It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit business owners extremely hard. And the same is true for farmers. When businesses and restaurants all over the United States closed in March and April of 2020, there was no longer a demand for milk, since restaurants no longer had any patrons to serve. Processing companies were telling dairy farmers they would need to dump their milk, as there was simply no need for it. That’s when one farmer had an idea.
Ben Brown is a ninth-generation dairy farmer who knew he couldn’t dump hundreds of gallons of milk. And so, he set to work bottling and selling it himself, right on his very own farm. “I hate waste, and I don’t want to dump milk. People can use it, and I still have to pay my bills,” said Brown.
Fortunately, the Browns had an entire community standing by, waiting to support them. That first day, they sold out all of their milk within hours. And they continue to sell out almost every single day. On the few days they have milk left over at the end of the day, they donate it to local charities.
The Brown family farm, Whoa Nellie Dairy, was able to make it through the toughest days of the pandemic, and have even expanded their product selection since the spring of 2020. This story is an important reminder that farmers really are responsible for feeding us, and if we don’t support them, nobody thrives. This story is also testament to the power of community support.
