Just Dairy is a NOFA Favorite

Here's an article by Jonathan von Ranson from the NOFA News

Cyndy Gray is known around the NOFA/Mass office as "the raw milk angel” because of her association with the NOFA/Mass Raw Milk Project. 

It's been an informal and spontaneous cooperation; over the two years it was active, she worked closely with the coordinators, Brian Shillinglaw, then Anneliese Mordhorst.  "She's been actively updating the Raw Milk website," says Julie Rawson, executive coordinator, "and basically running the raw milk program for several months now."  With the current gap between coordinators of the program, she has kept things moving and folks in touch. 

 

It's been a symbiotic arrangement.  NOFA/Mass decided in 2002 to work with the dairy farmers to let them know about the opportunity of producing raw milk and getting licensed to sell it. 

 

At the same time, Cyndy was collecting the names of people who wanted raw milk and was looking for sources.  Of the coincidence, she says, "Their approach to increasing access to raw milk was to get dairies licensed.  I had a list of consumers looking for licensed dairies."  Both found that farmers became more interested in switching to raw milk production when they saw Cyndy's list of potential customers.  The people on her list were pleased when two licensed raw milk dairies in the state grew to, at present, nine.  And connecting families to a source of raw milk has become a paid job for Cyndy. 

Motivated in 1998 by health issues of one of her sons, Cyndy, a deceptively soft-spoken blonde woman, became interested in diet and healthful eating.  She had the good fortune to attend a conference with Sally Fallon where she learned about unprocessed foods, milk straight from the farm.  “A group of us became interested in starting our own dairy in the area," Cyndy said.  "We researched the laws and realized it would be difficult.  We decided driving to a dairy and picking up milk would be most feasible.  We had to do work with NOFA to help dairies get licensed -- with Jacqui Marsh, Linda Ugelow, Gina Robinson, Brian Shillinglaw."

Under Cyndy's meticulous coordination, 80 Eastern Massachusetts families, from Plymouth to Rockport and from the seacoast to Tewksbury, now carpool weekly to pick up their milk from licensed dairies.  The run can involve up to 90 gallons. 

The two dairies the group gets milk from "are pastured - no grain, or very little," she said.  "We approached them because of their animal husbandry practices: Chase Hill Farm in Warwick and Rocky Acres in Warren."

 

Terrific People

She calls it a carpool club: a membership fee pays for coordination and maintenance including refrigerators.  There's no markup; they pay the farms' price of $5 per gallon.  She's found that the people in the club "get loyal.  They wouldn't want to switch dairies." Their obligation is to drive to do the pickup "twice a year.  It's a 4-5 hr. chunk of time."  She observed that many of the people in the club "have serious health problems --cancer patients, people who are wheelchair-bound with arthritis...” She gets a lot of appreciation for her work in bringing unprocessed milk to these families, and the gratitude is "like part of my pay, too," she says.  "I've found a wonderful spot with terrific people in a great community."  NOFA is part of that appreciative family.  “She's a one-person show on behalf of organic farmers," says Julie Rawson.

The club is now called "Just Dairy" ...the word "just" intended to connote justice as in the New York City organization, "Just Food."  "There's a funny story about the name," she said.  "We first called it  'Contented Cow'.  But I looked down at my nametag at the Community Food Security Conference and saw 'Cyndy Gray, Contented Cow', and didn't care for that!"

 

Still Growing

She's always on the lookout for more pastured licensed raw milk dairies.  "We really need raw milk dairies in Southeastern Massachusetts," she said.  She is intrigued by the way Cliff Hatch at Uppingill Farm (in Gill, Mass.) has recently managed to get licensed to sell raw milk.  His has a very small herd, and she's already arranged a visit to learn how he negotiated the state's milk handling requirements, which ordinarily involve considerable expense.  It's a significant question, because until now she's only approached the state's "Q" list -- the larger dairy operations -- in her search.  If small dairies can qualify, the raw milk supply will open considerably.  Consistent with her role as hand-joiner, she's invited a particular small farmer from the southeastern part of the state to accompany her on the fact-finding mission to Uppingill.

She knows large isn't necessarily better.  A state-sponsored tour of value-added food producers a couple of years ago included a large dairy that will go unnamed.  As a member of the tour, Cyndy said this farm "was dirty, they let people walk in the barn.  It was a confinement operation, pretty sad.  It opened my eyes to what to look for."

 

As she becomes more expert, she is in demand.  A wealthy person has hired her to "start a distributorship of Fallon-inspired food."  She is currently "finding commercial kitchens that can prepare the recipes -- one kitchen almost for every product.  Beverages, bread, pasta."  It will be sold more widely than just to her Just Dairy group.  "I'd love to find small stores and farmer markets to distribute it." Cyndy Gray is a retired Coast Guard Chief who lives in Manchester, Mass. (near Gloucester) with her husband and two boys.  "They kinda put up with me.  They're somewhat supportive, but they don't understand my passion."

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We are constantly learning new ways to grow, prepare and eat for better health. Here is what one of our happy customers had to say.

This website has hidden treasures

Look throughout the site for health ideas. Some are in the food areas and others are in links we recommend.

• Eat Wild
• Organic Pastures Dairy - Mark McAfee
• Northeast Organic Farming Association - NOFA Massachusetts
• Do you know the "Brix" of your food?