Dairy farms in CT disappearing as financial, environmental challenges pose a threat to profitability

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8 hours ago

Dave Buck of Guardians Farm in Southbury admits that being a dairy farmer is not easy, as high operating costs and inflation make turning a profit more difficult, but he said dairy farming is a labor of love.
'It all comes down to the financial,' Buck said. 'Since we've had our cows since 2020, just the cost of grain has gone up. We're at a scale that we don't produce hay. We have some pastures that the cows go on during the summer months, but we have to purchase our hay. That's gone up about 20% since 2020. It's the increasing prices of keeping the farming running that makes things difficult.'
Guardians Farm is located at 99 Bates Rock Road in Southbury among the rolling hills of western Connecticut. Buck and his wife Tamra French are retired police officers and veterans. Buck served 22 years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve retiring in 2020. Guardians Farm is the only veteran-owned dairy farm in Connecticut.
The couple started Guardian Farm when they lived in Naugatuck. After they purchased the property in Southbury in 2020, they turned it into an active farm, producing fresh milk and all-natural products that they wanted to share with the community. In 2021, the couple started to build their dairy and obtained a license in 2024.
The farm has just five milking cows and 21 cows in total, he said. In their farm shop, located in a historic 1850s barn, they sell their freshly produced whole milk and chocolate milk, along with handcrafted goat milk soap made with all-natural ingredients, including coconut oil, olive oil, organic palm oil and shea butter.
'Some of the largest dairy farms in the U.S. have 10,000 or more cows,' Buck said. 'We're a small operation. We're like what dairy farms used to be decades ago. People come to our farm because our milk reminds them of their childhood. It's what dairy farming used to be like in Connecticut.'
The state has 84 working dairy farms remaining, a significant decline from a few decades ago. Officials say the state has experienced the same national decline that is happening around the country.
In 1975, Connecticut had 817 dairy farms, but by 2018, the number had fallen to just 100, according to data. In 2021, the USDA counted 85 dairy farms, down from just a few years prior. Production has been shifting to much larger but fewer farms, and that shift is accelerating as larger dairy operations realize lower costs of production, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
'We knew we were going against the trend when we opened,' Buck said. 'Sadly more small dairy farms just keep closing.'
Dairy farmers face several challenges including low milk prices set by the federal government coupled with high operating costs. Farmers struggle to cover production costs, and dwindling state subsidies haven't been sufficient to keep many businesses afloat, according to officials. Extreme weather events such as flooding, are also a continuous threat to farmers.
'While operating costs have increased, the cost of milk really hasn't gone up that much,' Buck said. 'I feel it's been around the same price for years now. It's certainly cheaper for folks to get their milk from the grocery store, but our milk is a more premium product. It's competing with the lower prices and convenience of the grocery store that makes it difficult.'
When customers purchase milk at the grocery store, they don't know where their milk is coming from, Buck said. However, federal law requires each milk bottle at the grocery store to have a plant code on it. The code can be looked up on a website that will reveal where that milk is processed.
In the United States, milk prices are influenced by both government programs and market forces. While the government doesn't directly set prices at the retail level, it does establish minimum prices through federal milk marketing orders, according to the USDA. The average price for a gallon of milk was $4.07 in April, compared to $4.05 in March, according to data published May 13, by the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over a longer period and averaging monthly pricing data for milk, a gallon of milk was $3.98 in 2024 versus $4.03 in 2023, marking a 1.1% decrease.
More extreme weather events in Connecticut due to climate change also mean farmers must grapple with flooding and drought periods more often. Heavy rain events can flood and damage crops and cause damage to structures and equipment. But some good news for the state's farm industry with the recent passage of Senate Bill 1497.
The bill, which cleared the state's General Assembly on June 2, provides a 20% income tax credit for farmers investing in machinery, buildings and equipment, and supports farmers struggling with costs and inflation. The bill also increases the local property tax exemption on farm machinery to $250,000, an increase from $100,000, with another $250,000 in savings if municipalities opt in.
