In honor of National Farmer’s Day, which takes place Oct. 12, Greek-yogurt maker Chobani is partnering with American Farmland Trust to celebrate and support American dairy farmers — those producers who are the backbone of many rural communities and are facing deep challenges to
their livelihood.
Building upon Chobani’s Milk Matters dairy industry initiative, the company is launching its second limited-edition charity flavor, called Farmer Batch. Chobani is donating 10 cents from every purchase of the new Farmer Batch Chobani Greek Yogurt Milk & Cookies four-pack to AFT to offer multiple microgrants of up to $10,000 to help farmers transfer or protect their land, strengthen their farm business, or develop climate plans.
America has lost an average of five dairy farms per day for the past 10 years — a staggering 17,000 in all. This new charity flavor aligns with the missions of both Chobani, which wants to help strengthen America’s milkshed, and AFT, which aims to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land.
“Dairy farms are critical parts of the economy and landscape in communities across America but dairy farm families are facing tremendous change due to a weak dairy economy, disruptions from severe weather, and an aging farming population,” said David Haight, AFT Vice President of Programs.
Chobani is also encouraging its employees, local communities, and the company’s fans to go on social media and #thankafarmer in their lives in
celebration of National Farmer’s Day.
Ninety percent of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned, and dairy farms contribute $628 billion to the nation’s economy while generating 3 million jobs. The 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture reports that 37,750 “specialized dairy farms” produce 98 percent of the dairy on 17.4 million acres.
