Organic Dairy in Schools: Nourishing the Next Generation

Switching to organic dairy in schools creates cascading benefits:

Senator Cory Booker’s Safe School Meals Act (SSMA), aims to address food quality in public schools and to protect children from harmful toxins in school meals.

While federal legislation like the SSMA works to create systemic change, innovative organic dairy farmers are taking matters into their own hands, and are partnering with school food directors to overcome traditional barriers. Straus Family Creamery : Milk dispensers that can hold up to 5 gallon bags of Straus Family Creamery organic milk

“The USDA requires 8oz of milk to go to each student, and noticeably many of these cartons were going to waste, up to 18 gallons a day from one school,” Straus explained. Although organics often come at a premium, Straus Creamery was able to offset costs by diverting milk waste using milk dispensers allowing kids to get the amount of milk they actually wanted.

Through the USDA Local Food Promotion Program grant, Rumiano Cheese also has established a program to supply organic dairy products to a targeted 50 school districts across the state. Their organic cheeses appear in students' favorites across K-12 public schools—including pizzas, lasagnas, cheeseburgers, and cheese crisps.

Miller Farms of Vermont supplies 13 schools, and they now work with a distributor. Lauren Griswold, Wholesale Market Foods Director of NOFA-VT, explained Miller's program's roots and success. “The kids love it, it's delicious, the parents feel good!”

The movement to integrate organic dairy into schools represents more than just a change in milk suppliers— it signals a fundamental shift in how schools approach nutrition, sustainability, and community support.

Organic Dairy in Schools: Nourishing the Next Generation

Switching to organic dairy in schools creates cascading benefits:

it supports local farmers, reduces environmental impact, and builds resilient food systems. Yet, this transition faces significant challenges: policy barriers and distribution logistics

Senator Cory Booker’s Safe School Meals Act (SSMA), aims to address food quality in public schools and to protect children from harmful toxins in school meals.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) launched the Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP) program.

The movement to integrate organic dairy into schools represents more than just a change in milk suppliers— it signals a fundamental shift in how schools approach nutrition, sustainability, and community support.