February 8, 2007, RESTON, VA - Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers mailed its members more than $4.79 million in extra funds last week. "After a year of low milk prices and rapidly rising feed costs, we're pleased to be able to share extra money with our members by way of a thirteenth check," said Jay Bryant, Maryland & Virginia's General Manager. "We know that dairy farmers have been dealing with a difficult economic burden and I'm glad that we can help lighten their load."

The 13th check allocation is based on 2.9 billion pounds of member milk produced and marketed by the cooperative in 2006. The thirteenth check represents each producer's share of profits, savings and efficiencies captured in the marketplace.

Owned and operated by 1,500 dairy farm families from Pennsylvania to Georgia, Maryland & Virginia is a milk marketing and processing cooperative providing consumers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. with fresh milk and dairy products. Maryland & Virginia owns and operates three fluid processing plants; Marva Maid of Newport News, Va., Marva Maid of Landover, Md., and Maola Milk and Ice Cream Company in New Bern, N.C.; a manufacturing plant in Laurel, Md.; and an equipment warehouse business in Frederick, Md. The cooperative is also majority owner of a second manufacturing plant, Valley Milk LLC located in Strasburg, Va.