The Dairy Alliance has launched a new campaign, Portraits of Modern Dairy: Southern Stories, which spotlights Oakmulgee Dairy, a Virginia farm operated by the Moyer family for six generations. As Virginia's oldest continuously operating family dairy, Oakmulgee Dairy combines longstanding experience with modern investments in solar power, nutrient stewardship, and technology that converts farm and food waste into renewable energy. The campaign, running from November 2026 through January 2027, will share the farm's story through video, social media content, and educational graphics, aiming to connect consumers with the people behind the farm and explain practices like anaerobic co-digestion.
At the heart of Oakmulgee Dairy's sustainability efforts is a partnership with Vanguard Renewables. Through anaerobic co-digestion, dairy cow manure and inedible food and beverage waste from local businesses are converted into renewable natural gas. This process captures methane from organic material for energy use while diverting food waste from landfills. The project's estimated annual environmental benefits include diverting nearly 115,000 tons of food waste from landfills and greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing more than 14,000 gasoline-powered vehicles from the road. Additionally, the process recovers nutrients from organic materials, recycling them into natural fertilizer used on farmland to support crop production.
Farrah Newberry, CEO of The Dairy Alliance, said, "For the Moyer family, investing in new technology is part of caring for a farm that has been passed down through several generations. Through 'Portraits of Modern Dairy: Southern Stories' we're showing consumers how dairy farmers are turning challenges into opportunities, from transforming waste into renewable energy to helping keep family farming viable for the next generation." The campaign is designed to bring consumers closer to the farmers behind real dairy through stories about their daily work, environmental practices, and evolving technology. Oakmulgee Dairy's feature exemplifies how experience and new approaches support a modern dairy farm.
This initiative matters because it highlights the dairy industry's efforts to address environmental challenges while maintaining family farming traditions. By showcasing tangible benefits like waste diversion and renewable energy production, The Dairy Alliance aims to educate consumers and demonstrate that dairy farms can be both sustainable and economically viable. The campaign also underscores the role of innovation in preserving agricultural heritage for future generations. For more information about Portraits of Modern Dairy: Southern Stories and to follow the stories of Southeast dairy farm families, visit The Dairy Alliance.
