GMP Commits to Spending $200,000 Towards Placing Bulk Milk Dispensers in Schools

Pictured: (L-R): Audri Crews - The Dairy Alliance, Bryce Trotter - GMP, Adam Graft - Dairyman/GMP, Will McWhirter - The Dairy Alliance.

For Immediate Release - September 24, 2025

WATKINSVILLE, GA - The Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. (Georgia Milk), the trade association representing dairy farmers in Georgia, has announced a $200,000 commitment to support the purchase and placement of bulk milk dispensers in cafeterias across Georgia. Georgia Milk will partner with The Dairy Alliance, a nonprofit organization funded by dairy farm families across the Southeast, to expand their existing dairy optimization grants that serve to improve the school milk experience. This commitment will help Georgia schools install an estimated 30 bulk milk dispensers. “School feeding programs are critical to ensuring our children are building strong bones and healthy immune systems,” said Matt Johnson, President of Georgia Milk’s board of directors and a dairy farmer from Climax, Georgia. “Our dairy farmers are investing in these programs to cultivate healthier school environments and get students excited about drinking milk. Our hope is that Georgia students will enjoy drinking milk at school and become lifelong milk drinkers because of it.”

The Dairy Alliance Youth Wellness staff work closely with school nutrition directors to promote the benefits of milk and dairy foods. Among their education and promotion activities, The Dairy Alliance offers grants to schools interested in purchasing bulk milk dispensers. The $200,000 in funding from Georgia Milk will bolster the existing grant program that eliminates a key concern for school nutrition directors and school administrators: funding. With these funds, schools will be able to secure a bulk milk dispenser and the necessary equipment and accessories to service and maintain the equipment. Will McWhirter, The Dairy Alliance’s Youth Wellness Manager for Georgia said the dispensers have several benefits for schools. “The Dairy Alliance’s Dairy Optimization grants encourage school systems to try new things to deliver even more nutritious dairy products and milk to students. Bulk milk dispensers are a great option for schools looking to serve colder, fresher milk or reduce waste from single-use cartons.”

Roughly three-quarters of children aged two through eighteen do not consume the daily recommended amount of dairy. Real-world trials at participating schools within The Dairy Alliance’s service area show a significant increase in fluid milk consumption in schools that transition away from traditional open-top coolers and cartons of milk. One case study in a Virginia public school saw milk consumption increase by as much as 52% due to decreased waste and increased interest from students. In similar trials across the southeast, schools consistently report an average increase in milk consumption of 14 percent. “The USDA Agricultural Research Service found in 2017 that 77 percent of the milk school-aged children consumed came from school cafeterias,” The Dairy Alliance’s McWhirter said. “By providing our students with a fresher, colder product that is also easy for the nutrition staff to maintain, we can ensure more Georgia children are getting the 13 essential nutrients they need through real dairy milk.”

School nutrition directors and administrators interested in installing bulk milk dispensers in their cafeterias can contact The Dairy Alliance for more information on the grant program by emailing wmcwhirter@thedairyalliance.com.

Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. is a nonprofit dairy advocacy organization dedicated to supporting, sustaining, and growing the dairy industry in Georgia. For more information on Georgia Milk and the Georgia dairy industry, visit www.gamilk.org or follow Georgia Milk Producers on Facebook or GaMilkProducers on Instagram and X.

The Dairy Alliance is a nonprofit funded by dairy farm families of the Southeast. We work diligently with dairy farmers, schools, sports teams, health professionals, local organizations, state leaders, the media, and the public to promote dairy foods and knowledge about the dairy industry. Our efforts center in eight states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

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