MVP Dairy, Celina, Ohio, in partnership with McCarty Family Farms, Colby, Kan., and VanTilburg Farms, Celina, Ohio, opened a new dairy, creating 35 new local jobs.
MVP Dairy produces high-quality, Non-GMO Project Verified, fresh milk for Danone North America’s Minster, Ohio, facility, which produces Activia, Danimals, Dannon, Light & Fit and Oikos brands.
The new dairy is home to nearly 4,500 cows that live in in six free-stall barns built for optimum cow comfort. The cows are milked in a state-of-the-art carousel milking parlor that provides a predictable and efficient milking routine, allowing the cows more time to eat, drink, sleep and spend time with other cows.
The farm also features an innovative and patented anaerobic treatment cell system on the farm that significantly reduces waste solids, consumption of water and waste odor, with a recycling system that benefits the animals, crop care and the environment.
“Our desire to work with Danone started with their commitment to create more healthy and more sustainably produced foods,” says Kyle VanTilburg, co-owner of MVP Dairy. “Our family has been farming here in Celina for more than four generations, and we are passionate about using farming methods to ensure we are conserving the land and improving soil health for generations to come.”
“We are constantly striving to provide our cows with first-class care,” says Ken McCarty, co-owner of MVP Dairy. “We know our cows’ well-being and sustainable farming practices bring value to the foods produced by Danone that are made with our milk, so it’s important that we continue to push ourselves to do even better.”
“We are very pleased that our partnership with the McCarty family, which began almost 10 years ago, now includes this state-of-the-art new dairy farm,” adds Mariano Lozano, chief executive officer of Danone North America, White Plains, N.Y. “The McCarty VanTilburg dairy is leading the way in highly efficient, sustainable agriculture and best-in-class cow care. The innovative practices employed at this dairy will undoubtedly inspire others to follow.”
MVP Dairy operates as part of Danone North America’s “cost-plus” model, which helps keep farmers farming.
The MVP Dairy also includes a 7,500-square-foot learning center that will be open to the public with interactive displays that share the story of how milk and dairy foods are made, from soil to cup. In addition to viewing the dairy farm’s 80-cow carousel milking parlor, guests can explore and learn from interactive games and displays as well virtual reality experiences and a digital Danone grocery store.
