In the midst of a crisis hitting the nation’s dairy industry a group of organic farmers in Maine, dropped by their big distributor, are joining together to create their own brand and save their family businesses.

Mark McKusick, a fourth generation dairy farmer out of Dexter, Maine signed on to the ambitious effort.

“We’re gonna give the consumer, the real organic consumer, the real product. It’s fresh, it’s local and we’re going to strive on quality and taste,” McKusick said. “The best part of this is we’ve got control over our product.”

Dubbed MooMilk- short for Maine’s Own Organic Milk- the new brand will hit store shelves by mid-December.

www.moomilkco.com

Ten farms have signed on to the start-up operation along with a local processor and a distributor.

According to the Organic Farm Research Group there are an estimated 1,800 organic dairy farms in the United States. Earlier in the decade, organic milk surged in popularity and the number of organic dairy farms rose steadily, up nearly 80 percent from 2002 to 2007 but, the recession has taken it’s toll. Consumers are pinching pennies. Organic milk sales have slumped.

Massachusetts based Milk processor H.P. Hood explained its decision to drop the organic farmers in a statement:

“We found ourselves with an oversupply of organic milk- and had to make the difficult decision not to renew some of our organic milk contracts. As you know- some of these farmers joined together to create their own business in Maine and we’re very glad they did and wish them every success.” -Lynn Bohan, H.P. HOOD

The new MooMilk collaboration will create several new jobs and preserve three dozen more- milkers and farm hands among them.

Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook, Maine already makes it’s own milk and ice cream and has agreed to process and bottle the new brand.

“We’ve found that we think we can make an enterprise from the organic farms and make a go of it,” said Rich Page, general manager of Smiling Hill Farm. “It’s a group of people, it’s grass roots, everybody pulling together to try and put this product out in front of the Maine consumers.”

Oakhurst Dairy out of Portland will distribute.

“It shows that we’re willing to pull together, help somebody else who’s in need.” Oakhurst Vice President John Bennett said. “It’s not a cutthroat business. These guys, these families are out there putting out a great product. They needed somewhere to go and luckily we were able to fill that gap.”

The milk will sell for 3.99 per half gallon- a competitive price in the organic market, says MooMilk’s general manager Bill Eldridge. He believes consumers will be willing to pay a little more knowing 90 percent of what is earned will be given back to the farmers.

“Because it’s local, because it’s farms that they can reach out and touch. On each of our cartons there’s going to be a description and an introduction for individual consumers for each of our farms so they’ll know where they are, who they are and where there milk is coming from,” said Eldridge.

The dairy farmers and collaborators say the goal of MooMilk is not to become millionaires. The aim is simply to preserve a way a life and survive this economic slump.

MooMilk will be sold in Maine and New Hampshire to start but, the farmers hope to eventually distribute throughout New England.