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Through its DFA Cares Foundation, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national cooperative owned by dairy farm families across the U.S., is making good use of Northeast Area milk this holiday season. The Cooperative is delivering four truckloads of milk, which will be processed into more than 21,000 pounds of cheese, for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg, Pa. The total donation will help provide cheese for more than 168,000 people based on a typical serving size of two ounces.
The first load of milk was delivered to Amish cheesemaker Oak Shade Cheese in Kirkwood, Pa., on Friday, November 23. Three additional truckloads of milk are planned for delivery in late December. All the milk will be made into cheese and sent to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank at a later date.
“As farmers, we work hard every day to help produce nutrient-rich dairy for individuals and families in our local communities,” says Jason Martin, a dairy farmer from Pequea, Pa., and a Mount Joy Cooperative member, which markets its milk through DFA. “It’s an honor to support this effort and help provide food for people throughout Pennsylvania who are facing tough times and struggling with hunger.”
Serving 27 counties, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is the largest non-profit food distribution organization in central Pennsylvania. The food bank provides food to more than 1,000 partner agencies, such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that directly serve people struggling with hunger. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank distributes more than 48 million pounds of food and grocery products, which is equivalent to 40 million meals every year.
“Dairy products, like cheese, are rarely donated, due to the perishability,” says Joe Arthur, executive director at Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. “With this donation, we can help provide our clients and families with not only a food that they enjoy eating, but also one that provides nutritional benefits like calcium, protein and other nutrients.”
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank donation was made possible through the DFA Cares Foundation, which was established in 2005 as a nonprofit charitable organization. Through the DFA Cares Foundation, DFA provides disaster relief via product and monetary donations, invests in the future of the industry by providing scholarships to students pursuing careers in dairy and donates nutritious dairy and food products to those in need.