June is Dairy Month!
Local farmstands in Hadley, South Hadley, and Sunderland are celebrating with the Dairy Month Dairy Crawl! Visit the participating farmstands; Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery, McCray’s Country Creamery, Flayvors of Cook Farm, Maple Valley’s Hadley Scoop, North Hadley Sugar Shack and Market, and Smiarowski’s Farmstand and Creamery; and purchase an ice cream to get your Dairy Crawl passport stamped between June 1 and June 30, 2019.
We farmers have been friends and neighbors for generations.
We all face similar challenges – development of farmland, difficulty finding reliable labor, and razor thin profit margins. We borrow equipment with one another, trade tips and feedback, and lend a helping hand. While not all of the participating farmstands are connected with dairy farms, it is a longstanding tradition to support our neighbors and sustain agriculture in the Pioneer Valley.
The milk price is currently so low that it does not cover a dairy farm’s cost of doing business. We’ve opened farmstands to diversify our businesses so that we can continue to do what we love: create local, wholesome food for our community.
The Pioneer Valley is home to 2,161 farms, which generate $128 million in annual sales, steward 182,430 acres of land and employ 4,300 people. This Dairy Month, we hope that you enjoy your visit to our farmstands!
Supporting local matters, and we appreciate your business!
This project is organized and funded by the six participating farmstands in Sunderland, Hadley, and South Hadley. Please note that there is a limited number of passports but you may also print your own: dairy crawl 2019! You may pick up a Dairy Crawl passport at any of the participating locations, while supplies last. Participants who turn in completed passports will be entered into a raffle to win a small prize from one of the 6 farmstands!