KINDERHOOK, New York — Maple Hill Creamery, America’s original 100 percent grass-fed organic dairy company, today announced finalization of the award of $20 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to grow markets for sustainable, regenerative grass-fed organic dairy farming. The funding, initially announced in September 2022, is part of the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, awarding $2.8 billion in funding to pilot projects that will help build and expand opportunities for consumers to purchase food grown in a climate-friendly way.
“Over the past year, leaders from Maple Hill have worked to develop a program called ‘Pay for Progress’ to educate farmers, measure and improve our industry-leading regenerative practices, and expand regenerative dairy farming. This partnership with the USDA will help fund a significant portion of that program,” said Mitch Clark, senior vice president of supply chain for Maple Hill Creamery. “With this support from the USDA, Maple Hill will expand its leadership in regenerative agriculture and be able to provide best practices to more farmers.”
As the largest 100 percent grass-fed focused dairy business in the U.S, Maple Hill Creamery continues to lead with its sustainable regenerative agriculture practices and was awarded funding from the USDA for the following programs to help promote industry growth:
- Expansion of Climate-Smart Markets: Maple Hill will educate its small family dairy farmers on how to improve their pastures with leading climate-smart practices to upgrade soil health. The data-driven program, called Pay for Progress, will incentivize implementation and provide training support to help farmers enhance regenerative and environmental practices. Maple Hill will host approximately 30 regional educational events per year with resources and experts providing one-on-one guidance. In addition, pasture scoring will provide trackable data on soil health, diversity of plant cover, ground cover and more.
- Consumer Education – Maple Hill will help consumers understand the regenerative farming practices and why grass-fed organic dairy is better for consumers, better for the environment, better for cows and better for farmers.
“Once consumers learn about the benefits of regenerative farming and 100% grass-fed organic dairy, they’ll recognize the correlation between these practices and their desires for a healthier environment, healthier animals and healthier dairy products,” said Jim Hau, president of Maple Hill Creamery.
As America’s original grass-fed organic dairy, Maple Hill’s mission is to bring healthy, organic, 100 percent grass-fed dairy products to U.S. families. With healthy soil as the cornerstone of everything they do, Maple Hill works tirelessly within its network of organic 100 percent grass-fed farmers to develop and implement practices that result in the regeneration of the land through the management of organic pastures and grass-fed cows.
When managed in harmony with nature, grazing cows are one of the most effective tools on Earth to ignite life in the soil, which is the foundation of the carbon cycle, soil fertility, economic viability for farmers and the nutrition in human bodies. Maple Hill’s organic milk supply and the nourishment provided to families through its products start with the health of the soil, the grass and the happy healthy cows on the family farms.
For more information about Maple Hill Creamery, visit www.maplehill.com. Visit usda.gov/climate-smart-commodities to learn more about this effort, and visit usda.gov/climate-solutions for climate-related updates, resources and tools across the Department.
Media Inquiries
Jenn McFerron Sloan
jenn@commodditiesinc.com
About Maple Hill
Maple Hill has been disrupting the dairy industry since its beginnings in 2009. From day one Maple Hill’s founders committed to using regenerative agriculture practices that are better for the animal, for the planet and for everyone. The company was founded with a mission to create clean, organic dairy products and continues to meet that demand for consumers today.
Maple Hill produces milk, kefir, butter and yogurt procured from small family farms in Upstate New York. You can find their products nationwide in more than 8,000 retailers including Whole Foods Markets, Amazon Fresh, Natural Grocers, Target, Walmart, Jewel, Sprouts, Stop and Shop, ShopRite, Shaws, Meijer, Central Market, King Soopers, PCC Markets, Safeway, Albertsons, Hannaford and Earth Fare, as well as many specialty and independent retailers. For more information, visit maplehill.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @maplehillcreamery.
