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Another Chance for Alaska-Grown MilkNew facility in Palmer processing milk for Valley dairy farmersRelated Content
PALMER - When the Matanuska Creamery closed its doors in December, things weren't looking good for Valley dairy farmers. “I knew if nothing gets going, we’ve got to get slaughter these cows.” For the past month, Keith Yoder had to dump thousands of gallons of milk he couldn’t sell. And he worried about what he would do with his herd of nearly 200 cows. “I got three sons, and its wonderful to work together, I've wanted to keep going. I had a desire to stay together and keep on dairying,” he said. “I asked, Lord, what do we do now?” Those prayers may have been answered for Valley dairy farmers. Yoder's milk is once again being processed, at a new dairy plant in Palmer, Havemeister Dairy. “I believe there is still a market for local milk, and something that's fresher than what you're getting from outside,” Ty Havemeister said. He’s also a dairy farmer—a third generation dairy farmer, in fact—and he believes that, when it comes to dairy products, people want a local option. So he started building his own bottling operation at his family farm after his parents told him the industry in the valley might force them to close. “About a year and a half ago, we realized, the way things were going, we were going to have to do something different or get rid of the cows,” Havemeister said outside his new bottling plant in Palmer. It’s a small operation—significantly smaller, in terms of facility and equipment size, than the recently closed Matanuska Creamery—but it’s one that Havemeister said is built to be sustainable. The dairy started bottling its own milk in August of last year, and while the Havemeisters initially had trouble selling just their own milk, business picked up around the holidays. Now the dairy processes about 500 gallons of milk a day, and stocks shelves in Anchorage, Palmer, Wasilla, and up to Talkeetna. That’s enough demand to require more raw milk than the dairy’s own cows can provide. So they’re turning to other farmers in the valley and purchasing their raw milk. It keeps the milk flowing, and the bottles moving. And buying raw milk from other dairy farmers means those farmers can keep their cows. “I want this industry to succeed,” Havemeister said, “and I want it to be healthy.” While some farmers in the valley have already decided to get out of the dairy business—meaning they’re either selling or slaughtering their cows—those that remain will be ramping up production over the next several months. Havemeister said he’s already bottling every drop of milk that comes his way, but believes he can process up to 1,000 gallons of milk a day. That's good news for people like Keith Yoder. “Lord, it's too good to be true!” he said when he learned the dairy would take his milk. “We just wanna keep going, get it together, and get milk down here the quickest way [we can].” And that’s encouraging news for customers—and dairy farmers—that want to keep Alaskan-grown milk on stores shelves. |
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TedtheBear said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 9:05 PM
Maybe they can make fat free latose free milk that taste good. Old people need stuff like that.
111960491Joanne said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 8:10 PM
I think people should buy it because it's great quality, local and without hormones. You pay much more for milk from the outside that is supposedly organic and it gets shipped from very far away. If we support local milk, we'll have it no matter what.
111957856Anonymous said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 4:30 PM
Good for.. They are selling out of their own milk and taking on other farmers milk. That's the whole purpose of the article.. Clearly people are willing to support local, myself included. Ill pay an extra dollar or 1.50 for less pasteurization and fresher milk from a local farmer. Your statements are unfounded. Go Havemeister dairy!
111945036Anonymous said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 12:06 PM
People are already buying it. Obviously. It's already selling. Obviously.
111924961Tom said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 6:32 AM
Another consumer looking for RAW whole milk here. All pasteurized milk, regardless of where it comes from, is garbage food.
111897021elisha said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 6:07 AM
you can buy it fred meyer. its amazing
111895291Sherri Holley said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 1:57 AM
take the hormones out of it and it will be successful.
111884941Jim McLain said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 1:08 AM
And where in Anchorage can we find the milk?
111883471Good For said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 12:29 AM
Good for Anony. One person will keep them in business. Yahoo......Target charges 3.39, Base 4.99 a gallon guess where people buy milk? Nice to be all for grown local when the price is 50 cents over flown in. They would sell out every week by being competitive. We shall see, or they will go the way of the last dairy. Just like the organic is going. A distant memory. no better for health and bad on the bottom line. Hopefully someone in this state will finally get a clue.
111882771OO buck said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 12:20 AM
This is the best news I herd all day.Keep those cows happy and healthy,and I will stay fat and happy on AK milk
111882601Anonymous said on Monday, Jan 21 at 11:38 PM
Now if we could just buy raw milk, with the cream still in it......
111881572Bossy Heifer said on Monday, Jan 21 at 9:08 PM
I have been on the Alaska Dairy facebook page and they have some great information about cowshares, and a group of supporters of local dairy products.
111877106Anonymous said on Monday, Jan 21 at 8:09 PM
I don't care about the price, I will pay for local milk from family farms. I don't want commercially produced garbage,
111874825Frank Johnson said on Monday, Jan 21 at 7:50 PM
If they kept the milk at a reasonable price instead of what Matanuska Creamery charged (which was outrageous) I don't see why they wouldn't succeed. Its bad enough Walmart jacked the price up 50 more cents a gallon.
111873602Well said on Monday, Jan 21 at 7:45 PM
Make it affordable and people will buy it.
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