October 3, 2025
Middlebury, VT. Farmworkers and dairy entrepreneurs gathered today in Vermont’s Addison County to celebrate a partnership between dairy workers and Vermont Way Foods. The local, organic produce brand will soon launch a new cheese in collaboration with Migrant Justice’s Milk with Dignity Program. The “Cheese with Dignity” line will soon be sold at stores around the region.
As part of the agreement between Vermont Way Foods and Migrant Justice, conditions in the product’s dairy supply chain will be monitored for compliance with labor standards. The Program’s worker-authored Code of Conduct sets standards for wages, hours, health & safety, and housing conditions, and creates enforceable protections against discrimination, retaliation, and violence. Vermont Way Foods will pay a premium to invest in improved farmworker wages and working conditions.
Catherine Cusak, speaking for Vermont Way Foods, opened the event: “Vermont Way Foods was founded to call attention to the integrity and intention of Vermont farmers and foodmakers, and we are thrilled to be expanding that message to include farmworkers’ rights by joining Migrant Justice’s Milk with Dignity Program.”
The forthcoming cheese will be the first product bearing the Milk with Dignity label. It also marks the Program’s expansion into the organic market. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont played a key role in connecting Vermont Way Foods and Migrant Justice.
Dairy worker and Migrant Justice leader Maribel spoke about the benefits she has experienced since her farm’s enrollment in the Milk with Dignity Program. “I want all farms to become part of Milk with Dignity so that every worker can benefit from the same rights and protections I have today.”
The celebration and product tasting fell on the eighth anniversary of the Milk with Dignity Program’s launch. In 2017, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream became the first company to join Milk with Dignity, committing to source its milk from farms enrolled in the worker-driven human rights program. At today’s event, Cheryl Pinto, Global Head of Values Led Sourcing at Ben & Jerry’s, welcomed Vermont Way Foods as a fellow Milk with Dignity participating company.
“It [feels] so good to be coming here to celebrate our 8-year anniversary with Milk with Dignity, and to welcome Vermont Way Foods to the family that supports all of this incredible work that the farmworkers have really driven to make Vermont this pioneering state that sets an example for the rest of the country.”
Dairy worker and Migrant Justice leader Olga Cruz ended the event with a call to action: “We created Milk with Dignity to build a more equitable dairy industry, one that benefits workers, farmers, and companies. More companies should follow Vermont Way Foods’ example and join the Milk with Dignity Program.”
Following the speaking program, the dozens of gathered supporters – including elected officials and representatives of Vermont’s congressional delegation – got the first tasting of the cheese, soon to hit shelves around the region.
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Product Description: Vermont Way Foods Farmer Cheese, the first in the Cheese with Dignity product line. This cheese is crafted by the talented artisan cheesemakers at Champlain Valley Creamery in Middlebury, Vermont. It is a delicious soft cheese made from fresh organic milk from Severy Farm, Cornwall, VT, where their cows are grassfed. Even the herbs are locally sourced from Free Verse Farm in Chelsea, Vermont. The delicious herb blend includes basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and savory, all grown right here in Vermont.
Vermont Way Foods was created as a co-owned L3C by four non-profit food hubs and launched into the market in the fall of 2022 with a selection of fresh, organic Vermont-grown produce. The line expanded in 2023, securing a major retail partnership with 88 Market Basket locations across New England. Vermont Way Foods is developing additional certified organic Vermont products, including dairy, maple, and value-added items. Vermont Way Foods' primary goal is to strengthen local elements of the New England supply chain while providing Vermont producers with access to larger markets, especially those in more populated areas to the south.
Vermont Food Hub Collaborative; Vermont Way Foods is an initiative of The Vermont Food Hub Collaborative, which was formed to support Vermont farmers and promote food access in their communities. They aggregate, store, and distribute the bounty of Vermont so our farmers can farm, and our makers can keep making great food. The collaborative is made up of: Intervale Center | Food Connects | Center for an Agricultural Economy | Green Mountain Farm to School
Champlain Valley Creamery handcrafts certified organic, award-winning cheese, recognized by the American Cheese Society. They produce a range of rich, delicious cheeses, including fresh, soft-ripened, and hard-aged varieties. The specialty cheeses are fresh from the farm to your table. Carleton Yoder is the owner and head cheesemaker at the creamery in Middlebury, VT.
Severy Farm is a certified organic grass-fed dairy farm located in Cornwall, VT, that has been in operation for almost 50 years. Nate Severy raises Jersey and Jersey-Ayrshire cows that are great grazers who convert their 100% grass feed into delicious milk with a high butterfat content. That high-quality milk is perfect for cheese production. Their milk is sold to a local cheesemaker, Champlain Valley Creamery, and to Organic Valley.
Free Verse Farm & Apothecary is a small organic farm and apothecary in the hills of central Vermont offering farm-grown and handcrafted teas, spices, bulk herbs, herbal remedies, body care products, and CSA subscriptions. Free Verse Farm is a co-creation of Taylor Katz and Misha Johnson, two artists/farmers with a passion for growing, eating, and sharing delicious and nourishing food and herbs.
Migrant Justice (MJ) is a Vermont-based non-profit organization founded and led by immigrant dairy workers. Migrant Justice created the Milk with Dignity (MD) Program, a partnership between farmworkers, farm owners, and dairy buyers to implement worker-authored labor standards in the dairy industry. The Milk with Dignity Standards Council (MDSC) is the independent third-party organization created to monitor conditions on farms enrolled in the Program, and to work with employers and employees to meet the Program's standards. www.migrantjustice.net | www.milkwithdignity.org
Contact
Will Lambek, Migrant Justice, 802-321-8393, [email protected]
Catherine Cusack, Secretary, Vermont Way Foods, 802-334-2044, [email protected]