Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative ’s Post

MDVA is a key dairy supplier for Starbucks and has made great strides in the Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program this past year. "Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program has made a real difference on our member farms - Starbucks is not only bringing resources to our members but providing leadership and direction to help shape a new dairy supply chain where there is a shared responsibility from farm to customer for the environmental impact of dairy. With strategic investments in best management practices, dairy has the opportunity to be an environmental solution and gain the confidence of our dairy consumers in our sustainability journey." - Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President, Sustainability & External Relations, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative. READ MORE: https://loom.ly/aE9mu1Q

Proudly Celebrating Maryland Green Registry Membership! 🌿 Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative's dairy manufacturing facilities in Laurel and Landover, Maryland, joined the Maryland Green Registry this year! This recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. In celebration of the Maryland Green Registry's 15th anniversary last week, Governor Wes Moore proclaimed June 20 as Maryland Green Registry Day. We are honored to be part of this dedicated community working towards a greener future. The Maryland Green Registry promotes and recognizes sustainable practices across various organizations, regardless of type or size. Members commit to implementing at least five environmental practices with measurable results and continually striving for improved environmental performance. Our participation in this program underscores our dedication to sustainable practices and our commitment to making a positive environmental impact. We look forward to continuing our efforts and sharing our progress with the community. Join us in celebrating this milestone and our ongoing journey towards sustainability! 🌍💚 https://loom.ly/2Xbdd5U #MDVAMilk #MDVAFamilyFarms #Sustainability #Maryland #Green #GreenRegistry

Congratulations are in order for our Communications and External Relations team! Earlier this month, the group of dedicated communicators were honored by their professional organization, the Cooperative Communicators Association, with a pair of awards. The team earned First Place for its News Release titled "Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and The Piedmont Environmental Council Partner to Support Volunteer Tree Planting Project on Virginia Dairy Farm." The team also earned Second Place for its 2023 Annual Report titled "Facing Headwinds, Leaning In." The awards are selected from communications across the country in the cooperative space, so we're honored to have been recognized on this national scale! You can read the award-winning news release here: https://lnkd.in/ewN3CKvy

Last week, Virginia First Lady Suzanne Youngkin visited with members of the Virginia Dairy Princess Program and toasted with Maola milk to the Commonwealth's dairy industry, which provide around 163 million gallons of milk products each year. We appreciate the support of these leaders like the First Lady as well as Agriculture & Forestry Secretary Matt Lohr and VDACS Commissioner Joe Guthrie in championing this Virginia Grown product.

Last week, MDVA 2024 Oustanding YC Molly McWilliams and 2023 Outstanding YC Thomas French visited with members of Congress and their teams during the annual Young Cooperators Dairy Policy & Legislative Forum. Advocating for their fellow dairymen and dairywomen is an important part of MDVA's YC program and we are grateful for the time that Molly and Thomas took to speak on behalf of all MDVA members in Washington. The duo joined MDVA CEO Jay Bryant, MDVA President Kevin Satterwhite, and MDVA CFO Jon Cowell in participating in the week of activities that National Milk Producers Federation coordinates at our nation's capitol each June.

Earlier this month, Maola was proud to donate 200 half-pint milks to the Bike2DC – Ride to Honor event. That event saw more than 50 cyclists ride from Charlotte to Washington, D.C. in honor of fallen police officers. The ride started at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) headquarters on May 9 and finished on May 13 at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall.   Around 50 cyclists started in Charlotte and stopped only to eat and sleep and spent overnights in Asheboro, NC; South Boston, Va.; and Richmond, Va. before finishing the ride’s fourth day at the Candlelight Vigil.   The ride has been annual since 2007, but it had exceptional circumstances this year. Just days before the ride, CMPD officer Joshua Eyer was shot and killed alongside three other North Carolina law enforcement officers on April 29. “This year, our cyclists will be pedaling [Eyer’s] public order, his mountain bike, along with his helmet and his vest that carries his number, and those riders will take turns riding his bicycle in memory of him,” Deputy Chief Jacquelyn Hulsey with CMPD told WSOC-TV Eyewitness News.   Maola has a distribution branch in Charlotte. We were proud to support these officers and cyclists as they honored fallen law enforcement officers. 📷 Riders stop in Chase City, Va. to enjoy Maola Chocolate Milk

On this #MemorialDay, we recognize the people who gave their lives to protect our country and its freedoms. Thank you to those individuals who sacrificed all and to the families who are remembering those servicemen and servicewomen today.

Earlier this week, we announced our 2024 Scholarship Winners. Congratulations to these deserving young people and we wish them the best on their journeys to education and careers in the field of dairy! #MDVAMilk #MDVAFamilyFarms #Education #Scholarship https://loom.ly/EwAmVD8

Dairy farming is hard work. The long hours and physical labor can be stressful. And sometimes, it can feel as though dairy farmers are alone in that stress. But no one is alone and there are resources that can help. https://loom.ly/4tO_Y1M