The Challenge
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cost of labor had left the farm in a precarious position, forced to make nimble decisions towards their staffing, equipment, and prices in order to continue operating.
The Approach
Wright’s Dairy Farm offers its transparency as a local and family-owned dairy farm, creamery, and bakery, encouraging customers to take pride in the food they consume. As a member of the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program, the farm ensures the optimal care and health of the herd through no use of rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin-a synthetic growth hormone to increase milk production) and limited antibiotic use, while supporting sustainable milk transportation and soil tillage practices.
By The Numbers
- Serving the community since 1914
- <24 hours in between milk traveling from the cow into the bottle.
- 12 pounds of milk go into every gallon of Wright’s Ice Cream.
- 110 Holstein milking cows in the herd.
- 130 staff members across the farm, bakery, and creamery.
- 1 of 8 dairy farms in all of Rhode Island.
Preserve and Grow Agriculture Industries
To provide locally, sustainably, and ethically sourced dairy products and baked goods that Rhode Islanders can enjoy.
Program Description
Statement of Impact
Wright’s Dairy Farm is a fifth-generation family-owned and operated dairy farm tucked away in Smithfield, Rhode Island. For the past century, the farm has been providing fresh and local dairy products to customers across New England, connecting customers to products that they can take to heart for their ensured local, ethical, and sustainable status.
Statement of Changes
As Rhode Island continues to face a decline in the number of local farms and farmers, it has become increasingly difficult for individuals to access locally grown and prepared food. Wright’s Dairy Farm stands as a beacon for continuing to support families and community members across generations in providing food that is rooted in Rhode Island and in face-to-face connections between the producers and consumers.
Future Plans
The dairy farm hopes to keep the farm in family hands, passing it on to a fifth generation while preserving relationships between producer and consumer based on honesty and community.
This Rhode Island Story was prepared by Georgia Sparks