Jonesville farmer elected chair of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board
Zach Myers, a third-generation dairy farmer from Jonesville, was elected chair of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board of Directors this past October.
Myers is the co-owner of Myers Dairy Inc., a commercial dairy farming operation that milks more than 900 cows daily. He earned his NC State University bachelor’s degree in biology (then in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) and a master’s degree in dairy cattle nutrition and animal sciences from Michigan State University.
“It is an honor and privilege for me to be elected as the Chair of the National Dairy Board,” Myers said. “I am extremely proud of the work we are doing with our dairy check-off programs.”
The National Dairy Board forms key partnerships with restaurant chains, such as Taco Bell, Domino’s and McDonald’s, as well as food companies, such as Quaker, to promote milk and milk products on their menu. Additionally, the National Dairy Board is currently partnering with Feeding America to place milk in food banks across the country through the Great American Milk Drive.
The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board was formed in May 1984 under the authority of the United States Department of Agriculture. The board implements coordinated promotion and research programs to help build demand and expand domestic and international markets for dairy products.The Dairy Promotion Board consists of 38-members, all of whom are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, and includes dairy farmers and representatives from dairy farmer organizations, general farm organizations and dairy product promotion, research or nutrition education programs. As chair of the National Dairy Board, Myers will play a major role in guiding the program’s national promotion campaigns.
“Our nation’s dairy farm families are feeding our communities, our states, our nation and the world with nutritious, wholesome, great-tasting milk and milk products. I am excited for the opportunity to play an integral part in the promotion of dairy products,” Myers said. Myers also serves as vice president of the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association Board of Directors, secretary of the North Carolina American Dairy Association and as a member of the Dairy Farmer Spokesperson Network, where he works with the media and represents dairy farmers from across the Southeast.
– The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association.
