The Event Supports the Dairy Excellence Foundation and Students Pursuing Careers in Dairy
To celebrate June Dairy Month and support dairy education programs, the Dairy Excellence Foundation is hosting its annual farm-to-fork celebration, “A Toast to Dairy,” on Thursday, June 17, 2021 from 6-9 p.m. This year’s event will be a safe, socially distanced outdoor event, taking place at the Historic Acres of Hershey in Elizabethtown, Pa. The event includes meal stations sourced with Pennsylvania Preferred ingredients, a new tasting experience with local wines, brews and cheese pairings, live entertainment, and more. Tickets are $75 each with discounted rates available for groups or organizations that purchase bundles of eight tickets.
“We are excited for the dairy industry to be able to safely come together this June and celebrate Pennsylvania dairy while supporting the next generation of dairy producers,” said Jayne Sebright, Executive Director at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Consider inviting a friend or neighbor for an evening of fun and to share the exciting work of the Dairy Excellence Foundation in providing internships, scholarships, and programming to students of all ages.”
This year’s event will feature:
- Farm-to-fork food stations – Thanks to Mountain Laurel Catering and event donors, attendees will enjoy a variety of food stations and dinner options sourced with local, PA Preferred ingredients.
- Wine and brew tasting experience – New this year, attendees will receive a guided tasting passport to sample wine and beer from local wineries and breweries, including Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery, Troegs Independent Brewing, Lindgren Craft Brewery, The Winery at Wilcox, and more.
- Cheese pairings – The Pennsylvania Cheese Guild will be carefully pairing local cheeses with each wine and beer tasting.
- Raffle baskets – A favorite each year, attendees can purchase raffle tickets and enter to win baskets donated by event sponsors.
- Charcuterie and cheese board demonstrations – Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm will be doing live demonstrations of how to create your own charcuterie and cheese board.
- Pennsylvania Dutch desserts – As attendees celebrate Pennsylvania dairy, a variety of Pennsylvania Dutch themed desserts will be available from Karns Foods.
- Live music – Pyxus Music, a talented duo, will be performing live music throughout the event.
- Caricature artist – Attendees can take home a personalized drawing from a live caricature artist during the event.
“We’re excited for ‘A Toast to Dairy,'” says Tröegs brewmaster John Trogner. “Since 2019, we’ve collaborated with Caputo Brothers Creamery and GIANT to make three beer cheeses. And each one uses 100% Pennsylvania cow’s milk. It’s been great to connect with fellow Pennsylvania makers and help farmers find sustainable ways to survive and thrive. And on top of all that, beer and cheese are just really, really good together.”
“Jan Waltz, our wine maker, is the 6th generation of the Waltz family to farm their land in Manheim, Lancaster County. We support all agriculture and love milk as well as wine. We are excited to be a part of the Toast to Dairy event,” added Jeff Heil of Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery.
Visit centerfordairyexcellence.org/toasttodairy to purchase tickets and learn more about the event. Discounted rates are available for groups or organizations that purchase bundles of eight tickets. All proceeds from the event will support the scholarships, internships and curriculum provided through the Dairy Excellence Foundation.
Premier sponsors of the Toast to Dairy event include the PA Preferred® Program and Land O’Lakes. Other sponsors include Dave and Janet Hileman, Feedworks USA, Herbein & Company, Inc., Phibro Animal Health, Premier Select Sires, and Valley Grange.
To sponsor the event, email Katie Waite at kwaite@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849.
Learn more at centerfordairyexcellence.org/toasttodairy or call the Foundation at 717-346-0849 with questions about the event.