2020 has been a tough year for Vermont dairy producers. The pandemic has spurred heavy losses across the industry. Prices have been so low, there’s even been milk dumping. Some dairy farmers have shut their barn doors for good.
But with more people staying home since March, butter makers say Vermonters are buying their product for home use in greater quantities than in years past. The sales uptick is a bright spot in what’s otherwise been a brutal stretch for Vermont’s banner industry.
Early in the pandemic, butter makers faced the same obstacles as other dairy producers: Sales to schools, hospitals, and — most importantly — restaurants dropped sharply as those establishments shut their doors or filled fewer wholesale orders.
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