Rica cocina opens in downtown olympia. By Rolf Boone April 24, 2026 at 4:55 AM A new Mexican restaurant has filled a vacancy once occupied by Chicory on Columbia Street.

Midwest Dairy report shows demand growth. Midwest Dairy's newly released 2025 Annual Report gives farmers a detailed look at how their checkoff dollars were invested across the ten-state region, with a focus on growing dairy demand, strengthening consumer trust, and supporting future industry leadership. Built around the theme "Make Every Drop Count," the report outlines measurable results in consumer outreach, retail sales activations, research investments, and leadership development. Midwest Dairy Board Chair Charles Krause says the report is designed to show producers exactly where their dollars went and what those investments accomplished. Audio Player Krause says one of the clearest takeaways is the visibility farmers now have into both spending priorities and outcomes, from milk sales growth to consumer engagement and innovation support. A major emphasis in 2025 was building trust with consumers by sharing dairy's nutrition and sustainability story through strategic partnerships across the region. Audio Player Those efforts included programs like Adopt A Cow, which reached more than 162,000 students, as well as on-farm activations such as influencer tours and educational visits with registered dietitian students. Krause says those direct connections help consumers better understand how dairy farmers care for their cows, the land, and the communities they serve. The checkoff also focused heavily on converting that trust into stronger dairy purchases through retailer and food service partnerships. Using consumer insights and research, Midwest Dairy worked with partners including Jewel Osco, Schnucks, Fareway, Instacart, and Chicory on four key moment campaigns designed to connect dairy products to everyday meals and shopping decisions. Audio Player Those campaigns generated more than $3.1 million in incremental dairy product sales in 2025 across the Midwest region, according to the report. Beyond sales and promotion, the annual report also highlights continued investments in research, dairy innovation, and farmer leadership development. Audio Player In 2025, Midwest Dairy says it distributed $355,000 in Undeniably Dairy Grants supporting 136 dairy promotion projects. The organization also recently completed DEAL Class Three with 17 farmers and launched Class Four, continuing its young dairy leader development program focused on building future champions and advocates for the dairy industry. Farmers can read the full 2025 Midwest Dairy Annual Report at MidwestDairy.com.