WrightsDairyFarmWrightsDairyisa4thgenerationalfamilyfarm,

whichstartedbymilking5cowsandnowproudlymilksover130cows.Theybottleover270,000poundsofmilkamonthandsellitexclusivelyintheirbakeryandmarketshop.

LocatedinNorthSmithfield,RI

ProductionAcalfmustbetwoyearsold,beforeshecangetpregnantandbeginproducingmilk.Fromthispointon,thecalfwillcontinuetogetpregnanteveryyear,soshecontinuestoproducemilk.Wrightsfarmersmilktheircowseverytwelvehours;whileonefarmermilks,anotheroneisputtingdownfreshfeedandcleaningthebarn.BecauseWrights,isasmalloperation,theycanpaycloseattentiontotheircowsandkeepthemingoodhealth–withmostcattlelivingabout8years.Wrightswilluseantibioticstosaveacowslife,buttheyfollowpreventativemeasuresasbestastheycantoavoidthat.

Oncemilkleavesthecow,itisintheprocessingplantforabout24hours,andthenhasarounda2‐weekshelflife.Itisextremelyimportantthatthemilkischilledquickly,andhandledcarefullybeforeprocessing.Onceitiscooled,itisheatedatahightemperatureforjustaminute,tokillanybacteria,andthenisreturnedtothecoolstate.

In2009,Wright’sbuiltanewbarn,whichhousesadoubletenparallelrapidexitparlor.Thismodernsystemhelpsthefarmersusetheirtimemoreefficiently.Tencowswalkdownarowandenterindividualstagingareas.Adipisusedtothencleanandsanitizetheutter,andrelaxthecowandpromoteoxytocinrelease.Eachcowgivesaboutfivegallonspermilking,orabouttengallonsperday.Thisdigitalsystemreadsacollaroneachcowthatkeepstrackofhowmuchmilkshegivesandhowmuchwalkingshedoes.Thispedometerencouragesthefarmerstokeepatractofherwalkingtonoteonherhealth.

“It’saprivilege,it’saburden,it’sagreatthing,andit’salotofworkandpride.Buildingthenewparlorwasourcommitmenttocontinuetohavecowsand

producemilk.”–ElizabethWright

Feed

LandChallenges

Cowsarefedatotalmixedrationofcornsilage,hayandgrain.Theytesttheratiosfortheoptimalhealthofanimals.

Sincetheirlandison90acresofswampland,thecowsdonotgraze.However,theydogrowtheirowncorn,sotheycancontrolthequalityoftheirfeed.TheyalsoworkwiththeNRCStodevelopplanstomaintainrunofftoprotectthenearbywatershed.Mostmanureisusedforfertilizer,forthecornfield,orcompost.

WhatdoesFamilyFarmmeantoWrightsDairy?

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CompetitionWrights’mostexpensivecostisfeedingtheanimals.Eventhoughtheygrowtheirowncorn–themoneytorentthatland,putgasinthetractors,paytheworkers,andequipmenttoprocessthecornisexpensive.Thebakeryshopisimperativeforthemtostayafloatasabusiness–theincomefromthebakeryprovidestheextramoneytobuythenewtractorandinvestinthenewtools.Currently,Wrightshasrelativelyconsistentsales–thesamefamiliescometopickupmilkregularly.Withinthestate,RhodyFresh,hasnotpresented

competitionbecauseWrightsalreadyhadadevotedcommunityandbrand.TheydoappreciatehowmuchattentionRhodyFreshdrawstodairyproductioninRI.Outsideofstate,technicallyanyonethatsellsmilkistheircompetition–theCVSdownthestreetortheconveniencestore.Though,attheseplaces,onecannotseetheanimalsorhowtheyarebeingtreated.So,Wrightspromotestheirmilkasbetterforthesereasons,andsimplythefreshnessandquality.Thisbrandinghasallowedthemtocontinuetofarmandproducemilk.

LookingForward

• Fourfulltimefarmersandoneparttime

• 70employeesresponsibleforcombinationofalltasksmilking,processing,bottling,baking,managingstore

• 10ofthe70employeesarefamilymembers;theyareresponsibleformostlyfarmingaspectsofthebusiness

Wrightscurrentlyproduces13,000gallonsofmilkaday

Labor

WheredoyouwanttoseeWrightsintenyears?

“Hopefully,stilldoingwhatitsdoing.Providingfoodatalocalleveltopeopleinthearea.Providinganeducationforpeopletocomeandseewheretheirfoodcomesfrom,theconnectiontomilkandhowtogetittothem,showingpeoplewhatitistofarm.KeepingWrightsadestinationandexperience”