the Ballpark
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A Special Dairy Awards Banquet Maury Cox
T
he Kentucky Dairy Awards Banquet has become a special event each year with the recognition of district and state production winners, producers with top quality milk and Kentucky’s top milk haulers. It is good to take time to honor these hard-working folks that love what they do and perform at a high level. However, this year something, or I should say someone added to the event that made it even more special. I received a card in the mail addressed to the KDDC. Inside the card were two checks made out to KDDC with this message: Dear KDDC, My name is Kelly Bryant and I am a member of Jr. Beta at JRES [Jodie Richards Elementary School in Bowling Green, KY]. We have done an event called Cookies With Santa. At our school, members of Beta can choose an organization to raise money for and then make crafts to sell at the event. I chose KDDC and have raised $89. I hope this money will go to good use and will help dairy farmers all over Kentucky. Sincerely, Kelly Bryant
I was taken aback by the implication of concern this young person has for Kentucky’s dairy farm families. I had to know who Kelly Bryant was and what motivated her to make this decision. The check in the card was from Kelly’s parents but there was no contact information listed. I utilized Facebook and finally located Kelly’s mother, Jane.
Ms. Bryant explained Kelly had visited Chaney’s Dairy in Bowling Green on a class visit. After hearing a talk by Carl Chaney about the dairy industry, she decided she wanted to help Kentucky’s dairy farm families. Kelly designed a booth (pictured left) telling the dairy story of the cost to produce 100 pounds of milk while the dairy farmer is receiving $4.00 per hundredweight less. She promoted the KDDC and their work for dairy farmers, and to raise money she made and sold “Moo Pops” from marshmallows and white chocolate, “Cow Patties” from oatmeal cookies and raffle tickets for a basket with an assortment of goodies including a $20 gift certificate from Chaney’s Dairy Barn. I was completely impressed and somewhat stunned by the passion and concern Kelly has for dairy farmers. I invited her and her parents to the Dairy Awards Banquet as guests of honor to sit at the front table with KDDC President Richard Sparrow, Ryan Quarles, KY Commissioner of Agriculture and other officers and supporters. Her mother Jane, and Kelly, accepted our invitation and the KDDC honored her with a Hadley Pottery Milk Cow pencil holder. Kelly also helped Commissioner Quarles lead the audience in a Milk Toast: The worlds most perfect food, and those that produce it! Thank you, Kelly Bryant, for your inspiration to us all!