The legislation, one of the largest for farmers in years, also creates a state-backed crop loss reimbursement grant program to help support farmers who face crop losses after extreme weather events, following increased flooding seen in recent years. The legislation was introduced by State Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, and State Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, as a measure to protect local farmers from extreme weather impacts.
'This 'CT Farm Sustainability Bill,' with Senator Cohen and Representative Candelora as two of 11 co-sponsors, is the most comprehensive and supportive piece of agricultural legislation to emerge from the Connecticut legislature in decades,' said Keith Bishop, president of Bishop's Orchards in Guilford.
'It recognizes and addresses the critical needs of our farms, ensuring their long-term viability. Crucially, it incentivizes farm businesses to reinvest in our Connecticut farms for the long term through various avenues. This will directly support jobs, bolster our local food supply, promote agritourism and contribute to the preservation of agricultural land and buildings,' Bishop said.
Despite the industry's decline over the last five decades, dairy producers still have a significant impact on Connecticut's economy. Dairy farms contribute over $2 billion annually in revenue for the state, according to data.
The state has 18,500 milking cows producing the equivalent of two million glasses of milk every day, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. Dairy farms can be found throughout the entire state, with several located in the more rural northwest and northeast corners. The largest dairy farm in the state is Oakridge Dairy in Ellington, which has 2,600 milking cows, officials said.
'Dairy is more than just a delicious part of our daily lives, it's a powerful force in our state's economy and health,' said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt. 'From creating nearly 5,000 jobs to generating $2.2 billion in economic impact annually, our dairy industry supports communities across Connecticut.'
Dairy farming is the second-most valuable component of Connecticut's agricultural sector, according to the state's Department of Agriculture.
Officials say June marks the start of National Dairy Month. The month-long recognition aims to offer awareness of the dairy industry's contributions to the economy, while encouraging consumers to enjoy a variety of dairy products.
'There's no better time to raise a glass of milk, scoop a bowl of ice cream or slice up your favorite cheese. While dairy may take center stage in June, Connecticut's hardworking dairy farmers are producing fresh, nutritious milk throughout the year and getting it from the farm to your fridge in as little as 24 to 48 hours,' the Department of Agriculture said in a press release.
At Guardians Farm, Buck said he is offering a 5% discount on all dairy products when customers pre-order online and use a special discount code. Last year, the dairy farm started its 'calf cuddle,' allowing 30 minute sessions for $15 to come snuggle with the farm's dairy calves. He said the idea is that people will get to bond with the farm's dairy cows and even be able to purchase milk directly from their favorite cow as they grow.
'The challenge is that people can get milk from the supermarket that is cheaper, but it's also highly processed,' Buck said. 'You go to the grocery store and most of the milk is from California, some of the organic milk is bottled in Colorado. Our milk comes directly from our farm. People will often tell us that our milk reminds them of what they drank as kids.'
Buck said he uses vat pasteurization to heat the milk to 145 degrees for 30 minutes and then cool it rapidly. This process kills any possible pathogens but keeps all the good bacteria intact to help you digest our milk properly. Ultra pasteurized milk, commonly found in grocery stores, kills all good and bad bacteria and modifies the whey protein making it potentially more difficult for some to digest, he said.
Large dairy plants also modify the fat in their milk through a process called homogenization in which the fat cells are exploded so they don't attach to each other. Buck said the fat in Guardians farm milk remains intact and the cream rises to the top, meaning the milk has to be shook before drinking.
'It's a conscious effort for many people to support their local farm because it is going to be more expensive,' he said. 'But in our opinion, it's a more premium and high quality product. We're milking five cows a day, not 2,500 like other farms. So scale comes into play as well. We have a lot of customers come into us every week to enjoy our products. Supporting local dairy farmers is hugely important for the industry.'
Many Connecticut farms offer tours, products and even home delivery of milk and other dairy products. To find a local dairy farm, learn how to support sustainable agriculture and meet your local dairy farmers visit ctdairy.org.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [e-mail].