Sarah Cartwright has been named the 2025 National Dairy Month chairman for Coffee County.

Cartwright was honored May 30 at the Tennessee National Dairy Month Kickoff Event at Ed Jones Auditorium in Nashville. The official kickoff celebration recognizes Tennessee 4-H members’ efforts to promote National Dairy Month in Tennessee.

Co-sponsored by The Dairy Alliance, the American Dairy Association of Tennessee, 4-H and the Tennessee Farm Bureau, National Dairy Month activities are designed to communicate the value of milk and other dairy products to Tennessee consumers. Chairpersons play a vital role in spreading dairy’s message in their communities.

“By becoming an active member in 4-H, I found a love for dairy cattle and showing them. This helped me to truly fall in love with dairy and everything about it,” Cartwright said. “I want to be an advocate for the industry because dairy is such an important part of everyone’s lives. By becoming chairman, I can use the resources provided to me to help best teach my community about the dairy industry.”

Sarah, a sophomore at Coffee County Central High School, is the daughter of James and Jamie Cartwright. Cartwright is a junior officer of her Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. She leads the youth chorus at her church. Sarah is an active member of her 4-H chapter, participating in livestock, dairy, poultry, wildlife, and meats judgings, dairy quiz bowl, GrillMasters, Public Speaking, and RoundUp.

“We wish Sarah much success in her role of communicating the nutritional benefits of milk and dairy products to the people in Coffee County,” said American Dairy Association of Tennessee vice president Steve Lee. “Sarah will appreciate the cooperation of the people there. Her interest and enthusiasm will result in a better-informed community from which all will benefit.”

Originally deemed “National Milk Month” by American grocers in 1937, National Dairy Month began to promote dairy consumption during peak milk production in the summer. Today, June’s National Dairy Month continues celebrating with the Southeast’s communities and companies through festivals, contests and even a special night dedicated to dairy farmers at the ballpark.

In 2024, there were an estimated 24,000 Tennessee dairy cows living on 120 dairy farms and producing 52 million gallons of milk. The top three milk producing Tennessee counties were: Loudon, McMinn, and Bradley.

This year’s theme, “Dairy Defenders,” encourages families to make milk their first beverage choice due to its unique package of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are an essential part of a healthy diet. With local media and farm bureaus, dairy farmers will be working alongside The Dairy Alliance to engage consumers through social media, radio contests, T-shirt giveaways, events and more. For more information on how you can celebrate National Dairy Month, please visit us online at www.thedairyalliance.com/national-dairy-month.

About The Dairy Alliance

On behalf of dairy farm families, the non-profit The Dairy Alliance works with schools, health professionals, retailers, dairy processors and the public to promote dairy foods. For more information, visit www.thedairyalliance.com.

For more information, please contact Agriculture AffairsManager for Kentucky & Tennessee, Elise Carpenter via phone at (270) 970-4792 or by email at ecarpenter@thedairyalliance.com.