Schneider’s Dairy has become the first PA Preferred dairy. The PA Preferred program is spearheaded by the state Department of Agriculture as a means of encouraging consumers to buy locally and support Pennsylvania farmers.
“We have always, by choice, worked solely with Pennsylvania farmers,” said William Schneider, the company’s president. “So we approached the Department of Agriculture about getting on board with the program and becoming the first dairy to be labeled PA Preferred.”
“Our grandfather, Edward C. Schneider — who had previously worked for another dairy — purchased a small dairy in the suburbs of Pittsburgh,” William Schneider said. “Eighty gallons of milk were brought to the plant daily in five-gallon cans, where they were weighed, tested and dumped into vats for pasteurization. At that time, home delivery was the mainstay of the business.”
“Today, we work with 68 dairy farms company wide,” David Schneider said. “But instead of 80 gallons of milk, we process 450,000 gallons each week.
“We feel that becoming known as a PA Preferred brand will benefit everyone involved,” David Schneider said. “People like the idea of buying locally when products are available to them. To know that buying Schneider’s Dairy milk means supporting our Pennsylvania farmers, our Pennsylvania economy, and at the same time receiving a high-quality, all-natural product is a very positive situation.”
Source: Lancaster Farming