04-22-2008

RI dairy looking up: a happy Earth Day indeed!

CheeseBetween 1972 and 2003, the number of dairies in Rhode Island dropped from 90 to 22. (It was a couple hundred in the early twentieth century.)

Fast forward to 2005, when five dairy farmers pooled their milk into the first batches of Rhody Fresh. Their milk quickly found a place on the shelves of groceries big and small. That was no small feat given major grocers’ slotting fees, and due in large part to Rhode Islanders’ phone calls and letters. Now Rhoda the Rhody Fresh cow is a familiar face found gracing cartons of half & half, coffee milk and chocolate milk across the state. And a Rhody Fresh ice cream may not be so far away!

Here are a couple of small producers that are big in the world of Rhode Island dairy. We’re happy to say that all of these Rhode Island dairies’ milk are certified free of artificial growth hormones (rBST) and happily graze in the sunshine.

  • Rhody Fresh. A cooperative of 5 RI dairy farms that shares processing and sales. Beyond the grocery aisle, RI colleges have been very receptive: Brown, Roger Williams and soon RISD.
  • Arruda Dairy. Family-run farm since 1917 in Tiverton.
  • Wright’s Dairy. Family-run farm since 1900 in North Smithfield.
  • Munroe Dairy. You’ve probably seen their cow trucks delivering fresh milk. Family-run for four generations, Munroe buys its milk from local dairies. If you’ve enjoyed Bliss Ice Cream, you’ve tasted Munroe’s cream. We’re also thrilled to announce that Munroe is joining the Buy Local RI campaign. In the coming season, you’ll be able to buy local fruits and vegetables through their online ordering system and have it delivered by cow truck.

But wait, there’s more exciting news! Following on the heels of a renewal in artisan cheesemaking, 2008 will see 3 new RI dairies. There will be cows a’milking in Cranston, Foster and West Greenwich. Now that’s something to celebrate this Earth Day!