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Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance

NODPA is the largest grassroots organization of organic dairy producers and has remained true to its original goal of advocating on behalf of producers, regardless of who they sell their milk to, for a sustainable pay price, plus protect the integrity of the USDA Organic Regulations.

Latest NODPA News

Featured Farm: Daisy Hill Farm, Windham, Maine, owned and operated by Carli and Zack Moulton

Featured Farm: Daisy Hill Farm, Windham, Maine, owned and operated by Carli and Zack Moulton

By Samantha Kemnah, NODPA Contributing Writer

Zack Moulton’s first cow was named Daisy. He was 16 years old, and she was a freemartin heifer calf, a gift from the farmer he milked for. Zack didn’t come from a farming family, but agriculture has always been his passion. As a child, he watched the neighboring farm’s cows on their pasture outside his bedroom window, and he says they just “pulled him in.” He began working on a local farm at 12 years old, helping with haying. Before he was out of high school, he could run every piece of equipment on the farm, and fix it, too. He started helping another neighbor with milkings, and by the time he was 18, Zack had started his own farm, milking 4 cows in a tie-stall barn and selling raw milk, while going to school to become a mechanic. Daisy stayed with Zack for more than a decade, and eventually inspired the name of his farm, Daisy Hill Farm.

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posted to Featured Farms on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Grass-Fed Farmer Favors Outside-the-Box Ideas — And Cows

Grass-Fed Farmer Favors Outside-the-Box Ideas — And Cows

By Rebecca Schweitzer-Benner, Lancaster Farming. This article is reprinted with permission of the author and Lancaster Farming

The lane to Country Sunrise Creamery ends with farm-bottled raw cow’s milk, but what’s along the way is more unpredictable, from a rainbow herd of cows and heifers to bulls, chestnuts and maybe a goat. The GPS-fenced multispecies herd grazed in a silvopasture field is the result of some of the adjustments the Martin family is making to build the farm for the third generation to enter. “It’s different than it was 10 years ago, and I don’t know what the next 10 years are going to hold,” second-generation owner Nelson Martin said.

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posted to Field Days Summaries on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Off-Farm Investments Can Be Part of Transition Planning: Investing money off the farm, not just back into it, may be what allows an operation to succeed for generations to come

Off-Farm Investments Can Be Part of Transition Planning: Investing money off the farm, not just back into it, may be what allows an operation to succeed for generations to come

By Rebecca Schweitzer-Benner, Lancaster Farming. This article is reprinted with permission of the author and Lancaster Farming

Ted LeBow, the founder and CEO of agricultural business consulting firm Good Roots, shared his “couch potato investing” strategy among other transition planning tips Sept. 24 during the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance field day. He thinks every farmer should invest outside the farm in an account for their own retirement and in another account for the next generation.

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posted to Field Days Summaries on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Organic Dairy News: November, 2026

Organic Dairy News: November, 2026

By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director

2026 will go down as a good, if not great, year for forage and grazing for most of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Hay inventory has been rebuilt and Pay Price has remained stable. As we head into 2027, we will hopefully hear from milk buyers about plans for a 2027 Pay Price, and how much the high cost of trucking plays into their algorithms; we know it is directly affecting producer’s bottom line.

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posted to Industry News on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Ask the Vet: What should we have in our medical cabinets on our farms?

Ask the Vet: What should we have in our medical cabinets on our farms?

By Dayna Locitzer, DVM

Stocking the medical cabinet on your farm is a vital aspect of keeping your cows healthy. There are emergency drugs that are important to have in critical situations. Additionally, there are supplies that you will need to treat sick animals that aren’t urgent but organic versions are likely not supplied by your veterinarian. When a veterinarian is on your farm you want to make sure they have the supplies they need to treat your cow, and sometimes the organic version of what they need won’t be on their truck. Organic certification wants the farms to know what they can and can’t use, so it’s best to be prepared for these situations in order for your cows to get the care they need in a timely manner. It is also important to note that organic regulations state that when an animal is in need of treatment with a non-organic approved product, they must be treated to ensure good animal welfare practices. This article is not exhaustive, but it is what comes up most often and therefore what comes to mind when writing.

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posted to Organic Production on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Pay and Feed Prices November, 2026

By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director

Total estimated sales of organic packaged fluid milk for July 2026 show a decrease of 3.00% over July 2025 sales, as conventional fluid milk sales in the same month show an increase of 0.02% over July 2025. August 2026 is better, with organic estimated sales at 2.4% higher than August 2025, and a 0.1% increase in conventional sales over August 2025.The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Market Information Branch published estimated national organic fluid milk product sales for July and August 2026, compiled with data from the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO).

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posted to Organic Pay, Feed & Grain Prices on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Message from the NODPA Co-President: Blessed and Thankful

Message from the NODPA Co-President: Blessed and Thankful

by Roman Stoltzfoos

Seems like we’re getting toward that time of the year again that we count our blessings, and it’s the fastest way I know of to become indecently rich. So, take stock of what you were blessed with this year, even if there was some difficulty, there’s always something for blessing in that.

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posted to Industry News on Fri, Nov 06, 2026

Idaho Organic Dairies Receive Statewide Temporary Variance from Pasture Requirement; Aurora Dairy's Colorado Operations Receive More Generous Variance

By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director and Kathie Arnold, NODPA Policy Committee Chair

Producers need temporary variances. Farming is all about dealing with the unexpected, even more so with dramatic weather fluctuations in regions that have not experienced such a range of weather extremes. What starts as a drought year may change as the year progresses and equally the opposite.

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posted to Industry News on Sun, Sep 06, 2026

Temporary Variance Guidance & Form

Temporary Variance Guidance & Form

Guidance and worksheet for organic producers requesting a temporary variance from the USDA National Organic Program

Temporary Variance Guidance and Form: Guidance and worksheet for organic producers requesting a temporary variance from the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). This factsheet was produced by Organics Farmers Association, Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, NODPA working with the USDA National Organic Program. Occasionally, circumstances beyond an operation's control, such as drought or flooding, or on-farm research, may temporarily make compliance with certain organic requirements impossible.

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posted to Industry News on Sun, Sep 06, 2026

NODPA Classified Ads

Upcoming Events

Name Date and Time Location
Navigating Funding Opportunities for Vermont Dairy Producers 2026-11-10 10:00 Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM Poulin Grain, 3916 US Route 5, Derby, VT 05829
The Organic Farming Conference 2026-11-12 Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 12:00 AM Mt. Hope Event Center, Mt. Hope, Ohio
Navigating Funding Opportunities for Vermont Dairy Producers 2026-11-12 10:00 Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM Poulin Grain, 3916 US Route 5, Derby, VT 05829
The Organic Farming Conference 2026-11-13 Friday, November 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM Mt. Hope Event Center, Mt. Hope, Ohio

Organic Milk Buyers

Below we have a list of contacts for milk buyers who responded to our request to have their information made public or suggested contacts for those that didn’t respond:

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USDA Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
p: (608) 422-8593

Organic Dairy Market News biweekly

organic dairy data page

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