AKRON, Ohio — The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has partnered with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Daisy Brand to help use the surplus milk from area farmers, providing those in need with food while preventing waste.
With some grocery stores placing limits on how many of an item customers can buy, as well as schools and restaurant closings across Ohio, dairy farmers have said they’ve suffered, having to dump milk.
The partnership between the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, DFA and Daisy, has resulted in a plan to convert the surplus milk into cottage cheese.
The DFA is donating the surplus milk from Ohio farmers to Daisy’s manufacturing plant in Wooster where it is processed and converted into protein-rich cottage cheese, according to the food bank.
Over the course of six weeks, more than 120,000 pounds of cottage cheese will be donated to area food banks, which have seen unprecedented demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, the partnership recorded its first delivery of cottage cheese, according to the food bank.
“Millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet and food banks are seeing increased demand for their services. Working with processors to donate dairy products is a solution that helps feed hungry families and ensures the dairy products our farmers produce don’t go to waste,” said Heather McCann, director of public affairs for DFA’s Mideast Area.
