Today marks the official start of the Wisconsin Dairy Recovery Program.
State dairy farmers will be paid to supply milk to farmer-owned dairy cooperative Kemps, which kicked-off the beginning phase this week by processing thousands of gallons of milk at its’ Cedarburg facility.
Farmers had been told recently to dump their products with falling demand because of COVID-19. But that’s when the Milwaukee-based Hunger Task Force partnered with Wisconsin Dairy Farmers & the State Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection to provide relief to the growing numbers of underfed & unemployed.
Hunger Task Force Executive Director Sherrie Tussler tells SeehaferNews.com that Kemps will have its’ first delivery this morning and milk & cheese products will be distributed to food pantries, including Manitowoc, through the Hunger Relief Federation.
Tussler explains that Englehardt Dairy will handle the transportation of dairy products to places like Peter’s Pantry and others in the region starting next Tuesday.
The effort is made possible through donations of one million dollars since the middle of March.
Tussler calls the effort a win-win situation because farmers have a statewide market for their milk and those in need now have access to fresh dairy products.