 "Photo: Alex Gautreaux")
One of the remaining flagships of Humboldt County’s locally-owned and operated businesses has sailed. Humboldt Creamery was recently sold at auction for the sum of $19.5 million to a corporate parent company, Foster Farms.
The once small but sturdy creamery was in a state of emergency over the last year due to issues with management, which led to the demise of its independent status. Although the company control will now be in the hands of non-local interests, Tim Defazio, who has distributed creamery products for 13 years, seems happy with the news of change.
“It’s already helped to expand business,” Defazio said. He assured that although the old board of directors is no longer in control, all the same dairy farmers and families are being used. He and all other employees were required to re-apply, but no seniority or benefits were taken away. DeFazio, who is the brother-in-law to a former president of the creamery, was not hiding the fact that this will greatly affect the company in the long term.
Jaque Torres, the newsletter coordinator for the Co-op in Arcata, expressed concern over the companies loss of local control. “Local autonomy is crucial for food security,” Torres said. “The chain of corporatocracy begins with the ruling board, then the farmers and their families, and before you know it, the consumer is paying for a name with no meaning or integrity.”
The allure of Humboldt dairy begins with the land. Its high-end produce is used in many products ranging from milk, butter, and cheese to ice cream. Certified organic-premium products garnish higher prices in super markets, and Humboldt dairy farms produce a high number of certified organic goods. According to the National Organics Standards Board, section K part 1, Organic Milk is defined as the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained from the milking of one or more healthy cows. The cows must be free of hormones and are required to graze on pastures a minimum of 120 days a year.
The criteria for organic labeling does not seem too extravagant, but the selling of Humboldt Creamery to Foster Farms could eventually lead to an expansion of business that could not sustain the integrity of the creamery and its organic appeal. Its ice cream subdivision, which is responsible for international market sales, has been the provider in the past years as the traditionally-farmed premium ice cream brand for Costco’s throughout California.
Local business owner, Garrett Nada of the Arcata Scoop, once tried to go through Humboldt Creamery as his source of organic milk for his super-premium ice cream but was turned away by then C.E.O., Rich Ghilarducci.
“He was rather short with me and said he couldn’t provide it at high volume,” Nada said.
Arcata Scoop now goes through Strauss Family Farms, a premium organic dairy farm based in Marin County.
One thing is for sure: Humboldt Creamery is an idea that, at its essence, is old-fashioned, pure, and natural as the people who began the dairy farming many years ago in Ferndale. Whether or not small-town farming will remain the chief operating principal, is yet to be seen.
Foster Farms will undoubtedly benefit from the purchasing of this small dairy and gain greatly from Humboldt Creamery products. The loss thus far is only on the local side of the issue and the long-term effects will be seen in the up and coming future.
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