by Dianna Leighton
At times, breaking trail can mean diverging from the familiar path. For the families that have built Aroostook County’s farming heritage, this has often meant adapting to variable factors such as market prices and weather conditions while also making the critical decisions necessary to pass knowledge and traditions on to future generations.
In the case of 10 particular Maine organic dairy farms, one such critical decision had to be made as farmers received notice in 2009 that their contracts with H.P. Hood would not be renewed, citing the high trucking costs required to transport organic milk to New York for processing. During this time, filmmakers Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann were completing work on the documentary series, “Meet the Farmer,” which showcased farms throughout the state in an effort to promote Maine Farmland Trust. One of the featured farms was Tide Mill Organic Farm in Edmunds, which also happened to be one of the farms dropped by Hood. Pingree and Mann soon made the decision to continue filming Tide Mill farmers Aaron Bell and Carly DelSignore as they joined with Agricultural Consultant Bill Eldridge, Aroostook County Farm Bureau staffer Rommy Haines, Farm Bureau Marketing Committee member David Bright, and other farmers to begin forming Maine’s Own Organic Milk Company (MOO Milk), a low-profit, limited liability corporation whose mission is to return 90 percent of its profits directly to supplying farms.
One of the supplying farms is Chase’s Organic Dairy Farm, operated by Vaughn and Laura Chase in Mapleton. Yet, as anyone close to the family can say, “operated by Vaughn and Laura Chase” is almost a misnomer. Several Chase family members live nearby to help with the roughly 100 cows and, to some degree, the cows themselves feel like family. During a recent tour, the Chases explained the correlation between such factors as maintaining low stress levels in the cows and fostering healthy grass conditions when it comes to producing quality milk. Although managing these factors makes sound economic sense, it also clearly demonstrates the level of consideration and nurturing that the Chase family has for their cows and, in the end, for providing a quality product for milk-lovers.
Such commitment was certainly one of the ways that the family was able to get through that difficult first year of uncertainty at MOO Milk, which at times included payment delays and even a few participating farms leaving the company. As “Betting the Farm” chronicles, it took time and effort to enter larger markets with large retailers like Whole Foods and Hannaford’s. In since doing so, the company is aimed to post a profit in coming months and ongoing efforts are in place to connect with potential large buyers such as schools, as well as to educate individual consumers about the economic importance of making local purchases.
When I asked Laura and Vaughn Chase about why they kept with it, they explained that doing the right thing for the sake of the entire company and all of the farmers involved was a major factor. A farm dropping out could mean losing the entire company. Losing the company could mean being forced to sell the entire farm (including the cows themselves). After witnessing the deep emotional connection that families like the Chase family have with their animals and farming traditions, this prospect seems unbearably grim and it becomes understandable why the film contains so many tearful moments from some of Maine’s stouthearted farmers.
The story of MOO Milk highlights dynamic partnerships between farmers large and small, the Maine Farm Bureau, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and the Maine Department of Agriculture. Those looking to learn more about their story can catch one of two showings of “Betting the Farm” at Presque Isle’s Braden Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 10th or Thursday, Oct. 11th at 7 p.m.. The showings’ organizers are currently working with downtown businesses and organizations to create two evenings of awareness, advocacy, and, well, milk!
Those seeking more information about the showings and ways to get involved can contact the Aroostook County Farm Bureau office at (207) 764-6464. Additional information on the film can be found at bettingthefarmfilm.com.
Dianna Leighton is youth librarian at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle. Her professional and personal interests include community building, digital media and content creation, and promoting transliteracy skills. In her spare time, she enjoys testing her cooking skills, reading anything she can get her hands on, and sharing stories and experiences with those in her community. Dianna can be reached at (207) 764-2571 or via e-mail at diannaleighton@presqueislelibrary.org.
