Virginia Dairy Farmer Elected as Chair of National Dairy Promotion and Research Board

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) today congratulates Joanna B. Shipp, of Boones Mill, Virginia, for her recent election as Chair of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (Board).

“We are thrilled for Joanna Shipp, one of our own, to be elected as Chair and leading voice for dairy farmers in the United States,” said Jay Bryant, CEO of MDVA. “Joanna will leverage her knowledge to ensure that farmer’s dollars are being spent in a way that will advance the U.S. dairy industry.”

The Dairy Research and Promotion Program, also known as the Dairy Checkoff Program, is a national producer and importer program for dairy product promotion, research, and nutrition education. To fund the program, U.S. dairy farmers pay a 15-cents per hundred-weight assessment on their milk and importers pay 7.5-cents per hundred-weight on dairy products imported into the U.S.

Joanna Shipp is a seventh-generation dairy farmer. Alongside her father, she milks 225 cows and farms over 1000 acres of owned and rented ground. Joanna’s volunteerism, farm experiences, and ability to identify the latest trends have contributed to her continued success on the Board. This is Joanna’s second, and final, 3-year term with the Board.

“Our farmer-driven Board works together to promote the scientific evidence behind the nutritional properties of milk,” said Shipp. “As Chair I will continue our strategic effort to work alongside physicians, nutritionists, and government leaders to create and enforce policies which acknowledge the nutritional power of milk.”

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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.

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Contact: Virginia Funk, vfunk@mdvamilk.com or 540-333-5856