Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance) hosted Congressman Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) yesterday on a Christiana, Pennsylvania farm to discuss opportunities to bring flexible sustainability funding to U.S. farmers and ranchers in the upcoming Farm Bill and beyond.

“We appreciate Congressman Smucker for stepping away from the Capitol to experience the reality of implementing sustainability practices on working dairy farms,” said Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President, Sustainability & External Relations at MDVA. “As consumers and farmers have increasingly more shared values on sustainability, lawmakers must develop flexible sustainability programs which implement realistic and beneficial practices on farms.”

During the farm tour, Congressman Smucker experienced the sustainability investments made to the farm which included barnyard restoration and stabilization, manure storage, the planting of a riparian forest buffer, and exclusion fencing to keep cows out of local waterways.

“These projects not only take steps towards healthier soil, cleaner water, and healthier cows but also give our farm families hope for the future,” said Janae Klingler, Director of Animal Care and Sustainability at MDVA. “The younger generations see the older generation and our cooperative putting these efforts into the farms, and hopefully they’re around for 50, 75 and 100 more years.”

The project, which totaled more than $200,000, was made possible through a complex matrix of funding and technical service providers – something unachievable without the partnership between MDVA and the Alliance. The largest portion of the financial support was provided by National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant funding awarded to the Alliance to support dairy farm sustainability on MDVA farms. The grant programs included Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant (INSR), Small Watershed Grant (SWG), and Most Effective Basins (MEB). The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) provided funding for the buffer.

This farm was just one example of the more than $45 million sustainability investments made on MDVA farms.

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Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2023

Contact: Amanda Culp, aculp@mdvamilk.com, 540-333-9873

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Photo Credit: Piedmont Environmental Council