Eberhard’s is thrilled to announce the creation of organic milk line, created in partnership with Poland Dairy in Madras: Eberhard’s Organic Creamery. Jos and Deanna Poland, the owners of Poland Dairy, took some time out of their day to chat with us so that Eberhard’s customers can learn about their history, sustainable practices, and hopes for the future.
Jos Poland grew up on a dairy farm in Holland owned by his father and uncles. When Jos was 20 he came to Canada as an exchange student and upon returning home to Holland, became a partner in his family’s dairy. Jos moved to America in 1993 and operated a conventional dairy farm in Eugene before moving to Madras in 2005 to start Poland Dairy with Deanna, who had grown up on a dairy farm in Redmond.
When asked about what Deanna likes about dairy farming she replied it is the “family aspect” continuing, “It’s great for the family to come together and be a team, working together."
Jos and Deanna decided to partner with Eberhard’s because they “really wanted to start a local organic dairy line.” The drawback with traditional organic dairy supply chains, Jos explained, is that “it has many more miles on it before it reaches the consumer because there are only so many processing plants that are certified organic. Now we are only 35 miles away from Eberhard's, which greatly cuts back on the miles, and, if we want to get fancy, [cuts back on] the CO2 omissions.”
Jos and Deanna like that the customers know where it comes from and where it is produced, even welcoming customers to come out to see the farm if they would like. When looking to the future, Jos explains that, “At first we are hoping that all of our milk can go into the organic line to grow the market into a sustainable size.”
Eberhard's owner and President Mark Eberhard is just as excited for the organic line, saying, "Jos and Deanna are great people with an excellent product. The entire Eberhard's team is excited for this new partnership and the ability to provide an organic option to Eberhard's customers."