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As a collaboration between The Hershey Company, Land O’ Lakes, and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Sustainable Dairy PA, is focused on supporting a more sustainable and climate-friendly dairy supply chain in Pennsylvania for Hershey’s Milk Chocolate.
Sustainable Dairy PA is installing on-farm conservation projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and improve water quality in local streams that flow to the Chesapeake Bay. Funding for the project started with The Hershey Company’s $300,000 commitment to conservation projects on Land O’Lakes member dairy farms, which supported X member farms. In Phase 2 of our partnership, the Hershey Company invested $1 million, matched by $1 million from the EPA and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Phase 2 is supporting X farmers. The Alliance applies for, receives, and manages diverse grants to increase the number of farmers this partnership can support.
Sustainable Dairy PA started when Land O’Lakes farmers heard about the Alliance’s Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership, and asked if there was support for their projects too. At the same time, Hershey and Land O’Lakes were looking for a partner to help with on-the-ground implementation of their sustainability goals. The three organizations got together, and the Alliance was able to expand our corporate partnership model, which had started with Turkey Hill Dairy in 2017.
We have been working with Land O’ Lakes / Hershey dairy farmers since 2021. First, we meet with farmers to build a list of their conservation needs. Then, the Alliance connects farmers to funding and partners who design their projects.
The Alliance applies for grant funding to complement Hershey’s investment. We have earned over $1 million for Sustainable Dairy PA because funders are excited to see corporations investing in their own farms.
The partners also come together each year for hands-on conservation work on farms. The Alliance organizes employee engagement events for Land O’Lakes and Hershey staff to participate in riparian forest buffer plantings and maintenance days. These events provide another way for our corporate partners to directly support project implementation. They are also important for key project staff who live all over the country to reconnect and reenergize the partnership.
Sustainable Dairy PA recognizes that dairy producers are important players in helping to improve water quality and to mitigate climate change.
The work seeks to demonstrate that environmental and economic health are compatible. High-quality milk produced on farms that protect our water and climate addresses the growing demands of consumers and propels companies like Hershey and Land O’ Lakes toward their sustainability goals.
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This partnership has been made possible by funding from the Hershey Company, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and EPA.
