Press Release  State Agricultural Officials Visit Farms and Businesses to Promote Local Dairy Industry During National Dairy Month

Carlisle — In celebration of National Dairy Month, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner Ashley Randle visited six local dairy farms and cheese shops in Massachusetts. The Commissioner, who was joined by local elected officials and members of the newly formed Massachusetts Agriculture Youth Council, toured family-owned dairy operations on Thursday June 13, and Friday June 14. These operations have been supplying the Eastern and Central Massachusetts regions with fresh milk and cheeses, helping contribute to food security and supporting local economies.

On Thursday, Commissioner Randle visited Great Brook Dairy Farm in Carlisle, which serves ice cream on-site and is a member of AgriMark, a dairy farmer cooperative. Afterwards, she visited Dunajski Dairy in Peabody, which has been producing milk for over one-hundred years. The Commissioner then visited Mozzarella House in Peabody, which has been making fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and burrata cheeses using milk from Dunajski Dairy since 1989. The day’s tours concluded with a visit to Valley View Farm in Topsfield, which has been making farmstand goat cheeses from their own goats since 1998. The farm has also received multiple MDAR grants, including through the Farm Viability and Agricultural Energy Grant Programs.

On Friday, Commissioner Randle toured Smith’s Country Cheese in Winchendon. The shop is a woman-owned, family-run business that produces a variety of award-winning raw milk cheeses, such as gouda, cheddar, and Havarti. The tours ended with a visit to Mullhay’s Cheese Shop in Hudson, which stocks locally sourced artisanal cheeses and specialty food items.

“Our visits have provided a wonderful opportunity to witness the incredible diversity and innovative spirit within Massachusetts’ dairy industry,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “We have a rich history of dairy farming, with many farms being in the same family over centuries that have spent all that time taking care of the land and their animals. These families have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to land stewardship and animal care, resulting in producing the highest-quality milk and dairy products.”

Massachusetts is home to 95 dairy farms that contribute more than $61 million to the local economy. Dairy farming has been an essential part of the state's agricultural industry for hundreds of years. While most of the dairy farms are located in Western Massachusetts, they can be found across the state, with the majority being small-scale multi-generational operations. These farms help preserve over 113,000 acres of open space, creating scenic landscapes for recreation and wildlife habitat management. Massachusetts dairy farms also use eco-friendly technologies, including anaerobic digesters that recycle cow manure into renewable energy. They produce more than 20 million gallons of fresh, nutritious, and wholesome milk, some of which is used to make delicious value-added dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream, contributing to a sustainable local food system.

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