When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade – or in this case, milk. A group of Maine organic dairy farmers have banded together in an effort to save their farms. After H.P. Hood, Inc. reneged on their contracts, these farmers – who made substantial investments to convert to organic methods for Hood’s proposed venture into the organic milk market – decided to form their own company. Maine’s Own Organic Milk Company, or MOOMilk, is a collaboration of 10 organic dairies (milk supply), Smiling Hill Farm (production), Oakhurst (distribution), as well as the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the Maine Farm Bureau, and the Maine Department of Agriculture.
I first heard about these farmers on NPR last week and really admired their perseverance. The recession has turned very ugly for most business owners, but this group is working together to try to help each other. It’s what I love most about Maine – the collective effort of community to get things done and take care of each other.
