MAINE DAIRY AND NUTRITION COUNCIL

What MAINE DAIRY AND NUTRITION COUNCIL does

Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, operating in tandem with the Maine Dairy Promotion Board from 337 State St., Augusta, Maine, is a USDA-qualified non-profit dairy promotion organization and a member of the United Dairy Industry Association federation of 18 active qualified state checkoff programs. Its statutory mandate is to increase demand for dairy products and tell the story of dairy to Maine consumers, schools, health professionals, and farmers. Core deliverables include a content-rich website (drinkmainemilk.org) delivering nutrition education, recipes, sustainability content, farm storytelling, K-12 cafeteria and classroom resources (including Fuel Up to Play 60 and the Adopt-a-Cow program), and recurring school nutrition equipment grants (milk barrels, coolers, yogurt bars, blenders). Underlying technology is principally a content publishing platform, with partner farms deploying advanced on-farm systems such as methane digesters, IoT-based cow health collars, and robotic calf feeders that the Council uses for educational storytelling rather than operating directly.

The Council is funded through the USDA-authorized bovine dairy checkoff assessment of 15 cents per hundredweight of milk produced, of which the Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council receives 2 cents transferred from the Maine Dairy Promotion Board plus 1.5 cents per cwt from dealers on milk purchased or processed in Maine. Revenue mechanics are therefore subscription-recurring and statutory rather than transactional. The operating model is community-led: a four-person staff (Executive Director, School Nutrition Programs Manager, Office Manager, Communications Coordinator), governed by a board of dairy farmers and industry representatives including representation from the Maine Department of Agriculture and processors such as Oakhurst Dairy, executes national programming delivered through DMI and UDIA, with no products sold and no traditional customer contracts.

Name

MAINE DAIRY AND NUTRITION COUNCIL

Legal name

Maine Dairy Promotion Board

Website

https://drinkmainemilk.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council is a USDA-qualified non-profit in Augusta, Maine that promotes dairy consumption among Maine consumers, K-12 schools, health professionals, and farmers through checkoff-funded nutrition education, school cafeteria programs, and farm storytelling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Promotion and Nutrition Education

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Milking Parlor & Dairy Farm Support Services (Non-veterinary) (AFAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Services Administration (Meal Eligibility, POS, Nutrition Compliance) (EDAJAHAJ), Dairy Farm Environmental Compliance & Sustainability Programs (AFAEACAM), Nutrition, Dietary Management & Allergen/Accommodation Services (EDALADAJ)

Keywords

• Dairy nutrition education
• School nutrition programs
• Dairy promotion
• Agricultural advocacy
• Dairy farming sustainability

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta, Maine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dairy Checkoff Assessment: USDA authorized bovine dairy checkoff assessment of 15 cents per hundredweight (cwt) of milk produced. Maine Dairy Promotion Board receives 10 cents of the 15 cents. Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council receives 2 of the 10 cents transferred from Maine Dairy Promotion Board, plus 1.5 cents per cwt from dealers for milk purchased or processed in Maine.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council is a non-profit dairy promotion organization that educates Maine consumers, schools, and health professionals about dairy nutrition, supports K-12 school nutrition programs with equipment grants and recipe resources, and advocates for Maine dairy farmers. Funded through USDA-mandated dairy checkoff assessments, the Council provides free educational content, recipes, classroom materials, and the Fuel Up to Play 60 program through its drinkmainemilk.org website and direct school partnerships.

