Seeking to ride the momentum fueling explosive consumer interest in non-dairy milks, Milk Future, a free virtual museum designed to educate consumers and spread awareness about non-dairy plant-based milks, is set to go live on February 1.
The virtual museum, which will be open through the end of the month, will feature a variety of content, ranging from imagery to speaking panels to interactive workshops, some of which will be ticketed and pay-what-you-can.
The mind behind the museum is events producer Amber Ward, an event producer and community strategist at VEGPRENEUR, whose previous work includes co-founding in-person songwriting competition Songathon.
“The museum was birthed from the idea that I wanted to create something interactive and interesting that people could do from home that would teach about something related to animals and the environment and the way that your food choices impact those two things,” she said.
The virtual museum experience doesn’t end with the exhibitions either: Milk Future will feature a virtual gift shop where visitors can purchase branded goods and gear, as well as a “discovery box” of dairy-free products from brands like Raaka Chocolate, Nod Foods, Nooch It, Parma!, Candid, Pure-Food by Estee and others.
Milk Future’s corporate partners — which include MALK, Califia Farms, Miyoko’s Creamery and Good Karma — will also be involved in shaping the museum’s content, with the founders of the latter three companies participating in a panel discussion on “The Future of Dairy” on February 4. Meanwhile, Califia has shared historical photos and clips from the company archive.
“I think one theme that is really pervasive throughout the museum is the comparison between then and now,” she said. “There are a lot of historical photos in the museum that really parallel what you are seeing now from advertisements from the early 60s to certain lawsuits that were filed against plant-based dairy companies that are similar to what we are seeing now. Just understanding that plant-based milk is not a new thing and that people have been experiencing the same challenges to make it go mainstream or get it into the right hands for decades. That sort of idea that whenever you drink plant-based milk, you are part of a long history.”
Citing the statistic that 41% of Americans purchased plant-based milk in 2020, Ward said she hopes the museum can become an annual event that people can attend in person and taste various plant-based products.
“One of the main goals for this project and campaign is the idea of accessibility and making sure this can get into anyone’s hands who is interested in learning more about the topic,” she noted.