UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Saucier, Olivia
Dept./Program:
Community Development and Applied Economics
Year:
2013
Degree:
M.S.
Abstract:
This thesis explores the emergence of organic dairy production in the United States, with an emphasis on the Northeast and the state of Vermont. I highlight the evolution of organic milk and dairy from a small-scale experiment to a corporate mainstay by way of two academic journal articles.
The first sheds light on the infancy of the organic dairy movement using first-hand accounts from pioneering farmers who transitioned as early as the 1960s. These initial producers often found no market for their milk, and had no choice but to sell to conventional outlets. Early organic dairy farmers did not communicate their ecological methods to their consumers, yet they all made a conscious decision to move away from conventional production for one reason or another.
The second article deals with events closer to home. By analyzing the motivations of Vermont dairy farmers to ship to the new Organic Cow processing company in the mid 90s, I build a case study of the Organic Cow brand and examine its legacy on Vermont farming. Organic Cow played a cmcial role in developing the organic milk market in the Northeast and expanding the number of organic dairy farms. Using a value-chain framework, I examine farmer preferences and motivations and evaluate the suitability of the value chain model for these kinds of mid-level companies.
The first sheds light on the infancy of the organic dairy movement using first-hand accounts from pioneering farmers who transitioned as early as the 1960s. These initial producers often found no market for their milk, and had no choice but to sell to conventional outlets. Early organic dairy farmers did not communicate their ecological methods to their consumers, yet they all made a conscious decision to move away from conventional production for one reason or another.
The second article deals with events closer to home. By analyzing the motivations of Vermont dairy farmers to ship to the new Organic Cow processing company in the mid 90s, I build a case study of the Organic Cow brand and examine its legacy on Vermont farming. Organic Cow played a cmcial role in developing the organic milk market in the Northeast and expanding the number of organic dairy farms. Using a value-chain framework, I examine farmer preferences and motivations and evaluate the suitability of the value chain model for these kinds of mid-level companies.