Organic Dairies Watch the Good Times Turn Bad

Sure enough, his income soared 20 percent, and he could pedal bike insurance finally afford a Chevy Silverado pickup to help thatched house insurance out. The dairy conglomerate that distributed his milk wanted everything Mr. Preston could supply. Supermarket truck insurance australia orders were skyrocketing. But cheapest commercial vehicle insurance shenandoah dental insurance soon average auto insurance rates the price of organic feed shot up. Then the recession hit, and families looking to save on low cost house insurance groceries found organic milk easy to car insurance indiana do without. Ultimately the conglomerate, with auto insurance consumer reviews a glut evacuation insurance of product, said it would not renew his contract next month, leaving him with nowhere to texas rv insurance sell his milk, alberta motorcycle insurance a victim of trends that are crippling many organic dairy farmers from coast to coast. For oasis insurance those farmers, the promises of going organic — a steady paycheck and salvation for small family farms — have collapsed trustmark health insurance in the last six months. homeowners and auto insurance As the trend toward organic food what is auto insurance comprehensive consumption slows after years of explosive growth, no sector is in direr shape car company insurance rental than the insurance for people with hiv $1.3 billion organic milk industry. Farmers nationwide have been told to cut milk finance and insurance training production by skatepark insurance as abc auto insurance north carolina dental insurance much langley insurance as signature dental insurance 20 percent, and hawaii travel insurance insurance company business plan many are talking of wedding insurance quote shutting flood insurance application down. “I car cheap female insurance young probably wouldn’t have gone organic if I knew it would end this way,” said Mr. Preston, 53. Here in New England, where dairy home owner insurance coverage farms are baby health insurance as much a part of the landscape as whitewashed churches and rocky beaches, organic dairy farmers contents insurance policy are bearing the brunt of the nationwide slowdown, in part because of the car insurance company ontario car insurance for woman cost of transporting feed motor boat insurance from the Midwest. electronic insurance billing The vision insurance plans contracts of gastric bypass insurance coverage 10 of Maine’s 65 organic dairies will primary mortgage insurance not be renewed by HP Hood, one aetna insurance phone number of the region’s three large processors. In Vermont, 32 dairy farms have closed since Dec. 1, homeowners insurance coverage significantly altering the face line pet insurance of New essential travel insurance England’s dairy industry. “We expect to lose a lot more farms trustee insurance this year,” said Roger Allbee, Vermont’s secretary camper van insurance of car insurance for learner driver agriculture. Hood and the two other big laser eye surgery insurance processors, dental insurance in Maine Horizon Organic and Organic Valley, say cutting contracts, pay and production are necessary to absorb overproduction and offset softening demand. Organic Valley, a health insurance cover uk nationwide cooperative, told Maine organic dairy farmers last month that its sales growth had dropped to near zero from about 20 percent six months ago. “Our inventory is overstocked,” said John B. Cleary, the cooperative’s New insurance algarve England regional pool coordinator. For many farmers, the changes coincide with car insurance in Richmond crushing private pilot insurance debt auto owners insurance resulting from the cost 50 car insurance of turning organic, which agreed value insurance can run hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, the price of auto accidents insurance organic feed has doubled in house insurance spain the last year. Credit has dried up for some, and travel insurance for non uk residents others say it texas small business health insurance is nearly impossible to sell cows and so thin their herds. And while processors project maid insurance growth of about maryland insurance 6 percent in organic milk sales this year jewellry insurance (a decline from banner insurance the 12.7 percent reported for 2008 by the metropolitan auto insurance Organic Trade Association), some analysts say that forecast is far too optimistic. The United States Department women only car insurance of Agriculture says sales of organic whole milk in February ing home insurance were 2.5 health net health insurance percent lower than in February last year, with sales of car insurance oregon organic reduced-fat milk 15 percent lower. “We’re in big trouble,” said Craig canada home insurance mortgage Russell, an organic dairy farmer in Brookfield, Vt., who owes get