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Together, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Giant Food, and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association are supporting local dairy farmers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed to improve their land and water, ultimately leading to a more sustainable supply chain.
In the next 30 years, this number is projected to exceed 22 million. As these numbers grow, the demand for sustainably grown, local food heightens the strain on local farms. With around 87,000 farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, producing an estimated $10 billion of agricultural products each year, agriculture is a critical component of the watershed’s culture and economy. As our population continues growing, farms are beginning to take action to ensure we can sustainably produce quality farm products while improving the health of the Bay and its tributaries.
Dairy producers are already an integral piece of the solution and are part of the foundation for the Giant Clean Water Partnership. The Giant Clean Water Partnership was established to provide the dairy farmers supplying milk to Maola Local Dairies with the resources needed to improve local water quality and ensure environmental conservation compliance.
With so many of our local farmers operating in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Giant Clean Water Partnership recognizes its responsibility to keep our estuary healthy by ensuring farms have access to the tools they need to implement environmental best management practices. This includes:
As the raw milk supplier, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) brings access and direct relationships with the 400+ dairy farmers who supply milk to Maola Local Dairies and Giant Food. With access and connections in place, funding and expertise about on-the-ground conservation practices are needed.
That’s where the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay steps in.
Working closely with MDVA, the Alliance leverages public funding to collaborate with individual farmers to implement conservation plans and on-farm environmental practices. The solutions range from riparian buffer plantings that reduce bank erosion to animal waste storage systems and regenerative farming practices. These on-the-ground solutions create a greener and more sustainable dairy supply chain. Once it reaches Giant Food stores, it’s a supply chain that empowers consumers to shop with consideration for the environmental impact of their purchases.
As a consumer, the Giant Clean Water Partnership puts you in the driver’s seat and enables you to support the brands that support their communities. When you buy Maola or Giant Brand milk, you’re not only supporting our local dairy farmers, but you’re helping to create a more sustainable supply chain for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Together we can actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions through tree planting, manure management, and soil health practices while improving our watershed and supporting the local economy.
