ORLANDO, FLA., October 22, 2019 – Florida Dairy Farmers is fittingly staking its prominence in an area referred to as The Milk District in Orlando with the creation of a signature mural that honors the history of the land and generations of dairy farmers across Florida and beyond. Orlando is known for its robust arts and culture scene, which is reflected in its countless murals and street graffiti that color the city. Four artists, commissioned by Florida Dairy Farmers, began outlining the mural on October 1 and completed the masterpiece on October 15.
“This mural brings the dairy farmers’ untold story to a community where sustainability and supporting local are valued as much as they are expected – The Milk District in Orlando,” said Bill Giovanetti, vice president for Dean Foods Company, the dairy distributor that owns T.G. Lee Dairy. “Florida is home to nearly 80 dairy farms, nearly all of which are owned and operated by hardworking dairy farm families who have cared for the land for generations.”
The canvas for the new mural is on the side of the historic T.G. Lee Dairy building, which has served as the dairy producer’s main processing headquarters since its founding in 1925. The mural is the largest mural in Orlando, spanning more than 200 feet long, and may be the only one of its kind nationwide.
The creative forces behind the masterpiece — lead designer Chris Jones, Peterson Guerrier, Catalina Penagos and Michael Caban — began their work not with a brush stroke, but by visiting a dairy farm in Okeechobee, Fla., Milking R Dairy. The artists sketched throughout the day as they learned first-hand about the passion, hard work and commitment that goes into responsible farming.
The farm visit allowed the artists to fully immerse themselves into the dairy culture before paying homage to it. The mural was designed to playfully depict the connection between the farmers, their land, their cows and the people who love their products.
“It has been an honor to translate the experience we had on the dairy farm into something that we can share with the Orlando community,” said Chris Jones, lead designer of the mural. “My fellow artists and I were blown away by the natural beauty of the farm, the animals and the amount of love and respect the farmers showed them. Our goal was to incorporate some of that warmth into the mural.”
Milking R Dairy Owner Sutton Rucks, a fourth-generation dairyman and Florida Dairy Farmer board member shared, “This mural serves to connect our hard-working dairy farmers and the wholesome products that stock your local store shelves with consumers that have never seen a farm in person.”
