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Story by Avery Zeisler

The Dairy Drive is back at South Dakota State University, bringing cheese, ice cream and family-friendly activities to help celebrate the dairy industry ahead of the Sept. 19 SDSU football game.

The Department of Dairy and Food Science will host a tailgate with activities for the whole family before the ���ϳԹ���s take on the Youngstown State University Penguins at 6 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

During the game, there will also be shoutouts for student organizations and free cheese for fans in the fourth quarter. Londa Nwadike, David A. Thompson Endowed Department Head, said the department is excited to host the Dairy Drive each year.

“The Dairy Drive is a great opportunity to highlight how the dairy industry impacts South Dakota,” she said.
The tailgate will be from 1 to 5:30 p.m. north of the Sanford-���ϳԹ��� Athletic Complex. A golf cart will be available to provide transportation back and forth between the tailgate area and the Davis Dairy Plant. The Department of Dairy and Food Science along with this year's sponsors will have various activities at their booths for fans. They can even enter to be part of the Dairy Drive Sweepstakes.

Stop by each of the sponsor booths, complete a task and be entered to win a cooler filled with different dairy-related prizes:

• Bel: Get free cheese and play Plinko.
• SDSU Department of Dairy and Food Science: Enjoy free SDSU ice cream and pet a dairy calf.
• Agropur: Enjoy a quesadilla and cheese trivia.
• Valley Queen: Have a tasty grilled cheese.
• Prairie Farms: Enjoy some milk or coffee.
• AMPI: Spin the wheel.
• SDSU Department of Dairy and Food Science: Get some SDSU ice cream and tour the Davis Dairy Plant for an extra entry.

The Department of Dairy and Food Science is excited to recognize its dairy competition teams. The Dairy Cattle Judging Team, Dairy Products Judging Team, Dairy Challenge Competition Team and the Dairy Quiz Bowl Team will all be welcomed to the field during the game.

“Those students will be recognized for their hard work and success this year,” Nwadike said.

Students within the department will be handing out free cheese for people to eat at the end of the game. 

Nwadike said the department is excited to celebrate all things dairy and hopes fans gain a better understanding of the impact the industry has across the region.

“We want to thank the dairy farmers and processors for all that they do. We hope that people understand there are a lot of different opportunities within the dairy industry,” Nwadike said.

For more information about Dairy Drive, visit the . You can purchase tickets for the football game on the .