The National Milk Producers Federation today named Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) the Cooperative Communicator of the Year in its annual communications contest. Ben Smith, a Maola Local Dairies farmer-member, was named NMPF’s Farmer Communicator of the Year.
DFA won eight categories and a ‘Best of Show’ award in the Writing category. The cooperative also earned four second place and two third place finishes.
The co-op’s winning Best of Show entry, “A Quick Guide to Milk Options That Fit Today’s Lifestyle,” focuses on building consumer confidence in dairy products. This piece explores the growing variety of dairy milk options available today, helping consumers make an informed choice on what product best fits their needs and lifestyle.
“This article is truly informative. I can see why it has performed so well with search engine optimization,” the category judge wrote. “It uses just the right amount of words to be informative without being wordy. I can’t see how this could be improved to achieve its end goal — to inform consumers.”
NMPF recognized Smith for his advocacy work across agricultural media, industry events and educational opportunities to help consumers, policymakers and farmers understand modern dairy production. Smith recently took over daily operations of his family’s dairy, Cool Lawn Farm in Bealeton, VA, where they milk approximately 1,000 cows in a 50-stall rotary parlor and farm more than 2,500 acres.
In the past year, Smith has been featured in local news, Farm Credit of the Virginias and served as a panel speaker at the 2026 Dairy Sustainability Alliance spring meeting. His communications build trust in dairy farmers, educate audiences and demonstrate producers’ commitment to continuous improvement.
NMPF’s annual communications contest fosters knowledge sharing within the dairy cooperative community, highlighting approaches to conveying information about dairy farming practices, industry developments and cooperative initiatives through various channels. Best of Show winners are chosen from first-place entries in four areas. DFA won for Writing; Land O’Lakes for Publications; United Dairymen of Arizona for Graphics; and Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. for Special Projects. The contest drew 108 entries from 10 member cooperatives.
NMPF will also recognize winners Tuesday, Oct. 20 at an awards luncheon during NMPF’s annual meeting in Kissimmee, FL. A full list of contest winners is available here.
