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The St. Albans Co-Op Merger And How It Could Change Vermont's Dairy Industry

The St. Albans Cooperative Creamery delivery truck parked outside the co-op store in April 2018. The co-op's members will vote on a proposed merger with Dairy Farmers of America this month.
St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, courtesy
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The St. Albans Cooperative Creamery delivery truck parked outside the co-op store in April 2018. The co-op's members will vote on a proposed merger with Dairy Farmers of America this month.

More than 330 farmer-owners of the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery face a major decision this month: they'll vote on a proposed merger between their century-old cooperative and the 14,000-member Kansas-based Dairy Farmers of America. We're talking about the proposed merger and what it could mean for dairy farmers and Vermont's dairy industry.

Harold Howrigan Jr., chair of the St. Albans Co-op board and a Sheldon dairy farmer whose family runs four 300-cow diaries, joins Vermont Edition to explain the proposed merger and the challenges within the dairy industry that have led to a possible merger.

We'll also hear from Julie Wolcott of Green Wind Farm in Fairfield. A St. Albans Co-op member for more than 25 years, she shares her questions and concerns about how the merger might affect small and organic dairy farms.

And we'll hear from Jackie Folsom, legislative director of the Vermont Farm Bureau, about what the merger could mean for Vermont's dairy industry more broadly, and about her own experience as a member-farmer during the 1992 Cabot Co-op merger with AgriMark.

Broadcast live on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
Originally from Delaware, Matt moved to Alaska in 2010 for his first job in radio. He spent five years working as a radio and television reporter, radio producer, talk show host, and news director. His reporting received awards from the Alaska Press Club and the Alaska Broadcasters Association. Relocating to southwest Florida, he was a producer for television news and NPR member station WGCU for their daily radio show, Gulf Coast Live. He joined Vermont Public in October 2017 as producer of Vermont Edition.
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