When I arrived at the 2026 South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF), I quickly realized I had underestimated what I thought I would see.

I had seen pictures of SOBEWFF and knew it was a big event. But nothing prepares you for the sight of huge tents rising from Miami Beach, filled with some of the most creative minds in food. The scale alone tells you how much these events shape food culture.

SOBEWFF is where food trends show up first. Influencers, chefs, nutrition experts and passionate foodies come to explore what is new and what is next.

And right in the middle of it all was dairy.

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), in partnership with Florida Dairy Farmers, featured its retro pop-up MOOnlight Diner, and it attracted plenty of attention.

Most other SOBEWFF booths focused on sampling food and moving people through long lines. The MOOnlight Diner was built to get people to stop and talk – not just grab a quick bite of food.

People took photos and they interacted with our checkoff team and with farmers like me. We earned attention because we gave people something worth stopping for.

One of the most-talked-about features was our Parm Bar. It was real Parmesan in protein-bar-style packaging made specifically for SOBEWFF. It was an innovative way to show that dairy can go beyond what people expect and illustrates the purpose of the new Dairy Does More initiative. Food Network even featured the Parm Bar and MOOnlight Diner on its social channels.

Many of us grew up sprinkling parmesan on spaghetti, but seeing it positioned in a fitness-forward, protein-focused way was even better. Parmesan offers 8 grams of protein per ounce, along with calcium and other essential nutrients – perfect for today’s consumer demands. The Parm Bar made people stop, smile and ask questions, and the more I watched their reactions, the more I realized how smart this positioning is.

Many SOBEWFF attendees were social media influencers. While I do not live in that world every day, being there gave me a better appreciation for how the checkoff works within it. Our influencers are chefs, dietitians and content creators with audiences who listen and are open to learning about dairy’s benefits.

One influencer shared that partnering with dairy once felt risky because dairy did not always have a cool factor in certain circles. Today, that is changing. Protein is front and center in conversations, and more people are looking for whole foods again. Dairy is riding positive momentum, and the checkoff has helped build that.

What I liked about the SOBEWFF strategy is this: As farmers, we do not have the time, resources or connections to work an event like this alone. We can tell our stories locally and on social media, and that all matters. But we cannot be front and center with tens of thousands of people on Miami Beach who then share with thousands more online.

This is exactly why the checkoff exists.

There are fewer farmers every year, and more consumers are generations removed from agriculture. If we want dairy to stay relevant, we need to show up where consumers are. This means big events that shape what people eat and talk about.

Some farmers may question why they do not always see checkoff work in their backyard. After attending SOBEWFF, I am more convinced that our checkoff investment belongs in places like this. We need to reach people who do not know us, who may have misconceptions about dairy or who simply have not thought about where their food comes from.

Another important piece was bringing farmers into the experience. When attendees heard I was a farmer, most wanted to have real conversations about how we care for our cows, how milk becomes the products they love and why we are proud of what we do.

Our presence adds authenticity, and it reminds people dairy comes from real farm families and communities.

As I flew home to Michigan, I thought about how naturally dairy fit into SOBEWFF and into conversations about flavor and culture. It sparked discussions about performance and nutrition. This happens because there is a deliberate effort to position dairy where it belongs.

Farmers invest in the checkoff with the hope it strengthens demand for our products. Watching consumers light up when they connected taste with nutrition, or when they realized a familiar cheese offered protein benefits, made that investment worthwhile. I saw firsthand how strategic partnerships, influencer outreach and experiential marketing can move dairy beyond old stereotypes and into new relevance.

To keep dairy strong for the next generation, we must continue meeting consumers where they are and reminding them, in fresh ways, why dairy deserves a place in their lives.

And that is exactly what our checkoff did in Miami Beach.

DMI's MOOnlight Diner featured a Parm Bar. Image courtesy of Dairy Management Inc. 

This column was written by Michigan dairy farmer Kris Wardin, who serves on the DMI board of directors. For information on how the checkoff is driving sales and building trust of dairy, visit the website or send an email to reach us directly.