Dairy farmers help feed people in need

How it makes a difference to those in need during the pandemic.

THE PANDEMIC... HITTINGMILLIONS OF PEOPLE HARD...INCLUDING WISCONSIN'S DAIRYFARMERS.BUT AS REBECCA KLOPFREPORTS, INSTEAD OF DUMPINGTHEIR MILK, FARMERS AREGETTING A CHANCE TO KEEP THEIRBUSINESSES RUNNING... BYHELPING TO FEED THE HUNGRY.Nats- Marieke packing bagMarieke (mar-ee-kah) Pentermanis thrilled to be packing bagsof food to give to the hungry.The Wisconsin cheese maker andsmall dairy farmer had hercheese nominated fothe top20 best cheeses in the worldback iMarch.Marieke PentermanCheese Maker, Marieke Gouda9:23:02 "Then COVID hit, smid-March everything wentsouth so devastating thatdairy farms in Wisconsin wehad to dump our milk."Mariekeand other dairy farmers weresteps away from losingeverything.Marieke PentermanCheese Maker, Marieke Goud9:23:43 "Not having food onour table you aren't sure whattomorrow will bring."BryanVoegeliDairy Farmer9:31:29"Ours goes specifically forcheese and yogurt.

With therestaurants closing, theschool closing, all yournormal supply chains weredisrupted and all of suddenthere was such a surplus ofcheese cause there was noplace to go with it."TheHunger Task Force saw what washappening in the dairyindustry and put call askingpeople to give donations sothey could buy the milk,cheese and yogurt from theproducers.Sherrie TusslerDirector, Hunger Task Force9:15:59 "Instead of havingthem spill their milk and havepeople go hungry, we agreed touse donations to buy thatmilk.

We have invested justover 2 million dollars."NowSeniors in need in Milwaukeeare not just getting thetypical food box of peanutbutter and bricks of Americacheese.They also are pickingup fresh milk, Gouda cheese,yogurt and other fresh producethat the Hunger Task Forcepaid Marieke, Bryan and thefarmers for.Bryan VoegeliDairyFarmer9:32:16 "we are a verysmall co-op, 13 farmers, weactually own two little cheesefactories so it was huge forus."Marieke PentermanCheeseMaker, Marieke Gouda9:26:18"To be here and for us toincrease our production andknowing it comes to people whoneed it, it's a miracle."Thehungry task force still needshelp raising money for theDairy Recovery Program so itcan keep it going.

We have alink on how you can help atTMJ4.com.

Reporting inMilwaukee, Rebecca Klopf tmj4News.