By Diane Bothfeld, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets - February 2022
In December 2021, Danone Horizon made an announcement that will further impact Vermont Organic dairy farmers. The announcement provides more time for the dairy farmers that sell their milk to Danone Horizon to find a new market along with other forms of assistance.
The announcement contained four major points:
- Dairy farmers who sell their milk to Danone Horizon in Vermont and the rest of the Northeast will have an extension of the existing contract to the end of February 2023 – adding 6 months until the farms need to find a new market.
- Danone Horizon is providing financial advisors to farmers at no cost to assist in preparing for the upcoming change.
- Danone Horizon is providing a transition payment of $2.00 per hundredweight on the last 6 months of milk volume sold to Danone Horizon. This can occur at any time since the first letter in August 2021 was sent to farmers by Danone Horizon.
- Danone Horizon will explore co-investment in solutions in the Northeast to strengthen processing, transportation, and infrastructure for the dairy industry. Danone Horizon looks to USDA and the Northeast States to assist in directing what projects are needed prior to investing.
This support is designed to ease the impact of the Danone Horizon transition on the organic dairy community in Vermont and Danone Horizon is motivated by a genuine desire to create a greater window of opportunity for the farms, industry, and governments to address the systemic challenges facing organic dairy in the Northeast.
For information about the task force or to read the recommendations provided to USDA, please go to https://agriculture.vermont.gov/administration/danonehorizon-task-force
Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership
Gary Hirshberg, past CEO of Stonyfield Yogurt assembled a group in the Northeast to launch a campaign to drive consumer support and purchase of organic dairy products. This program launched the week of January 10th with the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership. It’s mission is to encourage grocers, food co-ops, restaurants, and foodservice venues to commit to increasing their purchases from the brands who get their milk from these organic dairy farms. More information can be found at: https://www.saveorganicfamilyfarms.org/.