March 17-23 is National Ag Week. With the goal of raising public awareness about the role of agriculture in society, Ag Week is a great time to think about how you can support New England dairy farmers.
Visit a Dairy Farm in Your Area
Engage in a little bit of agrotourism. Even if you’ve never heard of agrotourism, you may have already participated in it. If you’ve ever gone to an orchard to pick apples, traveled to a farmers’ market, or taken a tour of a dairy farm, congratulations, you’re an agrotourist!
There are nearly 1,000 dairy farms throughout the New England region, so chances are there’s a dairy farm near you that’s happy to offer tours or open farm days. This is something you can do anytime of year to support local farmers, but to get you started, check out this list of New England Dairy Farms to Visit this Summer and plan a visit to a farm near you.
If you’re in New Hampshire, our Mobile Dairy Bar will be at open farm day at MacGlaflin Farm’s Open Farm Day on July 13th.
Buy Dairy Products
Milk and other dairy foods are some of the most consistently local foods you can buy at your grocery store. The majority of milk and other dairy products in our region are sourced from family farms right here in New England and Eastern New York, so chances are the dairy foods you’re already purchasing were made using milk from local cows.
You can meet our New England farm families and learn more about where the milk used in your favorite dairy products comes from. There’s a chance that a farm near you offers tours or open farm days and you can go meet the cows that produced the milk you drink.
To buy directly local from the farms themselves, check out this list of dairy farms that deliver. There are farms throughout the region that deliver dairy products, so there’s a good chance there will be one near you.
Follow Local Dairy Farmers on Social Media
If you can’t make it out to a farm in-person, the next best thing is following a farmer on social media. New England dairy farmers are sharing firsthand perspective on everything from sustainability on the farm to caring for cows in different seasons. Plus, they share some pretty cute photos of their cows.
We work with a small group of Digital Dairy Ambassadors to help them share their stories and the hard work that goes into producing nutritious food for our communities. Check them out and give them a follow:
Liberty Hill Farm
Facebook: @LibertyHillFarmVT
Instagram: @libertyhillfarmvt
Breezy Hill Creamery
Instagram: @breezyhillcreamery
Newmont Farm
Facebook: @newmontfarm
Instagram: @newmontfarm
Fletcher Farm
Facebook: @TheFletcherFarm
Instagram: @fletcherfarm413
Nelson Farms
Facebook: @nelsonfarmsvt
Instagram: @nelsonfarmsvt
Rowley Brothers Dairy Farm
Facebook: @rowleybrothersdairy
Instagram: @rowleybrothersdairy
Mapleline Farm
Facebook: @MaplelineFarm
Instagram: @maplelinefarm
Wright’s Dairy
Facebook: @wrightsbakeryri
Instagram: @wrightsbakeryri
Oakridge Dairy
Facebook: @oakridgedairyllc
Instagram: @oakridgedairyllc
Fairholm Farm
Facebook: @FairholmFarm
Instagram: @fairholmfarm
Woodstock Creamery at Valleyside Farm
Facebook: @WoodstockCreameryatValleysideFarm
Instagram: @woodstockcreameryatvalleyside
Dairy Girl Promo (Tia Smith)
Instagram: @dairygirlpromo
Laurelbrook Farm (Shelby Jacquier Washburn)
Instagram: @shelbyjwashburn