Last week, Josh and Chelsea DeBoover of DeBoover Farms in Phelps, N.Y., and
Phoebe and Dave Bitler of Vista Grande Farm in Fleetwood, Pa., welcomed 12 food
bloggers and dietitians in-person to build trust in dairy with their nearly
700,000 social media followers.
ADA North East coordinated the annual blogger tour with the dairy farmers and
several culinary experts to offer their visitors a behind-the-scenes look into
local dairy and gain a better understanding of dairy farmers' innovative and
sustainable production practices.
The dairy farmers also joined the bloggers for farm-to-table dinners that
included wine and cheese pairings, allowing for one-on-one conversations and
mutual learning.
"After reading some of the bloggers' online content following the tour, it
was apparent that they enjoyed the experience and were sharing valuable
insights and information about the dairy industry. I'm thankful for the
opportunity to share our life on the dairy farm with these influential bloggers
who were eager to learn about and experience our operation. We'd be happy to
host anytime!," said Josh DeBoover.
"I felt that we might be able to influence the bloggers' writings and
recipes if we could show them how we provide for our herd's nutrition; provide
for each animals' comfort and protection; how we manage our land and resources
to benefit our community and our farm; and that milk is a truly wholesome,
naturally nutritious food. The tour led to great questions and will hopefully
the bloggers will continue to influence more understanding of our industry and
greater use of our products," said Phoebe Bitler.