Supporting Local Dairy Farmers

September 23, 2014 12:00 am

“Milk, it does a body good.”  Well buying that milk from local dairy farmers does LOTS of good.  Let’s look at the reasons why supporting your local dairy farmer is important and how you and your family can do this.

Why buy local?

Dairy Farmers across the region are considered “anchor tenants” of the farmland base just as a major department store is at a mall.  Dairy Farmers account for 10% of the regions farm product sales.  So to say that the local dairy industry is important is a major understatement.  In Massachusetts there are 154 dairy farms that are often family run on small multi-generational plots of land.  Farming is vital contributor to our local economies.  Buying local milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt keeps your food dollars local too!  Farming also conserves the land. Successful dairy farms keep our landscape open and support important farm services, like equipment repair, that are important to all farms in our region.

How can you help?

  • Buy local dairy products directly from the farmers when possible.
  • Search for the Northeast Harvest map on dairy products in stores.  It means it was produced locally.
  • Buy into a local cooperative for milk.  (Here is the link: Dairy Farmers)

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