Meister Cheese Launches Innovative New Dairy Procurement Program

"Animal Friendly Family Farm" initiative recognizes ethical and sustainable dairying methods

MUSCODA, Wis. — Meister Cheese today launched a new dairy procurement program to recognize premium, high quality milk produced using ethical and sustainable methods by Wisconsin dairy farms.

The program, Animal Friendly Family Farms, or "A Triple F", is a partnership between Meister Cheese in Muscoda and Scenic Central Milk Producers, a dairy farmer cooperative based in Boscobel. The program is a protocol of ethical treatment of dairy animals to which dairy farmers must follow, and for which they will be audited. Meister Cheese plans to craft specialty cheese made from the "A Triple F" milk and market it through a differentiated retail program.

"We decided to establish the Animal Friendly Family Farm program to ensure consumers know our Wisconsin dairy farmers are treating their animals with the utmost respect and care," said Scott Meister, CEO of Meister Cheese. "The milk that goes into our award-winning cheeses comes from cows on family farms who still have names. That's the way we like to do business."

Wisconsin dairy farmers participating in the "A Triple F" program must agree to a rigid set of principles, including:

• Cows must be housed in a clean, comfortable and spacious environment
• Docking of tails is strictly prohibited, and any de-horning is performed before 10 weeks of age
• All cows must be free of artificial hormones and antibiotics may only be used when an animal is sick
• Cows must have access to an outdoor pasture or paddock to enjoy fresh air when weather permits
• Fresh water must always be available, and feed is free of any animal-based by-products

"Adhering to a higher standard for the ethical treatment of animals correlates to higher quality milk," Meister said. "It just makes sense to reward those farmers who believe in the same values as we do —cows have rights, cows don't do drugs, and cows were made to enjoy fresh air. Plain and simple."

Meister Cheese is a premier manufacturer of award-winning specialty cheeses conceived, created, and packaged at its state-of-the-art facility in southwestern Wisconsin. It specializes in delivering smartly packaged, high-margin "gourmet style" cheeses.