A dairy farm in Florida is seeking help in getting its milk to people in need. Dakin Dairy Farms, in Myakka city, is a 1,000-acre family-run operation that normally produces 70,000 gallons (approx. 264,979 liters) of milk a week, according to their
website, and has been trying to find ways to avoid dumping its excess milk amidst the ongoing pandemic.
With restaurants being shut and other businesses closed, there have been a host of disruptions for dairy farmers.
In order to avoid dumping excess milk and help out families that are hurting financially due to the
CCP virus outbreak, Dakin Dairy Farms has started to sell its milk at a discounted price of $2.50 per gallon (approx. 4 liters) with no limit on how much one can buy. It is also selling cream that can be used to make homemade butter for a discounted price of $5.
Jerry Dakin, who has owned the farm since 2001, has seen many ups and downs but nothing such as this. He told
The Observer, “There are people out there that don’t have jobs right now.”
He further added: “It’s for everybody to survive.”
Dakin Dairy started to offer discounted prices of milk since April 4, 2020, to the public.
In addition, Dakin told
WWSB that he’s already donated milk to Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee and is looking for other partners who could donate to help families in need.
Dakin said the dairy will work with “any ministries, anything we can do to help people.” He also emphasized that his dairy will continue offering healthy, affordable milk as long as they can and will not let families starve amidst these unprecedented times of crisis.
Dakin further added: “We’re just asking to support local farms to keep us in business.”
Amidst these unique times, there has been a glut in production. Dakin found himself dumping 7,000 gallons (approx. 26, 498 liters) of fresh milk when the collapse in the market hit.
“We have the milk. It’s just we just need somebody to step up that will help donate this milk to consumers and everything,” Dakin told
WTSP. “There’s so many people that need it.”
Due to Florida food safety laws, dairies have to sell or process their milk within 72 hours, meaning that there’s a lot of pressure on farmers to sell it quickly or dump it. Dairy farmers like Dakin have faced several challenges since the beginning of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.
First, an early run on grocery stores resulted in
empty shelves in the dairy section, which led supermarkets to limit purchases of milk per customer. Then, the closure of institutional purchasers, such as school cafeterias, restaurants, and hotels, led to a
collapse in demand.
“I am 51, and I am going to fight this with everything I’ve got,” a determined Dakin told
The Bradenton Herald.
In addition, Dakin Dairy farm has also started a
GoFundMe page asking people to donate to their effort in order to support more families, churches, and institutions instead of dumping the milk.
“During these times, we’ve been given the opportunity to share the same love we share at the table with the members of our community,” the dairy wrote on their GoFundMe page. “Our faith reminds us that we have a purpose, and that is to serve one another.”
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