Focus on Coop Suppliers:
Butterworks Farm

by Deborah Trupin

In the 1970s, Jack and Anne Lazor - now owners of Butterworks Farm, one of Honest Weight Food Coop's yogurt suppliers - were part of the home-steader, "back-to-the-land" movement. In 1976, they bought the farm in Westfield, Vermont, 10 miles south of the Canadian border, near Jay Peak. They wanted to grow their own food organically and, like many others at that time, to live off the land.

Their dairy experience began with the purchase of a family cow-which soon became three family cows-and they found themselves with more milk than they could drink. They began selling excess milk on a rather informal basis. Then, in 1984, they got a dairy license and their business as organic dairy farmers and yogurt makers began in earnest. Jack Lazor notes that they were the pioneers of organic dairy farming in New England. He explained that because he and Anne did not have dairy farm backgrounds, they felt free to experiment. And, from the beginning, they resolved not to use antibiotics and hormones for their cows and to feed them, as far as possible, either on pasture or on their homegrown, organic grains.

The Lazors have been quite successful with their organic dairy farm experiment. They now have 43 Jersey cows from whose milk they produce between 5,000 and 7,000 quarts of yogurt each week. They grow grains - wheat, barley, corn, and oats - for human and cow consumption, as well as various types of beans and sunflowers for oil. Jack Lazor refers to his grain and bean growing as his hobby!

Butterworks Farm is successful in several other ways. In the early '90s, Jack Lazor said that they reached a decision on what scale they wanted to farm. They have 43 cows because they have space for 43 cows, and they do not want to have more. Lazor commented that he believes strongly in the small farm model (which alone seems to be a good reason to buy Butterworks Farm's yogurt). They are able to live - comfortably and happily, from what Lazor said during our interview - with this scale of farming. I found this tremendously encouraging, given all that one hears about the lack of viability of family farming and the "industrialization" of even organic farming (see, for example, Michael Pollan, "Naturally," New York Times Magazine, May 13, 2001, p. 30).

Lazor also tries to pay his workers top-notch wages and health insurance. Besides the Lazor family, Butterworks Farm employs three people in the yogurt room, two in the barn and a full-time mechanic/handyman. Certainly, there are challenges with the small farm model. Lazor commented that there is not a lot of time off and that he sometimes wonders about the future of the farm. The Lazor's grown daughter, Christine, works with them, but does not seem prepared to take on the business as her life's work.

Another measure of the Lazors' success is that there are now 45 organic dairies in Vermont. Lazor said that he has advised many of these farmers on organic dairy farming, something he has clearly enjoyed. Interestingly, one of his advisees in New York, who is also a good friend of his, is Karl Westphal - who, for several years, was making Rundycup yogurt from his Jersey cows in Schoharie.

Of course, the first measure of success for a yogurt has to be its taste. To me, Butterworks Farm's yogurt is hugely successful in this department. Talking to Lazor shed some light on why it tastes the way it does. For starters, Jersey cows produce milk that has a very high protein content (3.8-4%, compared to 3.1-3.2% for Holsteins). This means that there is more protein in the milk for the cultures to work on, which produces a more solid, creamy yogurt. Lazor said that the type of culture used also has a great influence on the flavor and consistency of the yogurt. Butterworks Farm, after some experimentation, uses the AY3 culture, which contains acidophilus, bulgaricus and thermophilus. Lazor did not like the results when he also used bifidus, another culture often used in yogurts.

Lazor also said that he believes the health and happiness of the cows can be tasted in the yogurt. The cows are out in the pastures in the warmer months. In the cold weather, they spend their time in a new, special type of barn that has 10-foot high sides, a canvas upper section, and fresh straw daily on the ground. This barn is light and airy, and the cows can roam freely while being protected from the elements. Lazor is very pleased with the health of the cows since they have had this barn.

The yogurt-making room is upstairs from the milking barn (not the canvas-topped barn). Lazor noted that one reason the farm is successful is the demand for non-fat yogurt. This permits him to separate the cream and the milk - so there are two products to sell. At Butterworks Farm, the yogurt is made on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and delivered on Thursdays - Lazor said that on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays they "have a life." Having made the decision to remain a small-scale farm, deliveries are fairly local. Butterworks Farm's yogurt is delivered directly to about 45 family-owned groceries and coops in Vermont, which accounts for about 40% of their sales, and also to the two big natural food distributors, Northeast Cooperatives (from whom Honest Weight gets the yogurt) and United Natural Foods. When there is extra milk, as there was during the week of our interview, the Lazors make cheddar cheese or cottage cheese. The lucky stores in Vermont can also buy these.

So, judge the success of Butterworks Farm for yourself. The next time yogurt is on your shopping list, buy a quart and try it. I think you'll taste not only the health and happiness of the cows and the good cultures, but the happiness of the people producing the yogurt. Enjoy!

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