New Glass Bottle Dairy! Contoocook Creamery

by Shane Smith, Perimeter Manager

We’re thrilled to now offer a new local dairy option in our stores, including milk in returnable glass bottles. Contoocook Creamery is part of a century-old family dairy farm in Hopkinton, known as the Bohanan Farm.

Jamie and Heather Robertson own the farm, which is named “Bohanan” because it came down through Heather’s side of the family. The farm is currently in its fifth generation of land stewardship. In 2009, through partnerships with the town of Hopkinton, Five Rivers Conservation Trust, private donors, the State of New Hampshire, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the farm was able to make needed changes to its business model to better position it for the future. The coalition worked closely with the family, raising funds and educating the residents of Hopkinton about what a conservation easement consists of and the importance of open space to the town.

Bohanan Farm has 450 tillable acres, on which they grow about 150 acres of corn and 300 of grass. They have 240 milking cows, 200 young stock, and three streams running through the property. Their three full-time employees have been with them for years, and the Robertsons have five other people providing part-time help. The liquid dairy from Bohanan Farm is bottled in Maine, and when it is returned and delivered to stores it bares the name “Contoocook Creamery.”

The farmers strive to provide milk of the highest quality, utilizing the most efficient and environmentally sound practices available. The milk is antibiotic free, and the farm does not use growth hormones (rBST/BGH),

Look for Contoocook Creamery dairy products at the Co-op. Their milk and half-and-half will be available in returnable glass jars. Down the road, we hope to add Contoocook Creamery eggs, cheese, and butter to our dairy shelves as well.

Learn more about Contoocook Creamery at www.contoocookcreamery.com