New York State Dairy Farmers Donate Milk to Families in Need Amidst Pandemic

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As the ongoing pandemic continues to disrupt the lives and incomes of millions of people, many families are encountering food insecurity. Many farmers, on the other hand, are struggling to find commercial outlets for their produce since supply lines have dried up amid lockdown restrictions.

Meanwhile, some New York state dairy farmers have come up with a benevolent solution to the threat of wasted produce; they are donating excess, unsaleable milk to people in need.

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“They are in tremendous need, especially families who, today, have lost their jobs and don’t have the ability to access food,” Loretta Zolkowski of the Human Services Leadership Council told CBS New York. “Food is the number one need in this community.”

About 9,000 gallons (approx. 34,069 liters) from Syracuse dairy farms would be shared between the Salvation Army and other organizations to help families in Central New York.

Volunteers from Dairy Farmers of America, the American Dairy Association North East, and Dean Foods have responded to the record numbers of Americans suddenly facing unemployment and food scarcity by distributing around 7,700 gallons (approx. 29,148 liters) of milk on April 22, 2020.

According to Syracuse.com, Syracuse City School District picked up 1,998 gallons (approx. 7,563 liters) for its students’ families, City Senior Apartments picked up 1,098 gallons (approx. 4,156 liters), and the other additional gallons of milk were distributed via a drive-thru giveaway in a Destiny USA Mall parking lot.

Drivers were prompted to roll down their windows or open their trunks to receive their allotted 2 gallons (approx. 8 liters) each. Many honked their horns, cheered, and waved in gratitude to the volunteers.

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“We are seeing people who have never before sought help come to food pantries, community organizations, and churches because they cannot provide for their families,” said Nancy Kern Eaton, president of the United Way of CNY. Eaton added that they were grateful for the “incredible generosity” of the dairy farmers.

In the first hour alone, several hundred vehicles drove through the Destiny USA Mall parking lot. The volunteers handing out the milk declined the offer of monetary donations.

ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi explained that getting milk to families whose resources have been compromised during the lockdown is vital for their well-being. “Partnering with other dairy industry leaders is an ideal way to make this happen,” he said, as reported by Perishable News, “while also [benefiting] our dairy farmers and the industry as a whole.”

“Cows don’t stop producing milk,” Gina Lazara of the Syracuse Salvation Army told CBS New York, “and so they have this milk coming and it’s not selling, and they’re not able to stock the shelves like they normally do.”

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Sales to major dairy export markets have subsided in the wake of the lockdown. After the mass closure of restaurants and schools across the United States, dairy farmers have also lost the custom of wholesale foodservice markets and are instead courting a logistic nightmare in trying to reroute supplies to retail grocery stores, reports Reuters.

Dumping excess milk is a last resort that most dairy farmers are desperate to avoid. The Syracuse dairy farmers’ alliance, therefore, has pledged to continue its charitable drive and donate excess milk to needy New Yorkers once per week into the foreseeable future, CBS New York reported.