Maola Local Dairies

Maola Local Dairies described its new flavored whole milk variety as indulgent and nostalgic. 🍓🥛 More here 👇 https://ow.ly/zlsz50Z0gpe #milk #dairy #dairyindustry #foodandbeverage

Yesterday, Maola Outstanding Young Cooperator Lauren Schwartzbeck joined Maola staff, National Milk Producers Federation staff, and other dairy farmers to meet with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. House of Representatives House Committee on Agriculture, and the White House Office of Public Liaison and National Economic Council to discuss the future of school milk. As the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are implemented, it's critically important that flavored milk remains an option for every child in school. It's good for everyone: students, schools, farmers, and their cooperatives.

We are appreciative of great farmers like Lauren, who you can find on the side of our Maola Whole Milk cartons!

Rebecca Shaw Pfeffer, our Senior Brand Manager at Maola Local Dairies, recently joined the Spilled Salt podcast for a great conversation on dairy, innovation, and what it really takes to bring a new product to shelf. They dig into: ➡️The thinking behind Maola More — a lactose free, ultra‑filtered milk with both protein and fiber ➡️Why fiber is the next thing to watch as protein shows up everywhere ➡️How a gut instinct, solid data, and a lot of cross‑team collaboration turned into a real product ➡️What makes innovating from within a farmer‑owned cooperative different (and powerful) 🎧 Listen below! #SpilledSalt #DairyInnovation #ProductLaunch #FoodAndAg #WellnessTrends #MaolaMore #FarmerOwned

We are so excited about our new Strawberry Whole Milk product getting some attention! It's delicious, nutritious and free of artificial dyes! We hope you'll give it a try today!

🌱 Why No Till Drilling Matters for Soil Health 🌱 At Pencrest Dairy in Virginia, no till drilling isn’t new: It's a practice they’ve used for decades. But with support from the American Farmland Trust Healthy Soils Grant, the farm was able to expand and strengthen how this conservation practice works across their acres.  🚜 What is no till drilling? No till drilling plants seeds directly into undisturbed soil without plowing or tillage. This helps keep soil structure intact, protects soil carbon, and reduces erosion — all while getting seed placed exactly where it needs to be for strong emergence. 🌾 Why it’s important: • Protects soil from erosion by keeping the ground covered • Improves seed to soil contact for more even crop stands • Encourages deeper, stronger root systems • Helps retain moisture and nutrients in the soil • Reduces the need for multiple passes across the field Before upgrading their drill, Pencrest Dairy sometimes had to rely on broadcasting seed when time or conditions were tight. This is a method that can lead to patchy stands and inconsistent results. With a larger no till drill, they’re now able to plant cover crops more efficiently and accurately across their main fields and highly erodible areas.  💬 From the farmer: “Using the AFT Healthy Soils Grant to purchase a new no till drill twice the size of our old one made a big difference for our farm’s efficiency. We were finally able to get all our cover crops planted on our main fields, resulting in some of the best stands we’ve seen… Now we have better stands, stronger root growth, and more confidence that we’re improving our soil health and keeping our farmland sustainable for years to come.”  Projects like this show how conservation practices — paired with the right equipment — help farms protect their land, improve productivity, and build resilience for the future. 👏 Thank you to American Farmland Trust for supporting soil health practices that work on real farms, in real conditions.

🍓 Taste is driving today’s purchasing decisions, and consumers are asking for more of it. Across the dairy aisle, shoppers are looking for products that deliver full flavor, real satisfaction, and a sense of indulgence, without compromising on quality. Flavored milk is having a moment, and taste is at the center of that conversation. That’s where Maola® Strawberry Whole Milk stands apart. Crafted with real milk from local, farmer owned farms and a perfectly-picked-strawberry flavor, this product delivers a smooth, milkshake like experience that feels like a treat, while still providing the nutrition families expect from milk. No artificial dyes. Just bold flavor, creamy texture, and a product designed for what consumers want now. From busy mornings to afternoon resets, Maola Strawberry Whole Milk brings standout taste to everyday moments, and reflects how we’re continuing to innovate at the leading edge of the flavored milk category. Because when taste leads, shoppers follow. 👉 Now available in stores. #Maola #DairyInnovation #TasteFirst #FlavoredMilk #NewProductLaunch #FarmerOwned

What does it take to keep milk fresh, local, and moving from farm to schools, military bases, and grocery shelves across the Southeast? Dairy Foods got a look inside our Newport News, Virginia plant, where innovation, efficiency, and farmer ownership come together every day. Led by Director of Operations Rick Meier, who’s been part of the Maola team for nearly three decades, our Newport News facility continues to invest in automation and better production techniques and tools. What truly sets this facility apart? ✅ Farmer-owned, locally sourced milk ✅ Fresh, HTST pasteurization ✅ The only plant supplying school milk half-pints in Virginia ✅ Proud support of schools, military, and local grocery partners ✅ A team-first culture Every second shaved off a cycle time, every new piece of equipment, and every bottle produced in-house reflects our commitment to operational excellence and to the communities we serve. ▶️ Watch the video to see it in action. #MaolaLocalDairies #InsideThePlant #FarmerOwned #FoodManufacturing #DairyProcessing #SchoolNutrition #TeamMaola #VirginiaDairy

Ben Smith of Cool Lawn Farms participated in a Dairy Sustainability Alliance® Spring Meeting panel today, contributing a farmer’s perspective grounded in real-world sustainability practices. Across his Virginia dairy, Ben focuses on practical, outcomes-driven approaches. He invests in efficiency, responsible resource management, and continuous improvement to support long-term farm viability. Farmer-led perspectives like these play an important role in informing productive, grounded conversations about the future of dairy sustainability.

From school cafeterias to military commissaries, the work happening inside our Maola Newport News plant touches millions of lives across the Southeast every week. Today, more than 150 team members operate around the clock to deliver a full suite of HTST white and flavored milks, buttermilk, and ice cream mixes, serving families, schools, retailers, and government partners across Virginia, North Carolina, and beyond. As Director of Operations Rick Meier puts it, “This plant is more than just a facility. It’s a symbol of our cooperative’s long-term vision.” Proud of this team. Proud of our farmers. And proud to keep moving dairy forward. https://lnkd.in/eSqJB_N4 Dairy Foods #MaolaLocalDairies #FarmerOwned #DairyProcessing #FoodManufacturing #SchoolNutrition #OperationalExcellence #SafetyCulture #TeamMaola