motorcycle insurance auto insurance in Florida $500,000, mostly from converting retirement insurance his farm to organic in 2006. Mr. Russell quit temp car insurance a day job as modified classic car insurance an new york marine insurance accountant to farm full time last year. “I made more money in six car insurance payments months than in five years of conventional farming,” he said, but payment insurance his farm is now barely discount car insurance quote hanging on. rbc car insurance The price he receives from business contents insurance travel protection insurance the distributor breakdown cover insurance motor dropped another $1 per hundredweight on May 1, just when he most needed money to quick online car insurance quote prepare for the summer grazing season. “It’s going carillo insurance to dental georgia insurance plan cost me more to make milk than sell milk,” renters insurance miami he said. In an effort to provide insurance business software a safety net, cheapest breakdown insurance Vermont last month expanded swiftcover insurance a auto insurance in Iowa low-interest loan program for farmers. While most conventional farmers are medicaid supplemental insurance accustomed to carpet cleaners insurance withstanding price volatility, “organic aami car insurance hasn’t cincinnati life insurance company weathered this kind of storm,” said in vitro fertilization insurance coverage Mr. Allbee, the state’s great west insurance company agriculture secretary. Farmers are finding contents insurance spain that organic food is not for every consumer, he said, “and doesn’t guarantee that you will have a market dental insurance in New Jersey affordable auto insurance quotes car insurance line quote forever.” Some farmers are considering selling their organic milk on the conventional market just to make some quick money. Others are looking to high value contents insurance insurance grace period auto club south insurance sell raw, or unpasteurized, milk directly to the public. The Vermont House of Representatives passed a bill this month to increase the amount of raw milk a farmer classic car insurance uk georgia flood insurance can sell that way. At the annual car insurance safeway meeting of the Maine Organic Milk Producers last month in Waterville, motorcycle insurance northern ireland farmers debated whether they could tap into the locavore movement, marketing their milk as local food. Russell Libby, the organization’s executive director, wondered, “Is it possible to produce a product with a Maine anthem dental insurance label on it?” Right now it is not, because some Maine cirencester insurance milk malpractice insurance providers is processed out of state. But farmers like Aaron Bell, whose contract home insurance broker with Hood will not be renewed when equine mortality insurance it expires, thinks the idea will save their farms. “We’re concord auto insurance so remote, we’re high and dry otherwise,” said Mr. Bell, whose farm is in Maine’s easternmost reaches. “Unless we find our own market.” Back in 2006, Mr. genworth life insurance company Bell carried dental insurance in Oregon online auto insurance quote the banner for organic dairy farming, appearing with his wife alcohol liability insurance on Martha ensure car insurance Stewart’s show to promote small long term disability insurance quote family farms. commercial vehicle insurance texas He landlords insurance cover still mental health insurance coverage believes in organic children insurance oxford freedom insurance food, cheapest online car insurance individual vision insurance but not so much in dangerous dog insurance the business model. “They say it’s heaven insurance auto salvage for the small farmer,” mental health insurance he said, “but the small nc liability insurance return of premium term insurance farmer is the california homeowners insurance one screaming the loudest right now.” Bruce Drinkman, who milks 60 sporting event insurance cows on his car insurance warranty connecticut general life insurance organic farm in Glenwood City, Wis., has seen his metropolitan property and casualty insurance income drop 40 percent since Jan. public liability insurance act 1. To south carolina dept of insurance keep the farm going, he westminster car insurance legal expenses insurance uk has dipped into his retirement savings and dropped his health insurance. But without a loan, his wife has had to draw money from her I.R.A. to manufacturer car insurance help out. “Our aston martin car insurance Plan B is if we buy term insurance don’t have a decent year, we’re rent protection insurance done,” said Mr. canada car insurance toronto Drinkman, who has farmed for 30 auto insurance southern california years. “I’m wolverine insurance car insurance breakdown cover 46,” he said. “I wonder what I will do auto usa insurance if I can’t farm anymore.”