Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President of Sustainability & External Relations at Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) has been elected Chair of the Virginia Agribusiness Council (VAC). The Virginia Agribusiness Council is a non-profit member organization committed to representing the agriculture and forestry industries in the Commonwealth with a unified voice through effective government relations efforts.
“It is an honor to lead this decades-old organization which serves to advance all of agriculture in Virginia,” said Reames. “As we kick-off the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Session is it important that we work together to develop solutions to advance agriculture and find common ground in the Commonwealth.”
Serving in her one-year term, Reames’ first large undertaking was yesterday’s 52nd Annual Legislative Appreciation Banquet at Main Street Station in Richmond. The event, attended by more than 1,000 agriculture industry members and elected officials, featured remarks by Governor Glenn Youngkin and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr along with the Virginia’s Finest™ reception sponsored by Maola Local Dairies, MDVA’s consumer-facing brand of milk.
During the event, MDVA was awarded the VAC Agribusiness Environment Award. The award is given annually to an agribusiness for recognition of outstanding achievements, research, or practices that benefit both agribusiness and the environment.
“Our approach to on-farm sustainability that engages the entire supply chain continues to grab the attention of the agriculture and food industry,” said Reames. “We are proud to have raised more than $70M to ensure our farm families can continue serving Virginians with local, fresh, and sustainable dairy products for every need.”
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About Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative is a community of more than 900 dairy farm families in 10 states passionate about cultivating dairy goodness and bottling fresh Maola brand milk and dairy products. Our farmer-owned cooperative owns five dairy processing plants that process more than three billion pounds of milk annually. Our diverse portfolio of dairy products are then distributed to consumers in the United States and ingredients customers worldwide. Our cooperative is a leader in sustainability, partnering across the supply chain to deliver sustainable solutions to our member farms. We take pride in supporting the educational and nutritional needs of the communities in our milkshed through our MDVA Fund. For more information about Maryland & Virginia, visit www.mdvamilk.com.
Contact: Amanda Culp, aculp@mdvamilk.com, 540-333-9873
Dateline: January 11, 2024, Richmond, Virginia
Photos available in high resolution upon request.
Caption for Top Photo: MDVA Members Rusty McWilliams and Molly Elgin McWilliams from J-Team Dairy, William French from French Bros. Dairy, Lindsay Reames, Thomas French from French Bros. Dairy, Virginia Funk, Taylor Mickelberry, and Rebecca Shaw
