FRANKLIN — A letter bearing a familiar letterhead and a heavy blow arrived in barns across Delaware County in late May. The message from Worcester Creameries Corp., doing business as Mountainside Farm in Roxbury was direct — and devastating.
“It is with great sorrow that we must inform you that we will cease purchasing from you effective Saturday, June 21, 2025,” wrote Milk Procurement Manager Aaron Jonas. “We want to thank you for all the years of supplying the plant with milk. You have been a valued supplier.”
For the dairy farmers who’ve sold milk to Worcester for decades, the letter marked the end of more than a business relationship — it signaled the unraveling of a vital thread in the rural economy.
One of those dairy farmers is Garret Sitts, who is watching his family’s dairy farm — Sitts Family Dairy — potentially falter after more than a century in operation.
“We’ve been dairy farmers ever since we came over on the boat,” Sitts said, tracing his family’s farming roots through displacement during the building of the Pepacton Reservoir to their current location in Franklin.
“I always thought if the day came, it would be on my terms. Not like this,” he said.
Sitts and 19 other farmers received a letter dated May 19 from the dairy processor who has been collecting his milk for nearly two decades and will stop picking it up. No reason. No advance warning. Just a deadline.
For Sitts and the other small, family-run farms who ship directly to the same Roxbury processing plant, the news was seismic.
“They didn’t even follow Ag and Markets law,” Sitts said. “They were forced to reissue the letter to give us the 30 days required. But the damage is done.”
The facility, now reportedly shifting to organic-only operations, has stopped accepting conventional milk, effectively severing ties with dozens of local producers. With more than 100 employees at the Roxbury plant and truckers dependent on the milk routes, the ripple effects are swift—and potentially devastating.
“This could shutdown the feed mill in Stamford,” Sitts said, referring to the possible sale of his cows. “I’m their biggest customer, and they’ll lose their number two as well.”
At his peak, Sitts milks 125 Holsteins three times a day, producing 18,000 to 20,000 pounds of milk every other day. Now, each milking session feels more uncertain.
“I’ve reached out to other buyers and co-ops,” Sitts said. “Nobody’s given us a hard no — but no one will commit either.”
This uncertainty comes as two massive dairy processing plants are set to open in upstate New York — Chobani in Rome and a Fairlife facility — each requiring an estimated 12 million pounds of milk per day.
“That’s one in every two cows in New York state just to keep those plants running,” Sitts said. “So why is it so hard to get someone to take our milk?”
For Sitts, the question is more than logistical. It’s existential.
Without a market, dairy farmers face a stark choice: attempt a rushed livestock sale or a full-scale auction. A proper auction requires weeks of testing, certifications, and scheduling. With time running out, Sitts may be forced into what he calls “a fire sale.”
“That means you take what you’re offered and walk away,” he said. He’s hoping it doesn’t come to that.
What he might be forced away from is not just a livelihood, but a legacy. Sitts is 50, has worked for himself his entire life, and has 12-year-old twin boys who, he says, already love the farm.
“One of them, he’s all farm,” Sitts said. “This is what he wants to do. What do I tell him?”
In 1993, when Sitts took over the operation, there were more than 400 active dairy farms in Delaware County. Fewer than 40 remain.
“Delaware County has become a playground for New York City,” Sitts said, referencing the region’s role in watershed preservation and tourism. “But the state can’t have it both ways — rural charm without rural infrastructure.”
Efforts to get help have been met with silence.
“Even the field inspector didn’t know this was coming,” Sitts said. “We were the ones informing the agencies.”
For now, Sitts waits — half-hopeful a buyer will call, half-prepared to shut the barn doors for good.
“Dairy farming’s always been unpredictable,” he said.
An Abrupt End
The decision which affects multiple small and mid-sized farms in the region, came with little warning. While the company noted that farmers had “more than 30 days” before the change took effect, producers say finding a new buyer in that time frame is near impossible.
Worcester Creameries acknowledged its shrinking footprint in the local milk market, stating in the letter: “As you know, we have had to pare down our milk supply needs several times over the past years.”
Milk procurement manager for Worcester Creameries Aaron Jonas confirmed that Worcester is not going out of business. Instead, he said, “The decision that was made was not to directly manage and purchase directly from farms. Milk will now be bought via co-ops.”
For local farmers, that decision has a trickle-down effect causing some dairy farmers to reach a tipping point.
The Price of Disconnection
Without a buyer, dairy farms — already battered by rising costs and volatile prices — face hard decisions. Some may be forced to sell cows. Others might shutdown entirely.
Dairy Data
New York, a significant player in the nation’s dairy industry, boasts over 3,000 dairy farms producing more than 16 billion pounds of milk annually.
Broader patterns suggest a reduction in small-scale, family-run dairy farms. Factors contributing to the decline include economic pressures, market volatility, and challenges in securing buyers for milk.
Despite the decrease in the number of farms, milk production in New York has seen fluctuations. For instance, in January 2025, the state produced 1.36 billion pounds of milk, marking a 2% increase from the previous year. This rise is attributed to improved efficiency and higher yields per cow, even as the number of dairy cows remained steady at 630,000, according to New York Ag Connection.
The consolidation of dairy operations has led to larger farms with more cows, increasing overall production. However, the shift has also resulted in challenges for smaller farms, including difficulties in finding buyers for their milk. The closure of local processing plants and changing market dynamics have left some farmers without viable outlets for their products.
Help is on the way?
Efforts are underway to support the remaining dairy farms in the region. Initiatives include financial assistance programs, investment in local processing facilities, and collaborations aimed at enhancing competitiveness and profitability.
Support from CCE
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County is stepping in to provide support and guidance.
“This is just a really difficult situation,” said Paul Cerosaletti, Agricultural Program Leader for Cooperative Extension.
“We all wish that we had some silver bullets to solve this.”
While acknowledging the limitations of what can be done in the short term, Cerosaletti said extension staff are actively working with both local and Cornell-based partners to identify possible new markets for displaced farmers.
“We are reaching out to our partners here locally, to these farmers and to our partners at Cornell to see if there are any leads that we can make,” he said.
In the meantime, extension is offering one-on-one support to help affected farms assess their options.
“We can help with business analysis to make decisions about whether it’s crop production or business strategy,” Cerosaletti said. “We can be part of those discussions and helping farms.”
Beyond immediate assistance, Cerosaletti emphasized the broader stakes.
“These farm businesses are so important to our local economy,” he said, citing a multiplier effect of five to eight times for every dollar of farm income.
“They’re taking natural resources — soil, sunlight, and rain — and turning them into an economy. It’s milk, yes, but it’s also jobs, local spending, and the survival of our rural communities.”
What Comes Next?
Impacted farmers, including Sitts, are exploring options including selling out or soliciting new buyers, but shifts require infrastructure and capital they do not have.
For now, milking continues, but uncertainty hangs over every bucket and bulk tank.
While Worcester’s letter closed with apology — “We are sorry but we will not be able to purchase your milk anymore” — the sentiment did little to soften the impact.
