Hawthorne Valley is pleased to announce that Assemblymember Didi Barrett’s (D – Columbia, Dutchess) office has helped secure a $125,000 state grant for Hawthorne Valley Farm for the purpose of expanding their dairy production to include pasteurized milk that is local, organic, and Biodynamic® in order to meet the soaring demand and contribute to a sustainable regional milk supply chain.
“Hawthorne Valley has been at the forefront of regenerative farming and climate smart practices in our Hudson Valley region for decades,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “I am proud to support the farm’s efforts to decarbonize and expand their capacity to provide fresh and healthy dairy products to our community by helping them secure the critical funding for this new pasteurization equipment.”
By installing equipment to pasteurize milk, Hawthorne Valley Farm will offer certified organic and Biodynamic pasteurized milk at its Greenmarket stands in New York City, and as an alternative to raw milk which they sell on-site at their Farm Store. This will allow them to better serve a broader consumer base by addressing the preferences of those who are more comfortable with pasteurized options. The Creamery also co-packs for small local farms and will be able to provide more opportunities for them.
“This was an important upgrade for Hawthorne Valley Farm as it increases our Creamery’s ability to provide a wider variety of products for our customers,” said Martin Ping, Executive Director of Hawthorne Valley Association. “Assemblymember Didi Barrett has been a dedicated advocate for the farms in the Hudson Valley, and we are extremely grateful to her for her service and help in securing this grant. Didi’s work has helped to give local farmers confidence to start and grow their farms to meet the demand for fresh, healthy food, and to ensure that agricultural land is conserved for future generations.”
The pasteurization project is one of many upgrades to the Creamery to improve the building’s ventilation system and decrease its carbon footprint through equipment improvements. Additionally, the installation of a biofiltration system with Biohabitats for wash water created through dairy processing, will return the water clean to the aquifer. These projects are part of Hawthorne Valley’s wider Net Positive Initiative to de-carbonize its campus and give back more to the environment than it extracts.
In addition to selling the pasteurized milk in their on-site Farm Store, Hawthorne Valley Farm has been pre-approved to sell the milk at its stands at seven GrowNYC Greenmarket locations in New York City. Greenmarket is operated by GrowNYC, an environmental non-profit organization with a dual mission to support regional agriculture and provide equitable access to fresh, local food to all New Yorkers.
“Hawthorne Valley Farm’s Creamery has been a stalwart in New York’s dairy industry, consistently providing high-quality organic yogurt and other dairy products to our GrowNYC Greenmarkets,” says Marcel Van Ooyen, President and CEO of GrowNYC. “By offering pasteurized, organic, and Biodynamic milk, Hawthorne Valley will fill demand for local dairy products, a critical need for us as a non-profit market operator. We see the demand and are eager for them to begin selling this product to our market customers.”
Net Positive Initiative
This project is a part of Hawthorne Valley’s efforts to become a Net Positive campus by working to mitigate our carbon footprint. Through the Net Positive Initiative, Hawthorne Valley seeks to contribute more to the natural world and its inhabitants than it extracts; to harmonize social, economic, and environmental needs; and to formalize and embed these commitments in every aspect of the organization. Learn more.
