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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 25 N OV E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5 ey also advised: "Get Organic Valley up there. You need a stable market." Since completing his transition to organic this summer and becoming an Organic Valley supplier, Petre now sees his farm as being on the path of sustainability. " ey send a truck up here every other day, they pay me well, it's what I was looking for," he says. The economics of hauling After checking in with Petre, Getz stops by an Amish dairy farm across the road run by Steven Wolf and his son Asher. He points out an area where trees had been cut back as well as a rocky gravel turning area the Wolfs had installed to improve access for the Organic Valley milk truck backing up to the farm's milk storage area. " is is about economics," Getz says of the turnaround area. " e milk truck can't get stuck here. If it gets stuck, say, in winter time, it has a cas- cading eff ect on the rest of the route." It's toasty warm inside the Wolf family's home. Small children shyly check out their visitors, then go back to playing. An older girl, wearing a dress and white bonnet, comes up to her father to sit on his lap. Cold rain pelts the window as Steven and Asher anxiously wait for Getz to tell them the results of Organic Valley's fi nal quality check of their farm's milk. e news is good: ey're able to join the milk run to Stonyfi eld. "In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy farming," Steven says soon after hearing that news. "When I say 'future,' I'm thinking about the next generation more than I am about my own self." From his vantage point, which often includes stints behind the wheel of a 7,500-gallon tanker that makes the Aroostook milk run every other day, Jesse Haskell sees fi rst-hand the impact Organic Valley's initiative is having in e County. A fourth- generation dairy farmer and third- generation milk hauler from Palermo, he says the milk-hauling company started by his grandfather in 1949 — M.A. Haskell & Sons — hauls milk from 58 organic and 30 conventional dairy farms in Maine. at's roughly 35% of Maine's dairy industry, and Haskell knows all too well just how challenging it is for all the farmers, particularly those tied to con- ventional markets in which milk prices are often lower than the typical produc- tion costs for feed and fuel incurred by Maine's small-size dairy farms. With slim to non-existent margins, it doesn't take much to push a farm over the edge. Earlier this fall, in an eff ort to attract and retain drivers who were being lured by non-dairy trucking compa- nies' off ering better benefi ts, Haskell says he reluctantly raised his milk- hauling rate for two small regional routes with volumes too small to make them profi table, aff ecting eight dairy farms in Waldo County and southern Maine who couldn't aff ord the higher cost. He's now shopping for health insurance that would be aff ordable to off er as a benefi t for 30 drivers. "It's helped already," he says of the impact improving the benefi ts package is having on retaining skilled drivers. With three of his trucks devoted to hauling for Organic Valley's Maine milk pool — each able to hold up to 66,000 pounds of milk — Haskell says the growing cluster of organic dairy farms in e County is build- ing that milk run's volume, putting it closer to capacity and improving the overall economics of the route. "It's an extremely bright spot in Maine's dairy industry, at least from where I'm sitting," he says, acknowledg- ing he's got a vested interest in seeing the Aroostook initiative succeed. "I've appreciated the opportunity Organic Valley has given me and my family. ey've been committed to us. ey've stuck with us. It's a team eff ort." J M C , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r writer, can be reached at @ . and @ J M agcmaine.org | 188 Whitten Road | Augusta, ME 04332 | 622-4741 | info@agcmaine.org AGC Maine provides quality training AGC Maine provides quality training and an aggressive advocacy program to help our members develop new markets and develop new markets and grow their business. grow their business. Join AGC Maine today to discover the competitive discover the competitive advantage our membership provides. membership provides. WORKING FOR OUR MEMBERS What Makes a Good Contractor? Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. 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Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Legislative Advocacy Regulatory Research & Solutions Safety & Training Services In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy In Maine, we have a possible future in dairy farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking farming. When I say 'future,' I'm thinking about the next generation more than I am about my own self. — Steven Wolf, Amish dairy farmer

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