Live call-in discussion: It’s been a rocky year for Vermont’s organic dairy farmers. Last summer, many learned they were losing their contracts with Horizon Organic. Horizon’s parent company, Danone, notified nearly 30 dairy farms in Vermont that it would stop taking their organic milk supply.
This month, Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Wisconsin, announced it was reaching out to 23 of those farms with an offer to buy their milk. Some farmers feel they have been given a lifeline, while others still feel uncertainty about their future.
This hour, Vermont Edition checks in on the state's organic dairy industry. Will the Organic Valley deal mean more stability? What are state officials doing to help the small and medium-size organic suppliers secure solid footing going forward?
Our guests are:
- Anson Tebbetts, Vermont secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets
- Travis Forgues, Organic Valley's executive vice president of farmer affairs
- Tim Roberge, farmer-owner at Oughta-Be Farm in Chelsea, Vt.
Broadcast live on Friday, March 25, 2022, at noon.
Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or tweet us @vermontedition.
