PORTLAND — Oakhurst, northern New England’s leading local dairy brand, recently recognized its top dairy farms for outstanding quality production at the company’s recent annual producers meeting.
For the second year in a row, Chartrand Farm, operated by Elroy and Constance Chartrand and located in Somerset County, received the top honor, 2013 Producer of the Year. Also among the winners were two York County farms: Tim Leary’s Leary Farm in Saco, which won the No. 10 Overall Quality Award, and Libby Bleakney’s Highland Farms, Inc. of Cornish which won the No. 8 Overall Quality Award.
Oakhurst evaluates each farm across a variety of categories that examine milk quality, cow health, and farm cleanliness.
“Every day we work hard to bring the people of Northern New England The Natural Goodness of Maine one glass at a time,” said Oakhurst former Chairman of the Board Bill Bennett. “Since 1921 we have relied on the dedication of our farmers and today we depend on our 70 independent Maine farms to supply us with fresh, high-quality milk that is free of artificial growth hormone. I want take this opportunity to congratulate them all on a job well done and thank them for their enduring commitment to quality each and every day.”
Below is a list of the other top 10 Maine farms that received recognition for overall quality: No. 2 Overall Quality Award ”“ Smith Farm (Larry Smith) of Bangor, No. 3 Overall Quality Award ”“ Twin Meadow Farm (Keith Scott) of Charleston, No. 4 Overall Quality Award ”“ R.E. Hemond, Inc. (Noella Hemond) of Minot, No. 5 Overall Quality Award ”“ Broadcrest Farm (Andrew Sevey) of Ripley, No. 6 Overall Quality Award ”“ Misty Meadows Farm (John and Belinda Stoughton) of Clinton, No. 7 Overall Quality Award ”“ Hemond Hill Farm (John and Irene Hemond) of Minot, No. 9 Overall Quality Award ”“ Silver Maple Farms (The McKeen Family) of Albion.
Four farms also received the company’s Perfect Farm Score for having earned flawless inspection reports during 2013 ”“ two from Oakhurst and two from the Maine Department of Agriculture. The Perfect Farm Score was given to Smith Farm (Larry Smith) of Bangor; Halledge Farm (Russell Hall) of Windham; Hemond Hill Farm (John and Irene Hemond) of Minot and Gold Top Farm (John Ingraham) of Knox.
Finally, Oakhurst presented certificates to farms that earned the highest marks in its three individual milk quality categories. Smith Farm (Larry Smith) of Bangor walked away with two individual category awards and Twin Meadow Farm (Keith Scott) of Charleston rounded out the individual category awards.
More than 20 farms and Oakhurst staff attended the annual producer’s meeting at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
On Friday, Jan. 31, Dairy Farmers of America, a national dairy farmer-owned cooperative, acquired Oakhurst, which will now operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Oakhurst will continue to operate independently and process and bottle its products from its Portland, Maine headquarters and distribute it throughout Northern New England. The current senior management team will continue to lead the company’s day-to-day operations and the Bennett family, which founded and owned Oakhurst since 1921, will remain active in the business. Oakhurst will continue to provide The Natural Goodness of Maine to the people of Northern New England, source its milk from local Maine farmers and remain committed to its pledge not to use artificial growth hormone in its milk ”“ the first such pledge in the dairy industry. Additionally, Oakhurst will continue to reward its farmers for quality as it has done for more than 90 years.
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