Dairy Foundation's 'Two Cents' Program Has 46 Participants

By CnAgri2012-10-17 22:34:27 Print

An effort by the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation to raise money through a voluntary milk check-off type program to help fund programming efforts is off to a good start. Launched in 2011, the 'Two Cents for Tomorrow' campaign seeks to raise at least $2 million each year by inviting dairy farm owners from across the country to contribute up to two-cents per hundredweight of their milk.

Foundation Board Chair Deb Reinhart says the program has had 46 producers sign-up to either consistently give toward the campaign via automatic deduction from their milk check; or have given some sort of gift to be used for the effort.

"The support of the producers we have called on has just been astonishing," Reinhart told Wisconsin Ag Connection. "They keep digging into their checks to help, even when times get difficult on their own farms. It's amazing to me how the industry has really stepped up to the plate to give so generously."

The PDPF is a separate, charitable fund-raising arm started by PDPW in 2002 to focus on long-term education projects that give producers and industry supporters the opportunity to give back to their profession.

Reinhart says it will take about 400,000 cows to generate the foundation's goal of $2 million dollars. Wisconsin currently has about 1.27 million cows milking in the state. She stressed, however, that the since the foundation belongs to the entire dairy industry, it is not being treated as a Wisconsin-only initiative.

Over the past several years, the foundation has already funded programs like the PDPW Youth Leadership Derby, Mentor Program, and the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative. In addition, the group initiated a competitive grant program to surface new ideas, resulting in grants being awarded for producer education programs in other states.

Reinhart says interested farmers can contact the the PDPW or PDPF to make arrangements if they would like to participate. All proceed that go to the campaign are tax-deductible. More information is available at www.dairyfoundation.org.