INDIANAPOLIS – Over 400 Hoosier dairy farmers witnessed their check-off dollars at work first-hand on Wednesday evening, December 16, when the American Dairy Association of Indiana celebrated “Dairy Night with the Indiana Pacers” at Conseco Fieldhouse in Downtown Indianapolis.

Dairy farmers from throughout the state converged on the retro-style fieldhouse not only to watch the NBA Pacers take on (and defeat) the Charlotte Bobcats, but also to enjoy a wide variety of dairy-themed promotions. Click here!

Indiana High School Marching Band

American Dairy Association of Indiana, Inc./Indiana Dairy Farmers, corporate sponsor for the Indiana State School Music Association(ISSMA), fund, support and promote music education activities throughout Indiana. 200,000 students participate in music events under the leadership of the ISSMA. The State Marching Band Competition involves more than 16,000 of these students from 175 high schools. It is important for these students to have a healthy lifestyle by consuming nutrient rich foods and including daily physical activity. Its also vital these students drink milk to get the nutrition they need to be competition ready.

Winners Drink Milk!
For more information, visit: www.issma.net

Pictured is the 2009 Indiana Dairy Princess, Audrie Elise Koester.

INDIANAPOLIS – Audrie Elise Koester of Evansville was selected as the 2009-10 Dairy Princess for the American Dairy Association of Indiana. The crowning took place before a crowd of dairy industry members, their families and friends, on Wednesday, July 29, at the Embassy Suites North in Indianapolis. Audrie, age 20 , is the daughter of Duane and Zelda Koester. She represented the Evansville Young Dairymen in the 2009 Indiana Dairy Princess Scholarship Program. Audrie is a junior at Purdue University blending her passion of communication and agriculture into her major of Agriculture Communication.

Retiring Princess Courtney Lipply of Plymouth ended her reign by turning over the title to Audrie and wished her well as she represents the Indiana Dairy Industry throughout the coming year. Audrie will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Indiana’s dairy farmers during the year by making a number of public appearances and participating in promotional events. As the Indiana Dairy Princess, Koester receives a $1000 scholarship from the American Dairy Association along with other gifts of appreciation from sponsors.

Contestants were judged on poise, personality, speaking ability, education and dairy background. Judges for the contest included Steve Hendress – instructor in the Animal Science Department at Purdue University, Martha Rardin – Director of Nutrition and Dietetics for Hendricks Community Hospital and Dave Russell- Indiana Farm Director for Brownfield. Click here for more!

The American Dairy Association celebrated its 20th annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle on Friday, July 10, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. More than 20 celebrity scoopers helped scoop cold, delicious vanilla ice cream to guests with topping choices such as whipped cream, Oreo Cookie crumbles, a variety of syrups and sprinkles. A record-setting 2,750 sundaes were sold at $3 each. Every dollar collected through the sale of ice cream sundaes and merchandise benefitted Marlin Jackson’s Fight for Life Foundation. The American Dairy Association was able to raise $8,620 for Marlin's foundation.

The American Dairy Association of Indiana and its Indiana dairy farm families are responsible for ensuring that the Victory Circle tradition endures and prospers. In fact, Sports Illustrated magazine has recognized the bottle of milk given annually to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 as No. 1 among the "sports world's coolest prizes."

For over 70 years, winners of the Indianapolis 500 have celebrated in Victory Lane (now Victory Circle) with a hearty swig from an ice-cold bottle of milk – a ceremony recognized around the world as unique to the Indy 500.

In an interview shortly before his death in 1995, Meyer recalled that his favorite beverage during his driving years was buttermilk and that’s what he asked for following the second of his three wins. Three years later, on the occasion of his third 500-Mile victory, he was photographed drinking milk in Victory Lane. Several years after that, the Bottle of Milk became a permanent part of the post-race celebration when Anton “Tony” Hulman decided that milk was a wholesome and appropriate beverage for Victory Lane festivities.

For those who may be wondering what the winning driver drinks, it’s no longer buttermilk. Today, it’s delicious, nutrient rich, ice-cold milk served in a glass quart bottle.

To mark the world famous Indy 500 motor race, the Indianapolis Zoo hosts an annual tortoise race. Presented by the American Dairy Association of Indiana, the event marks the move of the Aldabra tortoises (Lyn and AJ) from their winter holding area to their summer home. "The Voice of the Zoopolis 500" will again be Mike King, the voice of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway radio network. Dropping the green flag will be guest Indy 500 driver Tony Kanaan. Icy cold bottles of milk for the winning tortoise's pit crew will be at the finish line. Zoo guests will also have free ice cold milk available in the 'Got milk?' tent where Winners Drink Milk photos can be taken.