For the fourth year in a row, the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) has been donating fresh milk to Michigan’s food bank network. The Novi, Mich.-based farmer-owned cooperative said it is donating 150 gallons of milk a day for 2018. That amounts to 54,750 gallons of milk to Michigan-area food banks.

The donation is occurring primarily during the summer months, when the need is the greatest, MMPA said. The Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) will ensure Michigan’s seven food banks serving all 83 counties in Michigan will receive the product.

“The Food Bank Council couldn’t be happier to receive this donation of milk year after year,” said Dr. Phillip Knight, FBCM’s executive director. “One in seven people in Michigan struggles with hunger, and we’re constantly working toward solutions. MMPA’s donation puts us one step closer in solving hunger and food insecurity in Michigan.”

The milk will be coming from some of the 1,100 farmers of MMPA. Michigan Dairy, operated by Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., is donating the processing and packaging of the milk, saving the food banks more than $25,000, MMPA said.

“As a cooperative, MMPA is committed to serving local communities at its core. One way the dairy farmer owners of MMPA can support our neighbors in need is by providing food banks with nutrient-rich milk,” said Ken Nobis, dairy farmer and president of MMPA. “With this donation and through our partnership with the Food Bank Council of Michigan over the last few years, we have now donated a total of 2.6 million servings of milk, reaching communities in every corner of the state.”