First monthly cheese donation delivered to Winnipeg Harvest.
Recently, Bothwell Cheese of New Bothwell, together with Dairy Farmers of Manitoba and the Manitoba Bulk Milk Haulers, delivered the first of a new monthly donation of cheese to Winnipeg Harvest.
Bothwell Cheese, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, and the Manitoba Bulk Milk Haulers will provide monthly cheese donations worth $200,000 per year to Winnipeg Harvest for Manitobans in need, and have committed to the program for five years, which adds up to $1 million worth of cheese.
Cheddar cheese was the first delivery today – and each month more than 1,500 individually wrapped pieces of 650 grams of cheese will be provided to Winnipeg Harvest. It is anticipated that the program will continue beyond the five years.
This new partnership forged between Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, Bothwell Cheese, and the Manitoba Bulk Milk Haulers enhances the already strong partnership between Dairy Farmers of Manitoba and Winnipeg Harvest.
“We have a longstanding tradition with Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, over 17 years, so the addition of Bothwell Cheese to our family of partners is tremendous,” states David Northcott, Executive Coordinator. “The generosity by these partners will provide Winnipeg Harvest the opportunity to enhance our hampers with a healthy source of calcium, protein and other essential nutrients. We will now be able to share Manitoba’s first class cheese with families who are not able to include this healthy food product in their food budgets.”
Dairy Farmers of Manitoba will donate 120,000 liters of milk per year that is being made into cheese for food banks throughout the province. This is in addition to the 170,000 liters of milk Manitoba dairy farmers have donated for the past 17 years, which is being processed and packaged into one-liter cartons of milk for food banks.
“Manitoba dairy farm families are committed to give back to the community in which they live and work in – and we feel privileged to partner with Winnipeg Harvest to help families in need,” David Wiens, Chair, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, says.
“At Bothwell Cheese, we believe in the vital and important work that Winnipeg Harvest carries out each and every day,” says Ivan Balenovic, President and CEO of Bothwell Cheese. “We are honored to have this opportunity to play a small role in Winnipeg Harvest’s mission to provide food to people who struggle with the basic needs for sustenance and nutrition for themselves and their families. The people of Manitoba have been very supportive of Bothwell Cheese over the years and through this donation, we are pleased to be able to give back to the community.”
Bothwell Cheese is the largest independently owned cheese producer in Manitoba, known for its premium-quality cheese made with all-natural ingredients, pure milk, and no preservatives or fillers. Bothwell Cheese produces and distributes more than two million kilograms of over 30 varieties of cheese throughout Canada each year. Bothwell Cheese has won first place at the prestigious Annual British Empire Cheese Show three years in a row.
Dairy Farmers of Manitoba is committed to the production of milk according to the highest standards of quality and is totally financed by and represents all dairy farmers in the province.
Winnipeg Harvest provides over 5,000 food hampers a week to families at various food programs including local soup kitchens, shelters, drop-in centers and food banks. All donations collected in Manitoba remain in Manitoba for local distribution.
