Dairy was the central focus of Feeding America’s Eastern Symposium “Dairy Nourishes America” in Rochester, N.Y., this week. Guests included food bank staff and dairy industry leaders seeking connections to source more nutritious foods for their communities and families in need – specifically dairy.
American Dairy Association North East coordinated a virtual farm tour of EL-VI Farms in Newark, N.Y., hosted by farm owners George Andrew and Kim Skellie. The intent was to show how milk is sustainably produced and to highlight farmers’ commitment to ensuring all families have access to fresh milk.
ADA North East CEO John Chrisman participated in a panel discussion at the symposium to discuss checkoff’s role with Fill a Glass with Hope®. The charitable campaign has distributed 36 million servings of fresh milk to families through the Feeding Pennsylvania foodbank system with funds raised through grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and in-store retail donations.
ADA North East Chair Audrey Donahoe of Clayville, N.Y., along with other New York dairy farmers David Fisher from Madrid and Abigail and Austin Copenhaver of Stanley, attended the event. New York State Associate Dairy Ambassadors Olivia Maslyn and Justin Mesch also participated in the event.
