FALMOUTH, MAINE — Maine’s Own Organic Milk (MOO Milk) announced that the company will no longer process organic milk at Smiling Hill Farm and distribute it to New England retailers. Instead, the company plans to temporarily direct all its raw organic milk — produced by 12 Maine Organic farms — to Stonyfield’s Londonderry, NH, yogurt facility while it assists its member farmers in arranging long-term contracts for their milk supply with Stonyfield, Organic Valley, Oakhurst, or others. The announcement goes into effect on May 17, 2014.
Since MOO Milk began production in 2010, Smiling Hill Farm has been the company’s exclusive processor. But the companies have relied on an antiquated carton filler that was previously decommissioned by Oakhurst and donated to MOO. The equipment is technologically obsolete, suffered frequent breakdowns and is not capable of meeting the current and future requirements of MOO. Therefore the companies have agreed to terminate their agreement. The decision in no way affects the production of Smiling Hill Milk, which is packaged in glass bottles using different and separate equipment.
“We have always insisted on having the freshest, highest quality milk on the market and if we thought we could continue to deliver on that promise we would, “ said MOO CEO Bill Eldridge. “But, sadly, due to these processing issues, we are currently unable to meet those important standards.”
MOO had thoroughly explored the possibility of building a new facility in central Maine but determined that it could not complete such an undertaking in the short timeframe needed to keep the retail brand viable. The company is not filing for bankruptcy and has sufficient cash on hand to pay off all of its current obligations. This includes payment to all farmers, vendors, and employees. MOO expects to continue operating with limited activity while it unwinds its retail commitments and transitions its bulk milk supply to a new home. The company employs five people in Maine, one salesperson in Massachusetts, and rents a small office in Falmouth, Maine.
“We have adequate cash on hand to honor all of our current financial commitments,” said Eldridge, “and while demand for our milk has been stronger than ever, we simply lost the ability to process our milk, which effectively puts an end to the MOO brand.”
However, MOO management remains 100 percent focused on the core mission of saving organic dairy farms. “While we may not be capable of continuing the MOO Milk retail brand that is loved by many, our promise to reverse the trend of small Maine dairy farms going out of business can still be kept,” said Eldridge.
“The interim Stonyfield arrangement provides a tangible way for our current organic farms to remain viable and even flourish. We are encouraged by the immediate interest expressed by Stonyfield, Organic Valley and Oakhurst in adding MOO farms to their supply and sincerely hope that all of our MOO farms will find satisfactory long-term contracts with these other processors,” Eldridge added. “We made a valiant effort to process our own milk. But the production challenges were just too difficult without modern equipment.”
“On behalf of all of MOO, I want to say ‘Thank You to all who support our mission and to our customers who purchased our milk.’ I am as disappointed as anyone to share this news, but all of us at MOO are are proud of what we have accomplished and incredibly grateful to the huge number of fans and customers who have supported our little milk company,” said Eldridge.
About MOO Milk
Maine’s Own Organic Milk was established in 2009 when a collection of Maine organic dairies lost their contract with Hood® and, faced with extinction, decided to form their own low-profit limited liability company. In 2012, a documentary film – Betting the Farm – profiled three MOO farms during the company’s turbulent first years and created a buzz around the nation. With no advertising budget, MOO relied on word of mouth and the growing commitment of consumers and retailers. In 2013, MOO was recognized with a Whole Foods Local Supplier of the Year Award and the Cornucopia Institute’s 5-Cow rating, the highest quality ranking for organic milk. To learn more about MOO visit moomilkco.com.
Source: Maine’s Own Organic Milk
