Local Success Stories
Conrad Weiser Area School District
Robesonia, PAEnrollment: 2,748
New Look of School Milk since: September 2006
Increase in Milk Sales: 13 percent
“Several years ago I attended the School Nutrition Industry Seminar in California and saw milk in 8-ounce plastic bottles for the first time. I was very impressed with the more updated look. I wanted to increase my dairy consumption in the district and just knew this was the best way to do it. For three years I’ve been very persistent with my processor, Swiss Premium, to make the conversion. I kept telling them it would sell more milk and the studies were out there to prove it if they’d only do the research.”
-Candace Hartranft, Director of Food Service
Ms. Hartranft’s persistence paid off with the implementation of plastic packaging at the start of the 2006-2007 school year. From September to December of 2006, milk sales have increased by 13 percent over the previous year. She sold 195,329 units of milk during this time period in 2006, up from 173,282 units of milk in 2005. Chocolate is the most popular flavor among students, followed closely by vanilla. As research has shown, the students are buying more milk and drinking more of what they buy.
Ms. Hartranft also introduced milk vending in the middle school in February 2007, as a result of winning Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association’s Dairy Excellence Award in Pennsylvania. She plans to stock 8-ounce milk, yogurt, string cheese and pudding in the machine. Smaller milk sizes offered in the vending machine is in keeping with the school district’s Wellness Policy of only offering beverages in single-serve sizes.