By Tamara Scully, NODPA News contributing writer
Steeped in history, Riverhill Farms in Williston, Vermont was once the home of Thomas Crittenden, who served as Vermont’s first governor in 1791. Since 1835, it has been home to Cameron Clark’s ancestors. The 560 acre farm includes 230 acres of tillable land, with the remainder being forested. The tillable acres are broken down into 170 hayfield acres - 60 of which are also used for late summer pasture - and 50 acres of permanent pasture. Nestled in the flood zone of the Winooski River, the soil is “some of the best soil in the state,” Cameron, the eighth generation of the Clark family to farm this land, said.
Read More...posted to Featured Farms on Sat, Mar 15, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
Many organic dairy producers may not be affected by any federal actions, but organic farmers are in the unique position of having their future in the hands of a relatively small federal program at the USDA. Organic farmers face a very basic uncertainty: Will the National Organic Program be adequately staffed and funded under this administration? With many new hires over the last few years located across the country, many of whom fall into the category of ‘probationary’ and targeted for firing, the program cannot survive if it must follow the new policy that restricts hiring only one new employee for every 4 that have been lost once the hiring freeze has ended.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sat, Mar 15, 2025
Compiled with the experience and thoughtful insights of Mike Thresher and Klaas Martens
“For the average organic dairy feed, the 25% tariff (on Canadian goods) will raise the price of a complete grain mix at least $85/ ton. On the average farm, this could be an additional cost per cow/day of 75 cents or more” says Mike Thresher, Nutrition and Certification Manager, Morrison's Custom Feeds, VT. Thresher estimates a 25% tariff will cost them $10,000 a day, a cost they could not absorb. Most companies hit by this increase in price will pass it to their next level in the supply chain and finally to the consumer. Organic dairy does not have that structure in their supply chain or contracts that adjust to increased inputs, so the cost will be borne by the farmers. Even if you are not affected by the tariffs on purchased feed, everyone will have to pay more for gasoline and diesel fuel, plus essential fertilizers, equipment, parts, etc., so this will affect Grass Fed certified producers and Plain communities as well as those that feed grain. Organic poultry will also be hard hit by any tariffs.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sat, Mar 15, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
H5N1 is here to stay, and the federal government is not doing anything different, despite continued outbreaks with both poultry, livestock and humans. The Trump administration’s intention is to combat avian flu in poultry by moving away from mass culling of infected flocks and prioritizes enhanced biosecurity measures and medication to control the spread of the virus.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sat, Mar 15, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
Organic milk is short, and producers continue to look for improvements in their Pay Price package. There are many issues that may influence decisions about whether to stay with the buyer you know or the financial necessity of finding another that will pay a more realistic Pay Price package. This has been further complicatsed by the CEO of CROPP Cooperative Jeff Frank stepping down on March 28 to join a non-competing company. Shawna Nelson, the executive vice president of membership, has been announced as the new CEO. I say ‘package’ when talking about Pay Price because it is not just the dollars per cwt but also factors tied to reliability, strong business record, commitment to the region, brand ownership and governance, hauling contracts and routes, handler agreements, requirements over and above organic certification and the ability to maintain a stable market into the future.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Fri, Mar 14, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has published estimated national organic retail product sales for November and December 2024, compiled with data from the Federal Milk Marketing Order. In November, the data shows a continued increase in the sales of Organic Whole Milk packaged fluid products of 15.5% over November 2023, and the December data shows sales at 17.7% over December 2023. There was a 3.5% increase in Organic Fat Reduced Milk in November 2024 over November 2023, and a 2.0% increase in December 2024 over December 2023. Year to date, November 2024, organic fluid milk sales are 6.9% higher than the same period in 2023. December sales of organic packaged milk were the highest recorded since data was first collected in January 2006, with 270 million pounds shipped by milk handlers in the month, an increase of 7.2% over 2023.
Read More...posted to Organic Pay, Feed & Grain Prices on Fri, Mar 14, 2025
By Dayna Locitzer, DVM
Cows like to be left alone when they are calving. I was counseling an over attentive farmer who was concerned about her cow calving and I told her if she really wanted to be close by, she could hide behind a post in the barn and poke her head out every couple minutes to see how it was going. In general, cows should calve on their own and like to, but it is important to know when they need help because a cow that is having trouble calving, also known as a dystocia, is a serious situation. You won’t be right 100% of the time, but hopefully this article will clarify when it is appropriate to intervene and when it’s time to call the veterinarian.
Read More...posted to Organic Production on Fri, Mar 14, 2025
By Albert Straus, Straus Family Creamery, Petaluma, CA Article originally appeared in the San Francisco Standard and is reprinted with permission from the author
Most of the dairy farms and cattle ranches at Point Reyes National Seashore will soon disappear. Though the ranchers have been leasing the land from the National Park Service for decades, environmental groups sued the agency in 2016, alleging that agricultural pollution was disrupting local ecosystems. Earlier this year, twelve of the 14 working ranches accepted a buyout worth an estimated $30 million from the environmental groups to end years of draining litigation.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Fri, Mar 14, 2025
| Name | Date and Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Improve Your Triple Bottom Line Through Better Grazing | Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM | WEBINAR SERIES |
| Drawing the Line in New England Milkshed: (full title below) | Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Zoom meeting |
| New England climate trends, soil hydrology, and managing the effects of soil saturation | Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM | Online |
| Improve Your Triple Bottom Line Through Better Grazing | Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM | WEBINAR SERIES |
| Climate adaptation planning for flood and high precipitation conditions | Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM | Online |
| Cover Crop & Soil Health Field Day | Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM | Thompson Research Farm 133 Fall Creek Rd. Freeville, NY 13068 |
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:
