Sunday, August 29, 2010

Merrimack Farmers' Exchange

The Merrimack Farmers' Exchange was a fixture in the agricultural economy of New Hampshire from 1920 to 1982. The Exchange sold feed and other supplies to farmers, and it also provided advisory and consulting services. It was more than a business, it was part of the rural culture, almost like family. The Exchange operated as a cooperative. Click here for a brief history.

A Window in Time: Merrimack Farmers' Exchange in Crisis and Transition is a recently published book about the last years of this unique organization. The cover of the book shows a newspaper column about the dramatic events in the final years of the Exchange. That column was written by Yankee Director Steve Taylor, then a newspaper reporter for the New Hampshire Times. A Window in Time was written by Charles F. Sheridan, the outside counsel for the Exchange. Click here to order the book from the New Hampshire Historical Society.

In 1982 the assets of the Merrimack Farmers' Exchange were sold to Blue Seal. You may have noticed the Blue Seal feed mill at the intersection of I-89 and I-93 in Concord. That used to belong to the Exchange.

The story of the Merrimack Farmers' Exchange reminds me of the 1991 movie Other People's Money, starring Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck and Penelope Ann Miller. Both stories involve a corporate raid. The movie explores the issues on all sides with humor and insight.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Dairy on the Moove

Last week at the Orleans County Fair the public got a new look and taste of dairy. Dairy on the Moove is a trailer equipped with a pasteurizing and cheese making vat. Fair goers were able to watch the milk from the dairy cows exhibited at the fair be made into cheddar cheese curds while munching away at the “fruits” of the cheese maker’s labor.

This unique solution came about from a common problem. Last year just prior to the fair season fairs and dairy producers were notified by the milk co-op that they would not be picking up milk at the fairs any longer. The directors at the Orleans County Fair and others scrambled to find a solution, but were only able to sell the milk at a reduced price for pigs and calves or dumped it.

This winter a few of the Orleans County directors, including Kelly Langmaid from the Newport Farm Credit office, got together and started brainstorming ideas, thus the birth of Dairy on the Moove. This committee was able to raise $75,000 from industry support, including a donation from Yankee Farm Credit, to put this mobile unit together. The idea is the unit will go from fair to fair equipped with a cheese maker and helper(s). Other county fairs in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and even Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, MA have expressed interest as a way to utilize at least a portion of the milk produced to educate the public about the dairy industry. Future plans may utilize further milk with additional products such as ice cream.

The cheese curds were a big hit and sold out every day of the fair. Included are a few pictures of the unit as well as the process and the final product. The unit was run by the committee after a crash course in cheese making, as well as Marisa Mauro, owner of Ploughgate Creamery in South Albany, VT and Tucker Purchase of Fairmont Dairy in Craftsbury, VT. A special thanks to the sponsors for believing in the idea when there were many that did not. Also, to Marisa and Tucker for being crazy enough to love the idea and willing to fight to make it happen! The unit will make an appearance this week at the Caledonia County Fair in Lyndonville, VT. Come on out and try some squeaky cheese!

The vat:


The system:


Cutting the cheese:


Curds and whey:


Kelly and Tucker flipping slabs:


The final product!


Click here for the WCAX article on 8/19/10.

Click here for the article on the front page of the Burlington Free Press on 8/21/10.

Pictures and write-up submitted by Kelly Langmaid. Thanks, Kelly!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Farm Tour

Yankee Farm Credit directors and employees, as well as guests from CoBank, Financial Partners Inc. and the Farm Credit Administration, toured several farms and agricultural businesses in northwestern Vermont on Wednesday, July 21st.

A big thank you to our hosts for taking time out of their busy day to show us around! Also, a big thanks to the staff in our St. Albans office for arranging an interesting tour.


Our first stop was Lamell Lumber in Essex, VT. The company was formed in 1965 by Richard Lamell, and is now operated by son Ronald and his sons Ron Jr. and Keith. It is a pine and hemlock mill with dry kilns. They also sell bagged shavings, processed bark mulch and storage sheds. They were selected as Outstanding Sawmill Operator of the year in 2008 by the Northeast Lumberman's Association.


Next we travelled to Sam Mazza's Farmstand and Greenhouse in Colchester, VT. Sam operates the wholesale business and several members of the next generation operate the retail business. We toured some of the 155,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses and 400+ acres of vegetables. It is the largest vegetable business in Vermont. There is also a retail stand open year around which includes a bakery and gift shop. They host several festivals each year and have a corn maze. Our group enjoyed eating lunch beside the petting zoo under cover of the pavilion building.


Our third stop on the tour was Green Mountain Dairy in Sheldon. This 1,000 cow dairy farm is operated by Brian and Tammy Rowell with assistance from their children Matthew and Megan and Brian's brother Bill Rowell. They were the 2008 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year - Green Pastures Award. The farm includes a methane digester which powers a 300 kW electric generator. They are a CVPS Cow Power producer of renewable energy.


Our last stop was the Bourbeau and Sons farm in Swanton, VT. Alan and Kim Bourbeau own and operate the 225 cow dairy and 12,000 tap maple operation with the help of their two sons Justin and Eric. The maple operation has grown from selling sap to a modern sugarhouse built in 2006. Our group had the luxury of sampling some of the syrup — delicious!

The farm tour was a great opportunity to see some of the variety of farms and businesses that keeps agriculture in Yankee's territory thriving.