Amish families may be moving away

HEUVELTON —Many Amish buggies may be packed up and headed out of town as a result of the decision to close the Heritage Cheese House. The cheese house was the main destination for Amish milk in the area, and some community members may be moving away to find a more profitable dairy market.

"We are very disappointed there will be no more market for our milk," said one Amish dairy farmer. He would not say whether his family will be moving from the area, or what they will do with their unsold milk.

Over the past five years, several families have moved into the Morristown and Heuvelton area seeking to sell their milk to the plant, said one Amish woman who did not own a dairy. She said there had been some talk of people leaving the area, and one neighbor definitely has plans to move. That particular farmer had not been able to sell milk for several years, the woman said.

The Heritage Cheese House was started in 1994 as a market for Amish milk. Over the past few years the plant has suffered financial problems that have led to cutting back the number of milk suppliers from 105 to about 65. Tuesday, the plant announced it will close Sept. 27.

Few dairy plants will purchase Amish milk because it does not meet the requirements for Grade A. To be Grade A, milk must be cooled on site, which requires electrical equipment that is not used in the Amish community for religious reasons.

Brent A. Buchanan, a dairy expert with Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, said he will not be surprised if many are forced to leave. He said all of the Amish communities dealing with Heritage Cheese House depended on dairy sales.

"This will upset the fabric of the community and there will be a trickle-down effect," Mr. Buchanan said. "For instance a carpenter may supply lumber to a dairy farmer, who now has no income."

Extension tries to find possible solutions for local agricultural problems, and recently Mr. Buchanan has focused on the Amish dairy farms. He said his group is trying to find a market for the Amish milk and any ideas will be brought before community leaders.

"We provide education and try to steer the farmers towards an economically viable solution," Mr. Buchanan said.

In the past communities have diversified and tried to find alternative markets for their milk, often using it for feeding calves on "English," or non-Amish, farms. During the uncertain times in the Heritage Cheese House's history, many families leased their cattle and "dried" the animals up early.

But this time may be different.

"If they don't see anything on the horizon, they may not find this community viable anymore," Mr. Buchanan said.