Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D - Columbia, Dutchess) announced that her office has helped secure a $125,000 state grant for Hawthorne Valley Farm for the purpose of procuring a new yogurt filler machine, which will help increase productivity for packaging and make the farm more competitive in the marketplace.

“Hawthorne Valley Farm has shown generations of students and consumers what it means to eat healthy, live sustainably and respect the Earth while providing world-class products for four decades,” said Assemblymember Barrett. “It is vital that our local farms be equipped with the best tools possible to get their products to market and compete in this increasingly competitive industry. We are proud to help Hawthorne Valley Farm reach new heights.”

The new filler is a third of the size of the old machine, thus giving Hawthorne Valley Farm more room to potentially expand their product line as well as install new equipment. The older machine filled approximately six cups per minute with inconsistent results, while the new one does about 20 cups per minute with a perfect seal each time. The new filler also requires less parts to replace and is significantly more food-safe by design. Additionally, the yogurt filler was manufactured by Modern Packaging, Inc., a Long Island City, N.Y. based company.

“This was an important upgrade for Hawthorne Valley Farm as it increases our overall effectiveness in providing high quality food products to the region,” said Martin Ping, Executive Director of the Hawthorne Valley Association. “We are extremely grateful to Assemblymember Didi Barrett for her help in securing this grant. Her work has helped to give local farmers confidence to start and grow their farms to meet the demand for fresh, healthy food, and to ensure that agricultural land is conserved for future generations.”

In addition, since the introduction of the new yogurt filler, Hawthorne Valley Farm has offered to “co-pack” yogurt with Chaseholm Farm, a small, family-owned farm based in Pine Plains in Dutchess County.

Said Sarah Chase, Dairy Manager at Chaseholm Farm, “Co-packing is a great way to add to the efficiency and profitability of multiple farm operations. I’ve been thrilled to expand the product line that Chaseholm Farm has to offer, especially with yogurt; it’s a value added product with a long shelf life that can help us capture more direct retail dollars. Plus, our customers have been so happy with the quality! Collaboration will help small farms survive in a challenging dairy economy.”