December 2, 2009 (Reston, Va.) - Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association recognized 24 farms for maintaining 25 years of continuous cooperative membership. Mike John, Chief Operating Officer of Milk Marketing, presented each farm with a plaque and gift to thank them for their loyalty and commitment to Maryland & Virginia.

The farms included:

• Bobby & Alvin Evans Dairy, 650 acres, 125 cows, in Sparta, N.C.
• Brandon Farms, William Brandon & Family, 600 acres, 500 cows in Yadkinville, N.C.*
• Cedar Haven Farms, The Priest Family, 600 acres, 125 cows in Greencastle, Pa.
• Charles A. Sloop & Family, 200 acres, 38 cows in Mt. Ulla, N.C.*
• Daddy Pete Farm, Alan Smith in Stony Point, N.C.
• Dan Hunsucker & Family, 1,400 acres, 100 cows in Conover, N.C.*
• Edwards Dairy, 240 acres, 30-40 cows in Ennice, N.C.
• Evergreen Dairy Corp., 300 acres, 90 cows in Kannapolis, N.C.
• Galliher Dairy, Larry Galliher & Family, 2,400 acres, 250 cows, Harmony, N.C.*
• Gateland Farms, Jimmy Gaither, 138 acres, 60 cows, Harmony, N.C.
• Gen-Da Farm, David & Genee Knab & Family, 200 acres, 80 cows in Hollidaysburg, Pa.*
• Greene Bros. Dairy, 1,000 acres, 120 cows in Yadkinville, N.C.*
• Harmony Acres Dairy, James Galliher, 320 acres, 110 cows in Harmony, N.C.
• Kesler Brothers Dairy LLC, 500 acres, 70 cows, Hardy, Va.*
• King Knob Farms LLC, Wayne Smitherman Family, 340 acres, 65 cows, East Bend, N.C.
• Lease Brothers Inc., 450 acres, 100 cows in Union Bridge, Md.*
• Mark & Karen Johnson, 100 acres, 100 cows in Statesville, N.C.*
• Piedmont Research Station, 1040 acres, 150 cows in Salisbury, N.C.
• Piney Mill Farm, Tom & Laura Flowe, 27 acres, 60 cows in Midland, N.C.
• Robertson Dairy Farm, 300 acres, 130 cows in Statesville, N.C.*
• Southard Dairy Farm Inc., Jack Southard Family, 250 acres, 70 cows in Stokesdale, N.C.*
• T.C. Williams Farms Inc., Charles Williams, 400 acres, 150 cows, Union Grove, N.C.
• View-La Dairy, Wayne Stout, 200 acres, 70 cows, Stony Point, N.C.*
• Virgil Shull Dairy Farm Inc., 300 acres, 175 cows in Vail, N.C.*

* Photos available upon request.

Maryland & Virginia presented the awards throughout the cooperative's 17 District Meetings held from October 19 thru November 19.

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative is a milk marketing and processing cooperative that represents 1,500 dairy farmer-owners from Pennsylvania to Georgia. The cooperative includes three fluid processing plants: Marva Maid in Newport News, Va., Marva Maid of Landover, Md., and Maola Milk and Ice Cream in New Bern, N.C.; manufacturing plants in Laurel, Md., and Strasburg, Va.; and a farm supply warehouse in Frederick, Md.