This article appears as part of Hawthorne Valley’s 2024 Annual Impact Report: The Biodiversity Edition. We invite you to explore the full report and learn more about our work to renew soil, society, and self through the integration of education, agriculture, and the arts here.
Expanding Horizons with Pasteurized Milk Production
This year marks a pivotal shift for our creamery as we near the completion of our transition to producing pasteurized milk. This evolution responds to growing customer demand and opens new avenues for distributing our high-quality dairy products. While raw milk has its loyal following, its sales are limited to on-farm transactions. By offering pasteurized milk, we can extend our reach to farmers’ markets, stores, and other off-site venues, sharing the abundance of our farm with a broader audience.
This transition brings exciting opportunities and a few adjustments. To meet the production demands of pasteurized milk, we are reimagining our product line. Our current cheese inventory is being sold , and pasteurized milk will eventually take its place. We anticipate some questions from our customers about this shift and are committed to engaging them with transparency and enthusiasm. Looking ahead, we see the potential to redesign our cheese aging space, enabling us to reintroduce cheeses of even higher quality in the future.
The introduction of pasteurization doesn’t just expand our product offerings—it also enhances our operational sustainability and community impact. Our new equipment dramatically reduces water usage and processing time, improving efficiency and aligning with our commitment to responsible resource management. Additionally, this investment enables us to explore new dairy products and co-packing services, providing valuable support to other small farms in our network.
As we move forward, we’re excited about the expanded possibilities pasteurization offers, both for our creamery and for the regional food system. With your support, we’re taking another step toward creating a resilient, collaborative, and sustainable future for local agriculture.
by Jeremy Shapiro, Creamery Manager
