Maine’s Own Organic Milk Company, L3C, or MOOMilkCo, was a low-profit, partly farmer-owned,

L3C L3C may refer to: * Low-profit limited liability company * Level 3 Communications, a U.S. telco and ISP * L-3 Communications, a U.S. satellite and aerospace company * Aeronca L-3 The Aeronca L-3 group of observation and liaison aircraft were u ...

corporation set up to help Maine organic family dairy farms maintain a market and achieve profitability. It was established with 10

organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...

dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

s that were dropped by

H.P. Hood HP Hood LLC is an American dairy company based in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Hood was founded in 1846 in Derry, New Hampshire, by Harvey Perley Hood. After two years in Derry, Hood took his milk south and established a factory in Charlestown, Mas ...

, a large dairy product distributor. The company allocated 90% of profits back to the farms as payment for their milk, and "the remaining 10% will be retained for the business end of the company, which is a joint effort of the Maine Farm Bureau and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association." On May 17, 2014, the company ended production. It terminated its agreement with Smiling Hill Farm, its exclusive processor because of equipment failure: an "antiquated carton filler" that was "not capable of meeting the current and future requirements of MOO." Although the MOO brand is no more, the company is still seeking to secure some other long-term contract for its farmers.

History

After Hood stopped buying milk from the farms involved, they approached several other companies, including

Horizon Organic Horizon Organic is an American company that produces organic milk and other organic food products. The largest supplier of organic milk in North America, its products are sold in supermarkets and grocery stores. Founded in 1991, it produces org ...

Stonyfield Farm Stonyfield Farm, Inc., also simply called Stonyfield, is an organic yogurt maker and dairy company located in Londonderry, New Hampshire, United States. Stonyfield Farm was founded by Samuel Kaymen in 1983, on a 19th-century farmstead in Wilton, ...

and

Organic Valley Organic Valley (OV) is an organic food brand and independent agricultural cooperative, cooperative of Organic farming, organic farmers based in La Farge, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1988 and it is the largest farmer owned organic colle ...

, as well as local producers, about the possibility of selling milk to them, but were rejected. In April 2009, the group made an agreement with Smiling Hill Farm, a local milk producer, for processing, and Oakhurst Dairy agreed to transport the products. Funding for MOOMilk, which needed $500,000 to begin operations, was provided by the state of Maine, as well as from private sources, including Stonyfield Farm. At its beginning, MOOMilk sold milk to

Hannaford Hannaford is a rather uncommon surname worldwide, emanating from the small village of Hannaford in Devonshire, whose name may have originated as "Hanna's ford" and spread in the 16th-century to nearby towns such as Kingsbridge and Ashburton, Devon, ...

, Associated Grocers of Maine and dozens of independent stores in Maine. The company began selling milk in January 2010, but within a year ran into financial troubles. Its revenue was inadequate, and it relied on a mix of private investment and grant money to continue operating. With a minimal advertising budget, the company struggled to find consumers willing to purchase its milk, and several of its founding members left. By September 2010, with only $1,400 in cash assets, the company was forced to partially stop production of milk. At the time, the company was able to pay bills to its farmers, but was unable to cover its overhead costs. In December 2010,

Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market, Inc. (colloquially referred to as simply Whole Foods) is an American multinational supermarket chain store, chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from Hydrogenated fat, hydrogenated fats and artificia ...

stores in Massachusetts began selling MOOMilk products, but even so, the company still needed outside money in order to survive. The story of Maine's Organic Milk Company (MOOMilk) has been documented by Pull-Start Pictures in the documentary, "Betting the Farm".

References

{{reflist

External links

MOOMilk's official website

Betting the Farm film
Dairy products companies of the United States Companies based in Kennebec County, Maine Defunct companies based in Maine