Organic Dairy Farming In Maine
Our Milk Can Be Purchased in the Following Stores
- NEW: Belfast Coop, Belfast
- NEW: Farmer’s Fare, Rockport
- The Red Sleigh, Perry
- Calais Shop & Save, Calais
- Columbia IGA, Columbia Falls
- Elmers Grocery, Columbia Falls
- Bayside Shop and Save, Milbridge
- The R&M IGA, Eastport
- Whiting Store, Whiting
- Whole Life Natural Market, Machias
- Archibald's, East Machias
- Helen’s Restaurant in Machias is now serving our ricotta in their menu as is
- Ricotta and Milk is available to order through Crown of Maine Organic Cooperative (COMOC) or Maine Harvest Link for customers outside of Washington and Hancock Counties
Can't find our milk at your local grocery? Ask them to carry it!
Recipes
- Calzones w/ Tide Mill Ricotta (click here for other ricotta recipes and survey)
- Mozzarella
- Yogurt
Dairy Links
Raw Milk makes a Comeback in Maine - Story from the MOFGA web site
Recommended Reading: Untold Story of Milk, Ron Schmid, ND
Weston A. Price Foundation and their campaign for Real Milk. www.realmilk.com
Garden Side Dairy - the folks who make our Tide Mill Ricotta, and many other wonderful cheeses
www.maineorganicmilk.com
Info on the Organic Maine Milk Brand with a customer survey
Article in The Quoddy Tides - March 27, 2009
On Friday, February 13th we received a letter from HP Hood stating that they would not renew our milk contract which comes due on November 13th. HP Hood has been buying 90% of our milk for the last three years.
Although this news initially came as a shock, we have decided to focus attention on direct marketing our milk to our local communities. We now see this as an opportunity to return to the local dairy model that our great State of Maine has supported for many decades in the past. We have seen our milk sales increase as more people learn about the health benefits of raw milk and more people remember the milk that they grew up on, and discover the milk that our children can grow up on.
Coming Soon: MOO Milk…Maine’s Own Organic Milk Company
Maine farm families making Maine Organic Milk… more information coming soon.
Our milk comes straight from the cow where it is only filtered and chilled. It is a whole food, unprocessed and nutritious. We do not pasteurize or homogenize our milk. By carrying our locally produced milk, you and your customers can be assured of the freshest, best quality available in Washington County. We make this pledge because at Tide Mill we bottle and distribute our own milk, operating under a set of values and standards that focus on quality.
Our Milk Values and Standards
- Fully licensed by the State of Maine
- Adherence to a strict milk handling policy that ensures both safety and quality of the milk
- Tide Mill Farm Milk is regularly tested to ensure optimum bacteria counts
- Our herd of cows is healthy and meets all state of Maine requirements for raw milk sales.
Features and Benefits of Tide Mill Milk
- Raw milk that is not pasteurized, or homogenized; Cream will rise to the top
- Wholesome, fresh flavor
- Certified Organic by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), a USDA accredited certifying agency
- Produced with care and respect for our animals on our 9th generation family farm
- Sustainably produced, bottled and delivered 100 mile radius, minimizing transportation and carbon emissions.
- Recyclable plastic gallons and half gallons with a clear simple label
On-Farm Milk Prices
1 Gallon (in plastic container) $5.50
½ Gallon (in glass container) $5.25
When the jar and lid are returned, a $2.00 credit for the jar and $.50 for the white plastic lid will be credited toward your next purchase of a ½ gallon of milk
Suggested Retail Milk Prices
1 Gallon (in plastic container) ~ $5.50
½ Gallon (in plastic container) ~ $3.00
½ Gallon (in glass container) ~ $5.50
When the jar and lid are returned, a $2.00 credit for the jar and $.50 for the white plastic lid will be credited toward your next purchase of a ½ gallon of milk
Interested in Carrying Our Milk?
If you are a store or retail location owner in Maine and would like to carry Tide Mill Organic Farm milk, please contact us. We would love to hear from you!
How You Can Get Our Milk
- In Retail Stores
- On-farm pick-up (call or email for details)
- Buying Clubs in Machias and Calais
- Home deliveries in Eastport and Lubec
Optimal Temperature Requirements
Our milk is bottled at 34-36 degrees on Tide Mill Farm the morning of delivery. Temperatures during the transportation of milk are maintained below 40 degrees. Raw milk is required to be kept below 45 degrees. We expect our milk to maintain a shelf life of 9 days when kept at 40 degrees or below.
Shelf Life of Raw Milk
The shelf life of our milk is determined by routine testing and the care we take in the handling of our milk. We have a use by date that serves as our lot numbers for our milk and are recorded at our farm. Our use by date will be 9 days from the delivery.