Product overview

Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council operates as a unified program combining the Maine Dairy Promotion Board and Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council, both USDA-qualified programs and members of the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA). The organization functions as an educational and promotional platform rather than a traditional product company, offering digital educational resources including a comprehensive website with nutrition information, school cafeteria programs (recipes, grants, equipment support), classroom STEM materials, and sustainability education. The Council's digital ecosystem comprises the main website serving as the primary consumer-facing platform, supplemented by specialized resource sections for schools, nutrition professionals, and farmers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Nutrition Equipment Grant Program Free distribution of cafeteria and off-site meal-service equipment grants to Maine K-12 school nutrition programs, including milk barrels, portable coolers, yogurt bar equipment, and smoothie blenders. Aimed at school nutrition staff and food service directors to support milk and dairy consumption in school meals, summer feeding programs, and field trips.
• Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Implementation In-school nutrition and physical activity program implementation supporting healthier student lifestyles, with grants, educational materials, and recipes. Targeted at Maine K-12 schools and students.
• Dairy Sustainability Education Educational content covering dairy farm sustainability practices, environmental impact reduction, food waste reduction, and the dairy industry's commitment to net zero carbon footprint by 2050. Targeted at Maine consumers, schools, and health professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11% per capita dairy consumption growth since 1984 checkoff program inception
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUDIA is an umbrella organization and federation of 18 active qualified dairy checkoff programs. Both Maine Dairy Promotion Board and Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council are members. UDIA and NDB created and fund Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) through checkoff monies and dues.
• National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA authorized board that receives 5 cents of the 15 cents dairy checkoff assessment from each hundredweight of milk produced. Funds UDIA's research and development and helps create and fund DMI.
• Dairy Management Inc. (DMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponsible for developing the Unified Marketing Plan, programs and materials, and partnerships with leaders in the food industry. Also manages the Dairy Research Institute, Innovation Center for US Dairy, National Dairy Council, and USDEC.
• National Dairy CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of of DMI's network of organizations. Provides evidence-based nutrition research and health professional resources.
• U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommitted to efficiently and consistently increasing dairy exports through marketing programs, trade policy initiatives, market access and regulatory affairs efforts, research and communications, and domestic ingredients program.
• FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management)coreTechnology or IntegrationProgram demonstrating and verifying that U.S. milk producers are committed to providing the highest standards of animal care and quality assurance.
• Innovation Center for US DairycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of DMI network, focused on innovation and sustainability in the U.S. dairy industry.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Florida Dairy Farmers: State-level dairy checkoff organization that runs school nutrition programs, Fuel Up to Play 60, and farmer image campaigns. Same funding model and program structure as the Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council.
• Midwest Dairy: Regional dairy checkoff organization serving 10 Midwestern states. Mirrors the Maine Council's structure (school programs, Fuel Up to Play 60, farmer stewardship, sustainability storytelling) but operates at a much larger geography.
• New England Dairy: Regional dairy promotion organization covering the New England states, runs comparable school nutrition programs, Fuel Up to Play 60, and farmer storytelling campaigns. Directly analogous governance and funding model via the dairy checkoff.
• Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin: Wisconsin state dairy promotion organization. Comparable mission around school nutrition, consumer education, and farmer promotion through the same checkoff funding model.
• National Dairy Council: National non-profit providing evidence-based dairy nutrition research and education to health professionals. Functions as the research and content engine that Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council draws on for its professional and family-facing resources.
• American Dairy Association North East: Multi-state dairy checkoff promotion organization serving the Northeast, including Maine. Operates the same school nutrition grant programs, fluid milk promotion, and farmer image campaigns under the same federal checkoff structure.
• Dairy West: State/regional dairy checkoff covering Idaho and Utah. Offers directly comparable school nutrition grants, farm storytelling, and consumer education programs under the same USDA checkoff framework.

Emerging players

• Action for Healthy Kids: Non-profit focused on child nutrition and physical activity in schools, a closely adjacent mission. While not dairy-specific, it competes for the same K-12 nutrition grant funding and school nutrition staff attention.

Broad incumbents

• United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA): Federation of 18 state and regional dairy checkoff programs; the Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council is a member. Acts as the umbrella organization coordinating national strategy and shared resources across member state programs.
• Dairy Management Inc. (DMI): National checkoff-funded organization that manages the Unified Marketing Plan, dairy innovation, and export promotion. Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council participates in DMI's programs and funds it through checkoff contributions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-dairy-and-nutrition-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MAINE DAIRY AND NUTRITION COUNCIL