Adopt a Dairy Cow campaign helps get milk to Wisconsin families in need

MADISON, Wis. – Second Harvest Food Bank helps feed people in 16 counties. Every year, their Adopt a Dairy Cow campaign funds milk donations.

Milk is one of the hardest things to donate and distribute: it needs constant refrigeration, and has a short shelf life. Ten years ago, the Second Harvest team got a donation. That money came with a challenge: find a way to get milk to people in need that can grow year after year.

The Adopt a Dairy Cow campaign was born. Donors can go to the website and choose a name of the cow they want to “adopt”. Every $25 donated can provide 30 half-gallons of milk to people in need.

More and more people are finding themselves facing food insecurity. The number of people utilizing food pantries doubled from 2021 to 2023.

“Last year, we distributed over 23 million pounds of food,” said Kris Tazelaar, who works in media and public relations for Second Harvest. “That was our highest year.”

They’re already on track to break that record again this year.

“We’re already on pace to distribute about 30% more this fiscal year,” Tazelaar said.

Local companies have donated to match the first $65,000 raised during the campaign. It runs through the end of June.