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Illinois Milk Producers Association celebrates dairy month with large donation of milk

The Illinois Milk Producers Association is kicking off June Dairy Month in an impactful way.

Illinois dairy farmers and IMPA are donating more than 2,000 half gallon containers of milk and nearly 400 half gallon containers of lactose-free milk to the Central and Eastern Illinois Foodbanks.

IMPA Executive Director Tasha Bunting tells Brownfield they have been looking for ways to help curb local food insecurity.

“What we are hoping to do is bring a little more awareness to milk consumption, the value, the contribution and just the overall health that dairy brings to our communities. This is a way to help bring those communities that maybe are a little more food insecure the products that they are needing.”

But she says this isn’t a one-time donation. They are working with other commodity groups and companies to form a Dairy Donation Program in the state.

“We worked with Prairie Farms, who’s been very generous in helping us secure product and work on getting us the tools that we need to be able to hopefully build upon it for the future and growing a program for more distribution and donation.”

Bunting says they have worked with the Illinois Pork Producers Association on logistics of the initiative with the goal of mirroring the success of the Illinois Pork Power donation program. The Illinois Corn Growers Association and Illinois Soybean Association also contributed to the first donation.

She says local food banks have expressed a need for dairy products and healthy options for lactose intolerant consumers.

Brownfield interviewed Bunting at the Central Illinois Foodbank in Springfield on Wednesday where the groups presented the donation.