Two months after hitting store shelves, Rhody Fresh Milk is now in stock at all 23 Stop & Shop Supermarkets in the state, more than doubling the amount of milk to be distributed by the Rhode Island Dairy Farms Cooperative each week.
The group of five dairies was already supplying nearly 9,000 half-gallons of milk to about 50 smaller stores. The addition of Stop & Shop, said executive director Jim Hines, “means Rhody Fresh Milk is here to stay.”
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The cooperative started selling milk to stores this summer with the help of a loan from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp., aiming to keep the dairies profitable and stave off pressure to sell their farms to developers amid a tough economic climate. “We’re hopeful that Rhode Islanders will buy a local, fresh product that in turn will preserve some of the most valuable open space in our state,” Hines said.
Consumer demand for Rhody Fresh Milk continues to grow, the cooperative said. Along with expanding into Stop & Shop stores, the dairies plan to soon begin selling their product in along with the half-gallons.
The participating dairies include the Cottrell Homestead of West Kingston, recently named Rhode Island’s 2004 Outstanding Dairy Farm of the Year; Escobar’s Highland Farm in Portsmouth, a previous award winner; Portsmouth; Wanton Farm (a.k.a. Dutra Farm) in Jamestown; Meadowburg Farm in Richmond; and Tomaquag Valley Farm in Bradford.
Coupons and more information are available at www.rhodyfresh.com.
