A recent settlement with several Minnesota dairy companies will provide more than 30 gallons of milk to the Freeborn County Salvation Army.

Wednesday, December 08, 1999

A recent settlement with several Minnesota dairy companies will provide more than 30 gallons of milk to the Freeborn County Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army plans to use the milk for its after school programs, according to Georgia Kay of the Salvation Army. There’s a lack of refrigerator space to keep the milk fresh for the rest of the month. But since milk freezes well, the group decided to use the healthy beverage for its after school programs.

&uot;This is wonderful,&uot; said Alpha Wangsness, who works in the food shelf. &uot;This is something we never really expected.&uot;

Wangsness will be picking up the milk from Rochester’s Channel One food bank on Thursday. She said they’re scheduled to receive 20 gallons of regular milk, 10 gallons of chocolate milk and a crate of smaller cartons.

She figures they might have been able to get more if they had more storage space. Still, the amount they will receive will help the organization greatly, she said.

Wangsness and a co-worker will be using coolers from individuals in the community to transport the milk from Rochester to Albert Lea.

In an agreement reached a month ago, four Minnesota dairies agreed to supply 250,000 gallons of milk a year for five years – worth $3.75 million – to 11 food banks around Minnesota.

In return, Attorney General Mike Hatch dropped a state lawsuit accusing the processors of fixing milk prices between 1985 and 1996. The companies are Marigold Foods, Land O’Lakes Inc., Oak Grove Dairy and Franklin Foods.

The milk is being channeled through the Minnesota Food Bank Network, Catholic charities and the Greater Lake Country Food Bank.