The Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership

The Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) was the first organization of retailers to join the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership’s efforts to support local organic dairy brands and save organic dairy farms in the region.

Organic dairy farms are at risk of closing in the Northeast. In the fall of 2021, 135 organic family farms across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and eastern New York received contract terminations jeopardizing the livelihoods of farmers and the security of regionally-produced milk.

The Partnership, a collaboration of farmers, processors, retailers, activists, and government agencies, invites consumers to pledge to purchase at least one-fourth of their weekly organic dairy purchases from brands that have committed to sourcing their dairy from Northeast organic family farmers. A central goal of the effort is to increase demand for dairy produced in our region, creating market stability to help at-risk farms and build greater food system resilience for the future.

You have a role in saving organic dairy farms in the Northeast!

  • Look for the Partnership Seal! There are 30+ brands committed to sourcing dairy from within the region. Keep your dollars supporting local and organic.
  • Take the Partnership Pledge! NFCA member co-ops encourage customers to consider purchasing one-quarter of their weekly dairy products from participating brands.

The Partnership’s participating brands collectively purchase milk from over 390 farms in the Northeast, and their survival requires consumer demand.

Our food co-ops have a long history of focusing on supporting local producers. On average over 25% of NFCA Member Co-op’s sales are in local products! This Partnership is an opportunity for food co-ops to reinforce their commitment to regional organic farms and dairy brands and to continue offering healthy, local food to their communities.

To date, 23 NFCA member food co-ops have signed on to the partnership including:

  • Assabet Co-op Market (Maynard, MA)
  • Blue Hill Co-op (Blue Hill, ME)
  • Brattleboro Food Co-op (Brattleboro, VT)
  • Buffalo Mountain Co-op Market (Hardwick,VT)
  • Fiddleheads Food Co-op (New London, CT)
  • Franklin Community Co-op (Greenfield & Shelburne Falls, MA)
  • Hanover Co-op Food Stores (Hanover & Lebanon, NH & White River Jct, VT)
  • High Falls Food Co-op (High Falls, NY)
  • Hunger Mountain Co-op (Montpelier, VT)
  • Leverett Village Co-op (Leverett, MA)
  • Littleton Food Co-op (Littleton, NH)
  • Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op (Middlebury, VT)
  • Monadnock Food Co-op (Keene, NH)
  • Morrisville Food Co-op (Morrisville, VT)
  • Plainfield Food Co-op (Plainfield, VT)
  • Portland Food Co-op (Portland, ME)
  • Putney Food Co-op (Putney, VT)
  • Quabbin Harvest Co-op (Orange, MA)
  • River Valley Co-op (Northampton & Easthampton, MA)
  • Springfield Food Co-op (Springfield, VT)
  • Upper Valley Food Co-op (White River Junction, VT)
  • Wild Oats Co-op Market (Williamstown, MA)
  • Willimantic Food Co-op (Willimantic, CT)
  • Wolfeboro Food Co-op (Wolfeboro, NH)

Go to the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership website and take the consumer pledge to increase purchases of regionally-produced organic dairy products.

saveorganicfamilyfarms.org/#pledge