Organic Valley begins milk pickups at Vermont farms
MORRISVILLE, Vt. (WCAX) - One year after Horizon terminated contracts with dozens of dairy farmers in our region, a truck picked up milk at a Morrisville farm.
The Rooney Farm was dropped last year by Horizon, and Wednesday they began their contract with a different milk processor, Organic Valley.
Representatives from Organic Valley, state officials, family and friends gathered to celebrate.
Vt. Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts says a year ago there was a lot of fear, but now many farmers are hopeful.
“This is a big sigh of relief for the Rooney family but also for a number of other dairy farmers in Vermont and the Northeast; they were at risk of losing a place to sell their milk. So this farm could have stopped, 800 acres, beautiful Lamoille County-- so their livelihood, their families, all were at risk. But now that Organic Valley has stepped in to purchase their milk, it is significant,” Tebbetts said.
Organic Valley says 51 new family farms officially joined their company Wednesday.
Thursday morning, our Kevin Gaiss checks in with the organic dairy industry and finds out what’s on the horizon for dairy farmers across the region.
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