In 1996 Bart's began searching for a way to source milk for our ice cream that was guaranteed free of rBST. rBST is better known as rBGH-- Bovine Growth Hormone. rBGH is a controversial, artificial hormone given by injection to cows to increase their production of milk. Developed by Monsanto, it has been banned in Europe and Canada, but is still accepted by the FDA in this country. There are proven harmful effects to the cows, although only preliminary facts to show possible dangers to humans. The widespread use of rBGH would increase the milk supply which would lower the price and force yet more of our small scale family farms out of business. Since family farms are generaly better stewards of the land than the large corporate farms, and we firmly believe in the value of local control of our food production, we began a quest for local, rBGH Free Milk.

The result is Our Family Farms of Western Mass. It is a cooperative of eight local dairy farms here in Western Mass. Bart's Homemade and CRV Foods were instrumental in founding the Coop and did all of the sales and administration from the launch on September 11, 1997 until May of 1999. In May, 1999 two women from two of the farms took over all sales and administration work.

At the time the cooperative formed, none of the member farms had ever used rBGH. Now all the farms have gone even further and signed a pledge to guarantee that they do not use rbST. Our Family Farms Milk is processed and kept separate from all other milk, all the way from our farms to your table. All eight farms have their milk picked up in a special truck which keeps their milk segregated. The truck then goes to the processing facility where the milk is again segregated at all times. After the milk is packaged, another dairy distribution company picks it up and delivers it to the stores based on their phone orders. By founding the Coop, Bart's Homemade has formed a partnership of local farmers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers to bring this high quality milk to market. In the process we are putting dollars back into the community and reaching out to you, our neighbors, in a new and exciting way. Since the Coop controls only the administration function of their business, they pay a premium price for other services. The next phase for Our Family Farms is to develop a plan to take over one or more of the pick-up, processing, or delivery functioons. CRV Foods is working with them on a plan to build a processing plant which will be shared by Our Family Farms, CRV Foods, and two other interested parties.

Our Family Farms Milk is produced by the following eight farm families:

Alan and Terry Everett, Hemenway Hill Farm, Williamsburg

David and Debbie Duprey, Sunbrite Farm, Bernardston

Mark and Jeanette Fellows, Chase Hill Farm, Warwick

Sandie and Warren Facey, Breezy Knoll Farm, Leyden

Colleen and Keith Lilly, Justadream Farm, Gill

Peter and Faith Williams, Mapledge Jerseys, Shelburne

Larry, Karen, Helen and Edgar Gould, Gould Maple Farm, Shelburne

The Farm School, Athol

These farms have formed the Pioneer Valley Milk Marketing Cooperative to deliver fresh, great tasting, rBGH free milk to our friends and neighbors in the Pioneer Valley.

Together These Farms:

MILK 332 COWS

FARM 1750 ACRES

FAMILIES HAVE BEEN FARMING FOR 960 YEARS

HAVE USED ZERO rBGH

All of the members are small, family run farms. We milk Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorns and Ayrshires. We are committed to providing the very best, highest quality, freshest tasting milk we can for the people of Western Massachusetts.