The disput described below is between dairy farmers and HP Hood, which contracts with farmers to supply milk for Stonyfield Farms Organic Milk. Stonyfield Farms still gets milk for its yogurt from Organic Valley.
Dear Organic Consumers and Supporters of Family Farms,
We are two family farms in Maine that supply organic milk to HP Hood who sell it under the Stonyfield brand. We thank you for purchasing our high quality milk which is third party certified to ensure that it doesn’t contain any hormones or antibiotics and the cows are fed a diet that is produced without using any herbicides or pesticides, benefiting the environment and slowing global warming.
Four years ago, we, amongst others, recruited approximately 33 farms in Maine to transition to organic when HP Hood was looking to work with Stonyfield Farm in establishing its own label for fluid organic milk. They made great promises about the future of the Stonyfield brand of organic milk and their commitment to their farmers. They assured us that we would “Feel Good about Hood.”
By the end of December 2009 there will be a maximum of 12 family farms in Maine that sell organic milk to HP Hood as the others have been fired by HP Hood. Our two family farms were told by HP Hood that we were going to be let go because of the economic situation and “an overabundance of milk.” We are not sure what made us special but we can offer some examples of HP Hood’s double speak:
• “You wanted to terminate your contract” - Mike Suever, HP Hood’s Senior Vice President, R&D, Engineering and Procurement told us that our contracts were not renewed due to our "repeated" requests to terminate our contracts. That outright lie, according to Mike Suever, was told to him by Karen Cole, National Organic Milk Procurement Director. On May 1, 2008, we gave a 180 notice to Hood because Hood’s contract states that a 180 notice would be met with negotiations. We wanted them to honor the contract and negotiate. That did not happen. We find Karen’s statement to Mike Suever totally deceptive and exaggerated. When it was brought to Mike Suever’s attention that the statement made by Karen was false, his response was "what's done is done." When Karen Cole was asked why we were being let go she stated " due to an over abundance of milk." We then told her that we were told by Mike Suever that we were let go due to our supposed repeated requests to be let out of our contract. We asked her which one was it. She seemed at a loss for words momentarily but then regained her composure and stated that was true also. I then asked her for written proof of our "repeated" requests to terminate our contracts. That request was totally ignored, I'm sure, due to the fact that no proof exists.
• “You were obviously unhappy with HP Hood” - Karen Cole made the comment that we had gone public with our dissatisfaction with Hood and obviously we were unhappy with the relationship. We asked her if she thought we were unhappy without reason. I stated we, obviously, were not happy because our contracts, and those of other family farmers, were not renewed and that, most importantly, the livelihoods and futures of terminated family farmers and potential family farmers facing termination, are now at stake. She made it quite obvious that she could have cared less. Her statements answered the question as to why we were let go.
•
“There is an abundance of milk”
- If there was an over abundance of milk, why is HP Hood taking on new
family farmers from the Midwest? Karen Cole stated, "We are honoring
our commitment to them made in November 2008." We told her that I
thought it was outrageous that Hood would honor a commitment to a
prospective farmer and not to the family farmers who have been loyal
and committed to Hood since 2005. When we asked her about Hoods
repeated requests for more organic milk that had been posted in
different publications, she stated that those publications were at
fault and it was their mistake for printing it. We told Karen that we
now have people calling from us from the Midwest wanting to buy our
cows so they can fulfill a contract with, guess who, Hood!! What a slap
in the face that was!! We also told her that we have names and numbers
of the prospective organic producers from the Midwest that Hood is in
negotiations with to put on contract in the immediate future at a lower
pay price. Passing the blame to newspapers, the economic situation,
oversupply of organic milk only made it clear to us that Hood is trying
to cover themselves in preparation of a potential legal problem.
We
want to inform consumers about this situation so they can protest to
their milk company about the targeting of family farmers because they
advocate for a better standard of living for organic dairy farmers or
because they are smaller operations or because they live in rural areas
that are not close to processing plants. HP Hood’s treatment of us,
hiding behind the good name of Stonyfield, illustrates how shaky it is
for the rest of the family farmers who sell organic milk to HP Hood.
What is the future of the other family farmers whose contracts are up for renewal in the near future? HP Hood will undoubtedly double talk. They seem to have that down to a science. They will prevaricate, intimidate and use their legal muscle to lower the price they pay to farmers to a point where organic milk is uneconomic for small to moderate size family farms. Unfortunately, it is the family farmer who has to worry whether or not he has a market or a future in the dairy business but we strongly feel that consumers have a right to know that HP Hood selling under the Stonyfield label, does not treat family farmers fairly.
If nothing else, this experience can prove to other family farmers and consumers on how to be black balled!! Stand up for what you believe in and out the door you go. Get your name and picture in the Bangor Daily News, wait a month and get terminated. Ask for a negotiation meeting and you have “repeatedly” asked to be let out of your contract. Ask why you have been terminated and any of the above scenarios will do. Maybe all of them. It depends on who you are talking to at the moment. Apparently, any excuse will justify termination. Family farmers need to be very very careful in their dealings with HP Hood. We are living proof of what can happen.
We met with 2 media students from the Salt Institute in Portland. These gentlemen would like to publish and also broadcast our story. They were both very enthusiastic and interested in what Hood has done to the family farmers not only in Maine but around the country. They were appalled by the overall picture of the future of organic dairy farmers and found Hood’s involvement in this unfortunate and ugly situation very interesting and agree that the consumers, potential family farmers and general public should be informed and educated. We hope that they will help us in presenting our case to the public.
We hope that you will help us in presenting our case to the public and put pressure on those that have the power to effect changes.
Thank you for your time and your continued support.
Mark and Cheryl McKusick
Richard Lary
