06/08/2026
Big changes coming to Rocky Acres Farm: we are shifting to now be a RAW MILK ONLY dairy farm. We decided not to comply with big dairy bullying and instead we chose to be loyal to our milk customers.
As of June 15, Agri-mark is blocking "our access" to their milk market. In other words, they have told us they will no longer be picking up our milk.
Why you ask? After a 2 year battle, with Agri-mark trying to bully us into submission, they are mandating that we no longer sell raw milk to customers. Their board of directors comprised of other dairy farmer members, along with the corporate management, have voted to not allow any Agri-mark member farm to sell raw milk (due to legal advisors recomendations, supposedly). This is AFTER THEY HAVE ALLOWED US TO DO IT FOR 20 YEARS, ever since it became legal to sell in MA. We have had NO ISSUES. We Never caused any problems. Raw milk has SUSTAINED our business and kept it financially viable for the past 20 years and therefore made it possible for us to continue to be an Agri-mark member farm and produce, for Agri-mark, some of the highest quality milk in the co-op and the country!
Bottom line- Agri-mark has no loyalty to its small farms. After 40+ years of membership to our milk cooperative, this is the "thanks" we get. 40+ years of blood, sweat, tears, hard work, sleepless nights, all trying to make a high quality product to sell to our milk cooperative. Agri-mark does not care at all that they are losing such a high quality source of milk. Agri-mark doesn't care that this decision forces us to sell cows (cow families we have had for decades); cows who did nothing wrong but can no longer live here because we will produce too much milk. Agri-mark doesn't care that we don't even have the option to stay as a commercial dairy farmer without raw milk sales supplementing our income, because our base pay price is so low (minus all the deductions and fees, hauling, etc. that they pull out of our check). We would immediately go into debt. But most importantly, Agri-mark doesn't care that they are stealing the option for my children to be 4th generation commercial dairy farmers.
It stings to know that you can be the best in your field of business- harvesting and producing the highest quality milk possible- yet still being told you are losing your milk market. A complete slap in the face.
We choose to stick to OUR values of LOYALTY to the customers who actually care about the milk that we harvest .
We choose to feed people. We choose to provide for those who bless our family .
Some of our raw milk customers have been with us for 20 years; we have watched their children grow up on our milk. We know that the hard work we put in is directly benefiting our family and their families. They appreciate the efforts we put in to provide them with a safe, reliable food source- all thanks be to God!
So if you back us into a corner, here is our pivot: Providing raw milk to people who want it and appreciate it!
Thank you to our customers for your continued support of our family farm! May God bless you all!
