Organic Dairy Farmers Squeezed By Low Prices And Production Quotas
Randolph Center farmer David Silloway offers free milk samples at the annual Farm Show. An oversupply or organic milk has stalled Silloway’s plans to earn a higher price for his product. Photo by John Dillon for VPR
Organic dairy farmers are getting paid less because of an oversupply of their milk, a market glut that’s led one major organic buyer to delay signing on new farmers.
For years, organic farming was a bright spot in the regional dairy economy. Demand for organic milk was growing, and farmers could earn much more than their conventional counterparts.
Randolph Center farmer David Silloway and his family is working to become part of that trend. Last summer, he was in the middle of the slow – and expensive – three-year process of switching over to a certified organic operation.