Last month, leaders across Florida’s hunger‑relief network convened for the Dairy Nourishes Florida symposium—an event designed to advance collaborative solutions for increasing access to fresh, nutritious dairy products across the state.
Gleaners’ Chief Operating Officer, Julie Beamer, was invited to represent our organization and share the insights we have gained throughout our decade‑long journey to expand access to milk for families in Southeast Michigan.
The symposium brought together all nine Florida food banks, along with dairy farmers, processors, a statewide distributor, and the Florida Food Bank Association, to deepen collective understanding of Florida’s dairy landscape and explore partnership opportunities that strengthen support for families facing food insecurity.
Milk remains one of the most in‑demand items for households experiencing food insecurity. For many families, purchasing milk regularly can be challenging due to cost, limited availability, or inconsistent dating in retail settings.
Drawing on Gleaners’ experience, Beamer highlighted how fresh dairy can serve as a cornerstone of a food bank’s nutrition strategy. She explained how Gleaners has embedded milk into operational planning, fundraising efforts, and key partnerships—such as our long‑standing collaboration with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan—ensuring consistent access to fresh milk across all distributions to guests and agency partners.
“Fresh milk should be something families can count on,” Beamer noted. “It’s one of the most cost‑effective, nutritious staples we provide, and we’ve built our program so it’s an everyday part of how we serve the community—not an exception.”
Beamer emphasized that strong, multi‑sector partnerships—particularly with processors, distributors, and statewide associations—are essential to sustaining a long‑term, reliable dairy program. These relationships form the backbone of a system capable of delivering fresh dairy consistently and efficiently to families who need it.
Guided by our vision for a food secure Southeast Michigan, we continue working alongside our partners to ensure every family can rely on the nutritious food they deserve.
English 
Spanish 
Arabic