Indiana dairy farmers, meet your new Producer Relations Program Coordinator. Jackie Barber has joined Milk Promotion Services of Indiana, Inc. in that role and she is already getting her feet wet.
“This spring there is going to be producer meetings for the various milk production coops and so I’ll be going out to the producer meetings and meeting farmers. Also I just came back from Ft. Wayne Farm Show last week so I got to meet some people at the dairy farmer luncheon there. It’s always good to get out and meet the people actually on the farm doing the work.”
Barber will work on behalf of more than 1200 Indiana dairy farm families.
“I will basically be a liaison between the MPSI programs and the dairy farmers in the state, letting them know what programs we’re doing to help promote dairy consumption throughout Indiana.”
She told HAT that would include Fuel Up to Play 60, “which is a partnership with the National Football League to promote health and wellness in school age children. We have a lot of Indiana schools that are involved in that and a lot of kids reached by that program encouraging them to eat well and exercise.”
Having never attended the Indy 500 she will have a great view of that annual tradition while hanging out with the Milk Men.
“I’m definitely excited about going to the 500 and seeing them present the drink of milk to the winning driver. I think that’s going to be a really interesting experience.”
Barber, a 2012 graduate of Oklahoma State University, holds a degree in agricultural communications. She is a native of Fishers, Indiana and a graduate of Fishers High School.
As a former member of the Hamilton Southeastern Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, Jackie served as an FFA district president and competed on horse and livestock judging teams. She also participated in Hamilton County 4-H, showing Dorset ewes, market lambs, crossbred ewes, beef heifers, and competing in dog obedience.
MPSI is the parent organization of the American Dairy Association of Indiana and the Dairy & Nutrition Council. The organizations represent the state’s dairy farmers and its dairy industry, which ranks as Indiana’s fourth largest agricultural enterprise.[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2013/01/Jackie-Barber.mp3|titles=Jackie Barber]