SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership (NOFFP) has signed several notable Vermont stores, food co-ops, and grocery distributors as retail partners.
The partnership is focused on increasing the purchases of organic dairy products that support regional organic dairy farms, and 70 partners have joined the effort.
Among them are Food Connects in Brattleboro, Woodstock Farmers Market in Woodstock and Waterbury, The Farmhouse Market in Wilmington, Jake’s ONE in Burlington, Jake’s in Quechee, Pumpkin Village in Burlington and Enosburgh Falls, and Black River Produce in Springfield.
As part of their work with NOFFP, these partners are committed to carrying organic brands sourcing Northeast milk, such as Champlain Valley Creamery, Miller Milk, Butterworks Farm, Strafford Organic Creamery, Larson Farm and Creamery, Kiss the Cow Farm, The Von Trapp Farmstead, Rogers Farmstead, Stony Pond Farm, and Stonyfield Organic. To help raise awareness, shoppers will see new signage and promotions in store to help identify brands committed to the organic farms in the region.
NOFFP was created to help solve the crisis of disappearing family farms in the region. A collaboration of farmers, processors, retailers, activists, and government agencies, the organization invites consumers to pledge to purchase at least one-fourth of their weekly organic dairy purchases from brands that have committed to sourcing their dairy from Northeast organic family farmers. A central goal of the effort is to increase demand for dairy produced in the region, creating market stability to help at-risk farms and build greater food system resilience for the future.
In addition to regional organic dairy contract terminations in 2022 that prompted the formation of NOFFP, area organic dairy farmers now face new challenges: exorbitant feed costs and unpredictable grazing and pasture conditions that threaten forages, key components for grass-based operations. These conditions are hitting farmers in this region in unprecedented ways, but are disproportionately impacting organic dairy farms.
“Some of our best, most innovative farmers saw severe financial losses this last year, threatening their ability to continue,” says Gary Hirshberg, former Stonyfield Farm CEO and NOFFP founder. “The effects of losing such farms include a devastating economic loss to our rural communities, loss of ecosystem services such as crucial carbon sequestration and habitat conservation, and increased reliance on products made from consolidated farms thousands of miles away. The food system needs to rally around these farmers to prevent the organic dairy products we enjoy – milk, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, and cheese – from becoming scarce.”
The Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership also encourages consumers to sign a consumer pledge and learn more about its efforts via its website, www.saveorganicfamilyfarms.org.