Support Organic Dairy
Ways to Support Organic Dairy
Organic dairy farms are the backbone of many of Maine’s rural communities. These farms are fixtures in the economy, supporting local businesses and contributing significantly to the tax base, while also providing tremendous environmental benefits through the open space and wildlife habitat they support. Their regeneratively managed fields sequester carbon, and, of course, these farms supply milk free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and growth hormones, making them a critical part of a healthy food system.Â
However, the dairy system in the Northeast has been and continues to be at risk of collapse. While critically important to the region, organic dairies historically have not been treated as such. Many, but not all, of the certified organic dairy producers wholesale their milk to dairy processors.
Want to learn more about the issues dairy farmers are facing in Maine? Listen to the December 2022 episode of Common Ground Radio, archived here.
Buy organic dairy from Maine at the grocery store.
With the exit of Horizon Organic from the Maine dairy market there are two large processors, Organic Valley and Stonyfield, which support local, organic dairies. To determine the origin source of milk sold by large processors, look at the code printed on the container; find out more about where to look here.Â
Purchase organic dairy directly from local farmers.
You can also find milk from local, organic producers at farm stands and food stores across the state — just look for the MOFGA certified organic logo. Here are some MOFGA-certified organic dairies that sell products directly to consumers or through local stores.
- Balfour Farm, Pittsfield — milk, cheese, yogurtÂ
- Cosmic Goat Farm and Dairy, Litchfield — goat’s milk, cheese, yogurtÂ
- Grace Pond Farm, Thomaston — whole raw milk
- Misty Brook Organic Farm, Albion — milk, cream
- The Milkhouse, Monmouth — milk and yogurt
- Tide Mill Organic Farm, Edmunds — milk, flavored milk, butter, creamÂ
- White Orchard Farm, Frankfort — milk, cream, yogurt
Cook with local, organic dairy products in your kitchen.
If you need some new-to-you dairy recipes, Roberta Bailey shared these recipes featuring dairy in her Harvest Kitchen column a few years ago. MOFGA also has an online video course on cheesemaking for beginners. Eric Rector of Monroe Cheese Studio walks you through the basics of turning organic raw milk into delicious cheese.Â
Find all MOFGA-certified organic dairies using our online searchable database.
