Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance

Regeneration: Alexandre Family Farm The Blake and Stephanie Alexandre Family, Crescent City, California

By Tamara Scully, NODPA Contributing Writer

Managing the family’s Crescent City, CA certified organic dairy farm, means “trying to do the right thing at every turn,” Blake Alexandre, who operates Alexandre Family Farm along with his wife and five adult children, said. For the Alexandres, farming in a manner which improves the environment, enhances the nutrition of their milk, keeps the cows healthy and happy, and provides income for the multi-generational family operation - all while providing customers with a wholesome product- is the right thing, and it’s been their mission for decades.

posted to Featured Farms on Mon, Apr 12, 2021

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 21st ANNUAL NODPA FIELD DAYS Wolfe’s Neck Farm, Freeport, Maine September 30th and October 1st, 2021

By Nora Owens, NODPA Field Days Coordinator

We all have been through a lot this past year. The COVID-19 pandemic kept us apart; even led to the postponement of the 20th Annual NODPA Field Days. All of the in-person meetings and conferences were canceled and are now being held virtually. I sincerely thank all of the people responsible for organizing the virtual conferences, weekly lunch meetings, webinars, and discussion groups.

posted to Field Days on Mon, Apr 12, 2021

Soil Farming

By Tamara Scully, NODPA News Contributing Writer

Organic dairy farmers are, by definition, grazers. These days, more grazers are categorizing themselves not only as grass farmers, but as soil farmers. It’s that soil - the nutrients, the plant roots, the microbes, the worms, the organic matter - which ultimately grows those healthy forages which, in turn, support healthy cows and quality milk production.

posted to Organic Production on Mon, Apr 12, 2021

From the NODPA Desk March/April 2021

By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director

We made the decision to have an in-person Field Days for 2021, at Wolfe’s Neck Farm at the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Freeport, Maine in Thursday, September 30th and Friday October 1st, in the knowledge that we may have to make changes, adapt, and the all too popular, ‘pivot’ as the situation changes. If it becomes too risky or even uncomfortable we will make the changes we had to make last year. Nora and I have had the vaccine – Have you?

posted to Industry News on Mon, Apr 12, 2021

Value-Added Cow Genetics: Taking a look at A2/A2

By Tamara Scully, NODPA News Contributing Writer

Value-added products are those which generate an additional or increased profit from the farm’s production, achieved by altering the raw product in some way, so that a higher profit can be made. In dairy circles, adding value to milk doesn’t necessarily require a change from its fluid milk stage, however.

posted to Organic Production on Mon, Apr 12, 2021

Message from the NODPA Co-President

By Liz Bawden, NODPA Board Co-President

It has been a full year that both farmers and consumers have rolled with the COVID challenges. Virtual weddings and funerals, Zoom calls, kids studying at home. Well, you know. Farmers were encouraged to have an emergency plan if COVID took out their work force; I looked around at our situation. Three family members and a devoted girlfriend. No hired help, no local family. So when we all tested positive for the virus in early February, we knew we just had to bull through it.

posted to Industry News on Mon, Apr 12, 2021

Farmers’ Guide to the 2021 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Inc. (FLAG) has released a new publication, Farmers’ Guide to the 2021 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The deadline to sign up for PPP is now May 31, 2021, so it is not too late to apply. The new Guide explains the important recent changes to PPP that affect farmers. For example, PPP rules now allow farmers to receive two different PPP loans, what the program calls “first draw PPP loans” and “second draw PPP loans.”

posted to Industry News on Mon, Apr 12, 2021