By SUSAN MYKRANTZ
Ohio Correspondent

FREDERICKSBURG, Ohio — With grain prices softening and a new manufacturer for their cheese products, Greenfield Farms dairy producers are seeing signs of improvement in the dairy market, said Aden Yoder, director of operations for the Ohio-based cooperative owned and operated by members of the plain community.

Yoder explained the discussion for the creation of the co-op began in 2002 and it marketed its first products in 2005, beginning with eggs and partnering with Organic Valley to process its fluid milk. Currently it has about 40 producers. He estimates it marketed 30,000-40,000 pounds of milk in 2009 and projects that will increase in 2010.

Members of the cooperative have partnered with Organic Valley to market their fluid milk. In 2009, the co-op teamed up with Bunker Hill Cheese to produce an organic cheese. Today it has four varieties; Lacey Baby Swiss, Farmers’ Cheese, Garlic & Herb and Tomato Garlic. It also markets milk to a Cleveland-based cheese maker who produces organic Italian soft cheeses.

“We are not selling Swiss Cheese at the present time, but we would consider producing it as well,” said Yoder. “We hope to double our cheese sales this year.”

He said the struggling economy definitely impacted the price the co-op was able to get for its milk. Members are seeing milk prices ranging between $22-$28 per cwt. based on fat test, protein test and quality, including the somatic cell count.

“This made us long on supplies of fluid milk, so we have not taken on any new members,” he said. “The potential growth for new members is unlimited if the demand is there. We have a number of people who want to sign on, but the supply and demand situation is not allowing us to take on new members.”

On the positive side, feed prices have come down slightly and grain prices are softening as more grain is being turned lose after a good harvest, Yoder reported. From a community standpoint, he said survival is going to be tough for Amish farmers.

“We are still small-scale, we can’t compete with the big commercial farms,” he said. “We still use horses, farm less acres and do it with our family on the farm. Our survival is going to depend on the amount of income we can bring in for the whole family.”

“Most of our farmers raise enough hay for their own use.”
From a consumer standpoint, Yoder said food safety and animal well-being are huge factors in the marketplace.

“Consumers want to know where their food is coming from and how their animals are being treated,” he said. “There is a lot of concern about food safety; the consumer will dictate what we can and can’t do.”

He added some chain restaurants are asking for protocol on animal well-being, and more consumers are going to look for animals that are raised on grass. Yoder said as a group, Greenfield Farms does not have protocol in place for animal care, except for its poultry producers.

“We rely on our farmers to take care of their animals in an appropriate manner,” he said. “Animals are an important part of our operations.”

On the produce end, Greenfield Farms growers are keeping a wary eye on the progress of a proposed plan at the national level establishing guidelines for produce growers. Yoder stressed the need for the ability to be able to track the products and isolate where they came from, and avoid problems with the product getting to the consumers.

A California-initiated plan wiped out a lot of small growers. At the same time, producers and buyers alike want to have documentation and a tracking system in case there is a problem.

”This has had a big impact on everyone,” he said. “But it will get to the point that it will cut down on the acreage, and growers won’t be able to do the things they are required to do and still be profitable.”

Yoder said that the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketing Assoc. (OPGMA) is working on a plan that will be more in line with the needs of Ohio growers.

“The buyers and their customers will sign on to this agreement so they can market their food as safe,” he said. “We are going to be vulnerable if we don’t have anything. If we don’t comply, they won’t buy our product. It is voluntary, but there will be less of a market for products that are not inspected by a third party.”

Yoder said the advantage to the OPGMA plan is that it will give the buyers what they are looking for, but at the same time will give the growers the leverage to say they have a plan in place that is based on sound science.

“We want to be proactive by putting the Ohio plan together,” he said. “We hope that the national group will consider what we have in place and make it part of their plan.”