When Mike Reid started Paradise Springs Farm in 1999 in Teton Valley, Idaho, the land was suffering from years of neglect. Now the soil is healthy, the fields retain more water, and the vegetation is vibrant and diverse. As a dual-certified biodynamic and organic dairy, Paradise Springs Farm operates almost entirely as a closed system,… Read more »
Accolades from the American Cheese Society, the United States Championship Cheese Contest, and the UK’s World Jersey Cheese Awards, among others, line an entire wall of the cheese house at Thistle Hill Farm in North Pomfret, Vermont. By way of a Boston law firm (John) and EPA subcontracting (Janine), these unlikely cheesemakers have created a… Read more »
A wild orchard hugs the driveway. The sleepy sugar shack awaits syrup season. And large round bales, set to sustain the herd of Guernsey cows until the growing season, stack high against the calf barn. Strafford Organic Creamery exudes a charm that is quintessentially Vermont. Second-generation dairy farmer Earl Ransom explains, “We strive to grow… Read more »
Don’t be surprised if you walk out of the on-farm shop at Seven Stars Farm with reverse sticker shock. Cindy Dunphy, who owns and manages the biodynamic, certified organic farm along with her two sons, Ryan and Zack, routinely gives newcomers two quarts of Seven Stars yogurt on the house. “It’s our way of paying… Read more »
The number of times a day your favorite dairy brand milks its cows speaks volumes about the integrity of its operation. Organic dairy cows are required to have access to pasture for the entire grazing season. The 5 cow dairies on The Cornucopia Institute’s Organic Dairy Scorecard ensure their animals graze well-tended pasture, focusing on… Read more »
86-year-old Hanover Co-op stands with dairy farmers Hanover Co-op Food Stores source $17 million annually out of the New Hampshire and Vermont local foodsheds. A significant portion of those sales comes from organic dairy. Cornucopia recently caught up with Allan Reetz, Hanover Co-op’s director of public and government affairs, to discuss the role of dairy… Read more »
You may have seen a label becoming more common on your dairy shelves: A2 milk. What is A2 milk, and why do some people claim that it solves gastrointestinal issues they otherwise get from dairy? A2 isn’t really new. In fact, it’s been around for as long as humans have been drinking milk. The difference… Read more »
If there’s a universally loved fruit, it just might be the blueberry. It’s as fun to eat as food gets—popping those purplish little orbs into your mouth by the handful is symbolic of summertime goodness. And where else in the organic world do we get to eat the color blue? Outside of the processed food… Read more »
What is the meaning and purpose of work? Is it simply a means of making a profit and accumulating wealth? Can work build community and nurture the creation? Are we simply miners of the soil, taking all we can get, or are we caretakers so that future generations will also receive the blessing and benefit… Read more »
Anaïs Beddard grew up at Lady Moon Farms playing in farm fields, working in the old oak grove packing shed, and cultivating genuine friendships with farm employees and their families. Each employee is part of the family at Lady Moon Farms. With a team of nearly 300 workers, the Beddard family can’t fit them all… Read more »
