Vermont Dairy Plant Closures Hit Farmers

Montpelier News Today | 2 Min New | The Daily News Now! · Jun 26, 2026 · 1m

Dairy Farmers of America is shutting down its St. Albans, Vermont plant this August, forcing local farmers to truck milk farther to processing hubs in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York — adding costly transport fees directly to their paychecks. This follows the closure of other Vermont plants, including Hood in Barre and Franklin Foods in Enosburg, raising alarms about rising expenses and shrinking local infrastructure. Farmers like John Jenkins say processors control pricing, leaving farmers vulnerable to cost hikes. While Dairy Farmers claims the closures stem from market pressures and…