By Tamara Scully, NODPA News contributing writer
Tre-G Farms LLC, in Manlius, New York, which is the first farm tour of the 25th Annual NODPA Field Days (read more about Field Days on page14), has seen many changes throughout the years. This Century Farm has been a dairy since the 1940s. The last decade has been one of transformation, as fourth generation dairy farmer Jim Smith and his wife, Sue, realized that in order to keep the dairy profitable, they had to adjust to a changing market, invest in infrastructure, and work more efficiently. The Smiths weren’t sure if their son, Ryker, would want to continue the dairy, but they wanted him to have that option, and they wanted the dairy to be a viable choice.
Read More...posted to Featured Farms on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
25th Annual NODPA Field Days, Pompey Rod and Gun Club, 2035 Swift Road, Pompey, NY 13138
Celebrating 25 Years of NODPA Field Days! For a quarter of a century, NODPA has been proud to host Field Days throughout the Northeast—bringing together organic dairy farmers, advocates, researchers, and industry partners in a spirit of collaboration and growth.This year marks our 25th Field Days and Annual Meeting anniversary, and we're taking the opportunity to reflect on the journey we've shared, where we stand today, and what the next 25 years may hold for organic dairy.
Read More...posted to Field Days on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
posted to Field Days on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
News from producers is that many are working through their transition to different buyers, with some surprised at how impersonal the process is, especially those who have been with the same processor for a decade or two. For many of the organic family farms in the northeast that tend to be small to mid-size, their relationship with a buyer is very personal and change is never easy, but financially necessary.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
Reprinted with permission from The Milkweed, May 2025
Question: Please comment on organic milk’s seeming division into two main categories: grass-fed and regular (non-grass-fed)? Ed Maltby: As organic is a dynamic market, that is an oversimplified description. All organic is grass and pasture based to the extent the grazing season allows, with a defined minimum of dry matter consumption from pasture each year for all organic livestock. “Regular” (when producers feed grain as well as pasture) organic certification has the highest volume.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
By Jacki Martinez Perkins, MOFGA’s Organic Dairy and Livestock Specialist
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) amended the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) production requirements by adding new provisions for livestock handling and transport, slaughter, and avian (poultry) living conditions; and expanding and clarifying existing requirements covering livestock care and production practices and non-avian living conditions.
Read More...posted to Organic Production on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has published estimated national organic retail product sales for March and April 2025, compiled with data from the Federal Milk Marketing Order. In March 2025, the data shows a continued increase in sales of Organic Whole Milk packaged fluid products of 4.2% over March 2024, and the April 2025 data shows sales at 7.7% over April 2024. There was a 4.7% decrease in Organic Fat Reduced Milk in March 2025 over March 2024, and a 7.5 % decrease in April 2025 over April 2024. Year to date, April 2025, organic fluid milk sales are 2.4% higher than the same period in 2024.
Read More...posted to Organic Pay, Feed & Grain Prices on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
By Kirk Arnold, NODPA Co-President
This early grazing season and planting season has to be the most challenging one I have experienced thus far in my dairy farming career. The constant rain and flooding has made our pastures and laneways muddy and full of overgrown grass and weeds. The farm has less than 1/3 of our planned acres of corn planted and no seedings in the ground; and it's not looking good to get anything more in the ground in a reasonable amount of time. This all leads to making tough decisions again and again, when none of the options are appealing and there are no easy decisions to be made, as all the options are imperfect and involve less than ideal outcomes.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sun, Jul 13, 2025
| Name | Date and Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks: Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk | Monday, July 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Doug and Mary Morse’s Farm, 4422 Dixon Road, Mannsville, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks Casler Farm: Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk | Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM | Casler Farm, 289 Nulls Road, Little Falls, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk: Weaver Farm: Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk | Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Steven Weaver’s Farm, 4933 Peterboro Road, Morrisville, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks | Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Lawrence Horst’s Farm, 372 County Route 20, Constable, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks: Kauffman Farm: Fall Feed Inventory & Forage Quality | Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 12:30 PM | Joseph Kauffman’s Farm, 210 Herman Road, Sprakers, NY |
NODPA depends on the memberships of farmers, consumers, and businesses for support of all its efforts — regionally and in Washington — on behalf of the organic dairy farmers. If you're an organic dairy farmer, consider one of the following: a milk check-off membership or an annual newsletter membership or choose your own level of annual dues to support NODPA. Learn more:
