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DAIRY
JUNE 2024 | BACK TO CALENDAR
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LAND For the past 200 years, dairy has shaped Vermont’s agricultural landscape. While the number of dairy farms has been steadily declining since the 1950s, dairy is still Vermont’s largest agricultural product by volume, and dairy farms still utilize about 80% of the farmland in the state. LABOR As of 2016, there are an estimated 1,000 - 1,200 Latinx migrant dairy workers, 90% of whom are likely undocumented. Read the Justice & Liberation story to learn more. 40% of migrant workers report being paid below Vermont minimum wage, and having no days off. ANIMALS Vermont’s approximately 600 cow, sheep, and goat farms produce about 2.3 billion pounds of milk a year, 85% of which is exported to other states. Vermont is also home to many cheese, yogurt and butter producers. PRODUCTS With about 50% of Americans unable to digest lactose, many people in Vermont are turning to dairy alternatives such as nut milks. Cheese and yogurt consumption are also on the rise, which are both easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance. |
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Kanvtsi (Hickory Nut Milk)
Homemade Wara Homemade Paneer Strawberry Lassi Create a Smoothie* Homemade Yogurt Homemade Dairy-free Yogurt Fruity Flatbread* Buttermilk Ranch Dressing* Sunshine Yogurt Dip* Homemade Farmer's Cheese Homemade Dairy-free Farmer's Cheese Goat Cheese Crostini* Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas* Cucumber Yogurt Dip* Homemade Dairy-free Hazelnut Milk *To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute dairy products for a similar dairy-free alternative 
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Justice & Liberation Story:
When you eat ice cream, you are eating frozen milk! When you drink a glass of milk, where does it come from? “Well look, milk comes from cows, but cows don’t milk themselves,” answers Victor Diaz (source), a Vermont dairy farmworker and Milk with Dignity advocate. Victor is one of many workers who are part of the Ben & Jerry’s food chain. With the support of the farmworker organization Migrant Justice, Victor and other dairy workers like him became educated about their rights and collectively advocated for working standards such as a guaranteed fair wage, access to healthcare, and humane living conditions. In 2017, the global ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s became the first major corporation to sign onto the Milk with Dignity Code of Conduct, farmworker-led labor standards. So next time you enjoy a scoop of ice cream, ask yourself, who milked my ice cream and how are they doing?
To learn more about the Milk with Dignity Campaign, watch this 12-minute video about the living and working conditions on Vermont dairy farms and how farmworkers are coming together to organize and implement the Milk with Dignity Program. For an even deeper dive, watch "Silenced Voices," a 23-minute film documenting the founding of Migrant Justice and context of migrant labor in Vermont and Mexico.
Want to take action, but don’t know where to start? Check out this 2021 Milk with Dignity Action Toolkit.
To learn more about the Milk with Dignity Campaign, watch this 12-minute video about the living and working conditions on Vermont dairy farms and how farmworkers are coming together to organize and implement the Milk with Dignity Program. For an even deeper dive, watch "Silenced Voices," a 23-minute film documenting the founding of Migrant Justice and context of migrant labor in Vermont and Mexico.
Want to take action, but don’t know where to start? Check out this 2021 Milk with Dignity Action Toolkit.
Harvest videos:
Estrellita (Little Star) from Daniel Houghton on Vimeo.
» Cow by Jules Older (grades K-3)
» 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy (grades 1-4) » Milk from Cow to Carton by Aliki » It’s Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf (grades K-3) » Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (grades 4-9)» Life on the Other Border, Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont by Teresa M. Mares (grades 8-12) » The Most Costly Journey: Stories of Migrant Farmworkers in Vermont Drawn by New England Cartoonists Edited by Marek Bennett, Julia Grand Doucet, Andy Kolovos, & Teresa Mares |
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