![]() The Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership encourages all stakeholders in the food system - consumers, farmers, large and small dairy processors, retailers, restaurants, school lunch programs, college cafeterias, government officials - to become Partners in efforts to support and safeguard the region’s organic family farmers and provide a stable long-term demand for them so that family farmers are never made vulnerable again: Licensed Partners who have signed affidavits to grow their organic purchases will be entitled to proudly display the Partnership Logo at the Point of Sale and also online to enable easy identification by consumers. The Partnership is also inviting grocers, restaurants, cafeterias and any outlets that sell dairy products to also become licensed as Partners. Organic farms promote sustainability, sequester more soil carbon, decrease harmful environmental impacts, and have been shown to be more profitable and produce healthier livestock and higher milk quality. Organic family farmers are important contributors to a healthy environment and thriving rural life and are important players in the region’s food system.From 2012 to 2021 alone, Vermont has lost over 390 individual dairy farms as food production has largely been ceded away from small families, and into large, agri-business operations, through no fault of their own.Simply put, the Partnership aims to empower consumers to help save these farms and make a lasting impact on organic family farmers’ livelihoods. These brands have committed to increase their purchases of northeast organic family farmers’ milk and thus increase demand and market stability to help save the 135 at-risk farms and so that all of the region’s organic family farms can be more secure. The Partnership ( ), a collaboration of farmers, processors, activists and government agencies, is inviting consumers to sign a pledge, linked here, to purchase one-fourth of their weekly dairy purchases from 35 brands (including 13 in Vermont), listed here. Today, Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Co-Founder and former long-time CEO, is announcing the launch of the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, a first-of-its kind partnership, created to solve the crisis of disappearing family farms. This news put these farms, many of whom have been in business for generations, at serious risk of closure unless they find alternate outlets. Subsequently Maple Hill Creamery announced the cancellation of contracts for an additional 46 farms. Vermont Business Magazine Last fall, 89 organic family farms across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and eastern New York received the sudden news that Horizon, a brand owned by Danone North America, was terminating their purchase contracts, effective in early 2023. Photos courtesy Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership. ![]() Partnership Invites Consumers to Pledge to Purchase One-Fourth of Weekly Dairy Purchases from Brands Committed to Increasing their Purchases from New England and Eastern NY Organic Family Farms in 2022. Stonyfield Co-Founder Gary Hirshberg Announces New Northeast Organic Family Farm ![]()
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