The situation of COVID-19 in Iowa has increased demand for a Guthrie County dairy farm, but has also led to a challenge in replenishing its product in area stores.

Family-owned Sheeder Cloverleaf Dairy based in Guthrie Center has been faced with a decrease in the amount of their glass milk bottles being returned as more people are staying home due to COVID-19. Their products are sold in grocery stores and other businesses across central Iowa, and Grant Sheeder says the current return quota on their bottles varies case by case, “A lot of the more rural stores, they’re more willing to help us get our bottles back, and kind of accepted our bottles as opposed to all the cans and some of the other redemption items. So we’ve been pretty fortunate that way but then you get into some of the metro areas, they’ve got much more traffic volume going through their stores so they’ve kind of put a kibosh to returning some of our bottles and all redemption for that matter.”

Sheeder adds they are pleased by the uptick in sales this spring as more people are at home, either drinking more milk or baking more as a hobby. In order to get more of their bottles recycled, the farm is stationing at Valley West Mall parking lot in Des Moines for metro customers to exchange bottles for their $2 deposit. Sheeder says they next plan to be there on May 9th from 9 a.m. to noon. He also recommends patrons call their particular grocery store before trying to recycle their bottles there.