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Georgia Dairy Farmers Say Yes to New Fees to Fund Education, Research, and Marketing Push

Georgia’s dairy producers have overwhelmingly backed two new fee measures designed to fund milk education, statewide marketing, and industry research — putting cows, classrooms, and conferences at the center of a grassroots milk movement.

The move, which sailed through with sky-high approval ratings, marks a fresh investment into how milk is marketed, taught, and understood from rural barns to urban schoolyards.

Farmers Back Higher Fees — And They’re Fine With It

This wasn’t a government mandate or some agency edict. It was farmers — actual milk producers — who voted for this.

One measure keeps an existing 10-cent fee per 100 pounds of milk sold, with the money continuing to support the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Milk. It’s not new — but 98% of farmers voted to keep it going. That’s about as close to unanimous as you’ll ever see in agriculture.

Then there’s the new fee. Just 2.5 cents per 100 pounds of milk. Not much on paper, but with Georgia ranking first in the Southeast for milk production, those pennies add up fast. 92% of farmers said yes to that one too.

One-sentence paragraph right here. Because, well, it’s earned.

cows in georgia dairy farm

Where the Money’s Going: From Trailers to TikTok

So what’s all this money for?

Some of it funds the Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom — a 30-foot trailer that rolls into schools, complete with a real live cow and working milking equipment. It’s hands-on. Loud. Smelly in a good way. Kids love it.

Some of it goes to The Dairy Alliance, a regional group that teams up with schools, athletes, and food influencers to keep milk from becoming yesterday’s drink. They run ad campaigns. They’re on Instagram. They’re pitching chocolate milk as a sports recovery drink and getting actual players to say it.

Then there’s Georgia Milk Producers, Inc., the folks behind the new 2.5-cent fee. They’ve got big plans:

  • Host year-round educational workshops for dairy families and farmhands

  • Expand marketing outreach to build public trust in dairy

  • Organize the Georgia Dairy Conference, the Southeast’s largest dairy meet-up

This is more than a local fundraiser. It’s branding. It’s outreach. It’s advocacy.

A $3.4 Billion Industry That Wants to Stay Relevant

Milk isn’t dead — despite what the almond and oat cartons say.

Georgia’s dairy industry is worth around $3.4 billion a year, according to the Department of Agriculture. That’s cows, feed, transport, processors, distributors, all of it.

It’s not a casual sideline. It’s one of the Southeast’s agricultural heavyweights.

And farmers know they’ve got competition. Dairy consumption has changed. People don’t drink milk the way they used to. Cafeterias push cartons, but cafes push non-dairy foam. That’s where education and marketing come in — not to just defend milk, but to keep it relevant.

Sometimes, that means explaining what milk actually is.

Other times, it means fighting online misinformation or weird TikToks that say dairy causes everything from acne to arm hair.

Georgia farmers aren’t chasing nostalgia. They’re chasing viability.

Who’s Running This and Why the Vote Mattered

The votes were counted and confirmed June 24 in Perry, Georgia, during a meeting of the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Milk. This wasn’t symbolic — these were binding votes.

Each proposal required a majority of “yes” votes from active milk producers in Georgia. What they got was a resounding show of support — 98% for the existing fee, and 92% for the new one.

There’s real trust here. Trust in the people handling the money. Trust in the programs getting results. That’s not something every industry can say right now.

And honestly? That’s kind of rare in farm politics these days.

Georgia Is Still Milking More Than Its Neighbors

Let’s talk numbers for a sec.

Georgia ranks first among Southeastern states for milk production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Not Tennessee. Not North Carolina. Georgia.

And here’s how it stacks up:

State Milk Production Rank (Southeast) Annual Output (Billion lbs)
Georgia 1 ~1.7
Florida 2 ~1.4
North Carolina 3 ~0.9
Alabama 4 ~0.7
South Carolina 5 ~0.5

Rural Roots, Big Stage

The Georgia Dairy Conference, one of the main benefactors of the new fee, is a massive event.

It draws farmers, scientists, vets, feed reps, nutritionists, ag-tech firms, politicians, and university researchers. It’s part trade show, part family reunion. It’s also where a lot of business gets done.

Workshops tackle everything from disease control to international trade. Last year’s sessions included talks on AI (the tech kind, not the cow kind), methane digesters, and precision feeding.

This isn’t folks in overalls talking about churn rates. It’s big thinking with boots on the ground.

One-sentence here just to keep the rhythm real.

Why This All Actually Matters

Some might shrug this off. New fees? Dairy education? Sounds small. But it’s not.

This is about a group of producers betting on themselves — in a market where that’s increasingly hard to do. They didn’t ask Washington. They didn’t threaten a walkout. They voted to pay more — because they think it’ll pay off later.

It’s a classic farmer move, really. Think long-term. Think community. Think next generation.

And somewhere in a mobile dairy trailer this fall, a kid is going to reach under a cow, squeeze, and watch milk shoot into a bucket. That’s not just a photo op. That’s the beginning of something real.

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