FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2002

SCHUMER'S "VENDI-MILK" EFFORT IS SPREADING THROUGHOUT NY SCHOOLS

Schumer campaign to promote milk vending machines in schools is rapidly gaining popularity; Senator unveils statewide list of schools that have installed machines

Schools in Western NY, North Country, Central NY have milk machines up & running; Schools in Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley in the process of getting them

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today said the "Vendi-Milk" campaign he launched to promote milk vending machines in schools is spreading like wildfire throughout New York. Schumer said at least 42 schools in 10 counties have set up milk vending machines and schools in at least 10 other counties are in the process of getting them installed.

"A tidal wave of milk is starting to crash down on schools throughout New York, which means healthy bones for kids and healthy profits for dairy farmers," Schumer said. "We need to keep the momentum going and spread the word all over New York about Vendi-Milk – to teachers, to principals, to parents, and, most importantly, to students."

According to Schumer, schools in Erie, Onondaga, Oneida, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, Madison, Oswego, and Genesee Counties have set up vending machines. Schools in Monroe, Steuben, Washington, Westchester, Franklin, Schoharie, Dutchess and the Jefferson/Lewis BOCES are also looking into getting the machines installed. (See attached for the names of the schools.)

Upstate Farms Cooperative estimates that 300 gallons of milk are consumed per month from the average milk vending machine. Based on that estimate, Schumer said, when fully phased in, student milk consumption from a single vending machine could yield almost $340 per month or more than $4,000 per year for the dairy industry. With 46 milk machines installed at 42 schools, Schumer said the machines in place now at schools throughout New York can be expected to yield about $184,000 in annual revenue.

On Monday, Verona High School installed a milk vending machine purchased by the school's FFA club and sold 270 pints in the first 24 hours alone. Since May 1, students at Ogdensburg's high school/middle school complex have consumed about 2,650 pints from the new milk vending machine there, and school officials say they are currently raising money to purchase a second machine. The Hermon-Dekalb Central School (grades K-5) in Dekalb Junction installed a machine in late April, with students consuming between 150 and 200 pints per week since then. During the past month, about 900 pints have been consumed by the students at Pavillion High School, where the freshman class is operating a milk vending machine as a fundraiser.

"The response has been just overwhelming," Schumer said. "The fact of the matter is that these machines show that when kids got milk, they drink it. A lot of it."

In March, Schumer launched a statewide effort to promote milk vending machines. The effort was inspired by the success of the machines in four Western New York school districts that Schumer helped get installed after a July meeting with educators, dairy farmers, and local officials. Since then, his office has been inundated with calls from schools throughout the state expressing interest in the machines, and the high school in Springville, the fist school Schumer worked with in this effort, has just passed the mark of 14,000 pints sold. Yorkshire's Pioneer High School, another original school working with Schumer on the "Vendi-Milk" initiative, is now averaging 750 pints per week sold.

According to Upstate Farms, several of the larger districts with milk vending machines are currently averaging consumption levels of 500 pints per week, with the most popular flavors being intense chocolate, strawberry and mocha java.

Although current federal nutrition regulations require schools to turn off junk food machines in the cafeteria during meal times, vending machines in school hallways can stay on all day. New York regulations go a little further than the federal ones by prohibiting food of "minimal nutritional value" from being sold anywhere in a school until after the final lunch period. Despite restricting the availability of junk food in school vending machines to certain hours of the day, the state and federal laws are silent when it comes to requiring the vending machine operators to provide healthy alternatives to sodas, candy bars and chips.

With the federal laws governing school nutrition requirements set to expire this year, Schumer is working to get the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to start actively promoting milk vending machines in schools throughout New York and the country. In addition, Schumer said his office has sent letters to every school district superintendent in the state encouraging them install milk vending machines in their schools. The effort, Schumer said, could also help stabilize the dairy industry, which has been rocked by fluctuating milk prices in recent years.

For a milk vending machine graphic, please visit the website of Dixie-Narco, Inc. at http://www.dixienarco.com.

For a list of vendi-milk schools in NY click here.

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