Dairy Stream podcast: Sustainability efforts net farmers additional income

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 12, 2020

Contact: Steven Schauer | (920) 471-9896 | sschauer@voiceofmilk.com

Dairy Stream podcast: Sustainability efforts
net farmers additional income

Pennsylvania partnership turns collaboration into cleaner water

Farmers in the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership are getting a premium on their milk check for implementing sustainability practices. The extra income demonstrates how conservation efforts can bring benefits even beyond cleaner water.

In the latest episode of the Dairy Stream podcast, host Mike Austin talks with Lindsay Reames, director of sustainability and external relations for the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, and Jenna Mitchell, Pennsylvania state director for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, about the innovative group, a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winner.

Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy sponsored this episode.

Listen here.

Podcast breakdown:

• 2:05: Background and goals of the partnership (Mitchell, Reames answers)
• 5:37: How $2 million of fundraised dollars are being used (Mitchell)
• 6:42: Conservation plans for each farmer (Reames)
• 9:00: Innovative practices are implemented (Reames)
• 10:16: Data is collected internally and analyzed with layered approach (Reames)
• 11:34: Process to join partnership and payoff of higher premiums (Reames)
• 13:02: Partnership grows as more farmers adopt best practices (Mitchell)
• 16:02: Staff simplifies multitude of options for farmers (Mitchell)
• 18:32: Relationships and communication made developing partnership easier (Mitchell)
• 20:49: “I scream, you scream, we all scream for clean streams.” (Mitchell, Reames)
• 23:21: Advice on replicating partnership model (Mitchell)
• 24:53: Fundraising essential for partnership of this size (Reames)
• 26:03: The 10-year outlook for the group (Mitchell)

Tweet about this:
Chesapeake Bay waters improve and farmers see extra income because of @AllianceForBay sustainability partnership; led by farmers, @TurkeyHillDairy, @MDVAMilk and others. Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership is one of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winners. Listen to the @DairyForward @VoiceOfMilk Dairy Stream podcast: https://bit.ly/39qZ67J

Photos:

Click here for the Dairy Stream logo

Click here for a photo of the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership staff

Click here for a photo of Mike Austin

About Dairy Stream:

Dairy Stream focuses on policy, sustainability, market trends, new technology, processor updates, business partner news and farmer involvement. The podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C..

Dairy Stream is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, PodBean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

About DBA:

The Dairy Business Association is Wisconsin’s leading dairy lobby group, championing smart and sensible regulations affecting the dairy community. The nonprofit organization is comprised of farmers, milk processors, vendors and other business partners who work collaboratively to ensure that dairy farms of all sizes have the support they need to keep America’s Dairyland strong. More information: www.dairyforward.com

About Edge:

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative provides dairy farmers throughout the Midwest with a powerful voice — the voice of milk — in Congress, with customers and within their communities. Edge, based in Green Bay, Wis., is one of the top cooperatives in the country based on milk volume. More information: www.voiceofmilk.com.

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