SYRACUSE, N.Y. –Local dairy farmers Jessica Hula of Little Falls, N.Y., and Walter Rutledge of Jarrestville, Md., joined American Dairy Association North East to participate in local and national charitable milk campaigns to recognize June as National Dairy Month.
“Dairy farmers are in the business of producing food and ensuring those in need have access to it is a top priority,” said ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi. “By supporting campaigns like these, consumers also make a connection with where their food comes from, which is often from a farmer in their local community.”
Walter Rutledge of Rutledge Brickhouse Dairy reminded consumers that dairy farmers are dedicated to helping fight childhood hunger through milk donations in a Safeway retail video for the Great American Milk Drive.
ADA North East is again partnering with Safeway, Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) and Feeding America to present the campaign. Stores in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware are collecting consumer donations at checkout. Last year, Safeway donations totaled $193,000, which is approximately 48,350 gallons of milk.
“Local dairy farmers like me are committed to working every day to provide our communities with a nutritious and wholesome product,” Rutledge said. “During this challenging time, we are working harder than ever to ensure that your local dairy aisle and food pantry is stocked with fresh, local milk.”
Since 2014, the Great American Milk Drive has delivered more than 2 million gallons, or more than 33 million servings, of milk to children and families in need.
Jessica Hula of Insight Dairy and New York Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball joined in a Fill a Glass with Hope® video that is part of Price Chopper/Market 32’s National Dairy Month campaign.
Shoppers in the chain’s 131 stores are reminded to “round up” their change at checkout to help local food banks secure milk for local families in need. Fill a Glass with Hope was initiated by Pennsylvania dairy farmers in 2015 and launched in New York last year to help feed local communities through donations to local food banks. More than 14 million servings of milk have been distributed through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and feeding programs.
For more information about American Dairy Association North East, visit AmericanDairy.com, or call 315.472.9143.
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About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 10,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com, or call 315.472.9143.
