Two Pallets of Milk Donated!

 
If you don't ask the question, you won't get the answer. That's my philosophy about wanting more information, and I'm sure glad I asked the question! My question was, "Tell me about The Giving Cow program."

Let me explain. Last month I was invited to speak at the corporate offices of Cub Foods at a meeting for their Dairy Department managers. Why me? Well, who better to talk about where dairy begins than a dairy farmer? I shared information about my family farm, what we do, and also our community involvement. The milk from our farm is sold to DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) who own Kemps so I ended with this quote from the Kemps website which perfectly sums up our goal here at Bremer Farms.

"... we've always been there for each other. It's in our DNA - work hard, love your family and take care of your neighbors. It's a commitment to do the right thing. It's a way of life we live by every day supporting local programs that nourish families, build communities, and work to leave our world in better shape than we found it."

So this led me to my question, "What can we do for the community and what is The Giving Cow program all about?" And here is Kemps answer- "Milk is one of the most requested items from food shelves, but unfortunately, it's rarely donated. So we've created Kemps Giving Cow Milk. Every time you buy Kemps milk, we donate Giving Cow milk to kids-in-need."

A week later I received a phone call from Christina of Kemps announcing that Kemps and Cub Foods would like to donate TWO PALLETS of milk to our local food shelf, Hastings Family Service. That's over 6,000 cartons of milk! I'll admit it, I was so excited that I cried while on the phone.

One of two pallets of Giving Cow milk!

So last week representatives from Kemps, Cub Foods, and myself, presented the milk to Hastings Family Service.

Amy (HFS), Christina (Kemps), Jayme (Kemps), Tara (Cub Foods), Janet (Bremer Farms), Amy and Deana (HFS)

As  a DFA/Kemps dairy farmer I am proud to say that our farm is a part of making this donation happen. Bremer Farms appreciates the support that Kemps and Cub Foods gives to communities like ours.

The Giving Cow milk is ultra pasteurized which means it is shelf stable and requires no refrigeration. This is important to food pantries which typically do not have adequate refrigeration space.

V Is For Volunteer

Tonight Bessie and I did a bit of volunteering.

Bessie and I were invited to an activity for United Way of Hastings. United Way describes itself as neighbors helping neighbors, right here in the community you live in. (I love this!) Their mission is to "collaborate with other organizations, identify root causes, and solve our most crucial community needs."

How could Bessie and I possibly say no to an organization that is all about improving the lives of my fellow community members. 

In the spirit of June Dairy Month, United Way held an ice cream social for the organizations it supports. Bessie and I were invited to talk dairy,  hand out dairy recipes and everyone got a dairy filled goodie bag. We also thanked everyone for enjoying dairy foods. Bessie even reminded folks of the importance of  #Dairy3forMe.

I really enjoy the opportunity to visit with new friends about dairy farming. I appreciate all the great conversations. I hope everyone left tonight knowing I am a dairy farmer passionate about what I do, and also knowing how much I appreciate them consuming our healthy and good tasting dairy foods. 

Thank you Mari and the United Way crew, for letting me be a part of your event. Also, thanks for what you and the supporting organizations do for my neighbors in Hastings.

Happy June Dairy Month!