Dairy

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.

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.

PRODUCTS Vermont is home to many cheese, yogurt and butter producers. These are all milk-based foods, along with ice cream, sour cream, and whole, low-fat and flavored milks.

Many Americans are unable to digest lactose, therefore 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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*To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute dairy products for a similar dairy-free alternative

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Justice & Liberation Story

Migrant Justice farmworkers and allies marching on a Ferrisburgh, Vermont, dairy farm.

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*, 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?

Learn more about the Milk with Dignity Campaign here.

*Migrant Justice. (2018, July 25). Milk with Dignity - Migrant Justice [Video], 11:54. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUxTQb4Q2kc

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