As inflation and rising costs continue to challenge food security, Marcoot Jersey Creamery, a family-owned dairy in Greenville, Illinois, has launched the Choose Cheese and Kindness campaign to help support local food banks facing significant funding shortfalls.
For the past year, Marcoot Jersey Creamery has partnered with food banks such as Central Illinois Foodbank in Springfield, Illinois, and the Jefferson County Foodbank in Missouri, providing farmstead cheeses to families in need. These efforts were made possible through the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program grant, which allowed food banks to source food from local producers. However, many of these grants have now been discontinued, creating a financial gap that threatens food assistance programs.
The impact of the funding cuts is already being felt. Marcoot Jersey Creamery had prepared an order of 6,000 pieces of cheese for a March delivery, only to have it canceled due to the loss of funding. Recognizing the need to act, the creamery launched the Choose Cheese and Kindness initiative, encouraging community members to donate $5 – the cost of one piece of cheese – which will then be donated to food banks as originally planned.
“We are heartbroken to see these grants go away because they have made such a difference for so many families,” said Amy Marcoot, co-owner of Marcoot Jersey Creamery, in a release. “With the Choose Cheese and Kindness campaign, we hope to rally our community together to continue making an impact. Every small donation helps put food on the table for those who need it most.”
Donations are being accepted through Back To The Farm, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and can be made at backtothefarm.org/choose-cheese-and-kindness.
Marcoot Jersey Creamery has been producing artisanal cheeses with a commitment to quality and sustainability since 2010. The Marcoot family has a deep-rooted history in dairy farming dating back to 1840.
This article appears in March 2025.
