KANSAS CITY, Kan. — 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 winter. The Cooperative delivered six truckloads of milk, which will be processed into more than 30,000 pounds of cheese, for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg, Pa. The cheese will help feed about 240,000 people based on a typical serving size of two ounces.
“As farmers, we work hard every day to help produce nutrient-rich dairy for individuals and families in our local communities and across the world,” says Jerrel Heatwole, chairman of the Northeast Area Council and dairy farmer in Greenwood, Del. “I’m proud that our Cooperative is helping to make an impact in the fight against hunger.”
One in ten individuals in central Pennsylvania, including one in six children, struggle with hunger. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves nearly 135,000 people in need every month.
“We are grateful for the support of partners like Dairy Farmers of America who recognize the importance of giving back in their local communities,” says Joe Arthur, executive director at Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. “With their support, we can help provide our clients and families with not only a food that they enjoy eating, but one that provides solid nutritional benefits, too.”
Two tankers of milk were delivered to Amish cheesemaker Oak Shade Cheese in Kirkwood, Pa., on November 28 and 29, 2019. Four additional truckloads of milk were delivered on December 24, 27, 30 and 31, 2019. All the milk will be made into cheese and sent to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank at a later date.
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.
—Kim O’Brien, Dairy Farmers of America