It’s a Well Deserved, Wonderful Life.

It’s Christmas morning.
The stockings that were hung with care have been filled by the jolly Old Man himself.
The children, of all ages, have spied and dozed and awoke to presents under the tree.
…and that glass of milk left with cookies, it is all gone. But don’t worry, no matter how special this morning is, for many, it is just another day making sure that milk gets from farm to table.
It starts well before dawn.

They call it morning but the roads are lit only by the moon for the milktruck.

Because cows and dairy farmers do not take days off…and neither do the milk truck drivers.

It isn’t a job, it’s a way of life, and every day these cows depend upon their farmer.

And the first stop is just the beginning.

The first stop of a very busy, long day that starts with moonlight and sometimes ends in moonlight.

But it’s not all work…at each stop there are farmers and sometimes family.

Clark’s Milk Transport is a family business and a family farm. Driver Karen Clark gets a moment to chat with Dad, Butch, at the first stop of the day, Flood Brothers Farm, where Karen takes the loaded truck to H.P. Hood in Portland, Maine and Butch will fill up the other truck with fresh, local, milk.

With 8,000 gallons of farm fresh milk the truck heads down the road as the sun begins to make its appearance.

Dawn catches up to the busy day the milk truck and its driver has already put in.

We talk about how the life of a dairy farmer is dictated every day, without exception, by their cows and land…we’re not the only ones. The milk truck driver is up with us and their day is not finished until they have gotten our milk to the bottler.

Karen Clark loves her job. She loves driving truck. She loves her farmers. And without her, where would we farmers be?

And without the folks at the dairy, who are there every day until the last truck is emptied, everything we do would be for naught.

Chris in testing, Tammy in production control, and Donnie in receiving are all dedicated to making sure our milk gets to our neighbours’ tables. They ensure high quality and their dedication is second to none.

It’s a long day and it’s hard work for the milk truck drivers, and even harder in bad weather. But around here they never fail. And for that we are all grateful and thankful.

Dairy Farmer Steve Tozier of Tozier Farm in Fairfield, Maine works hard every day to help produce fresh, local, high quality milk and he sends it down the road on Karen’s truck with pride.

It’s Christmas morning and there are many basking in the glow of twinkling lights on the tree, listening to new toys being played with and preparing to gather with friends and family. But not the milk trucks. They are on the road bringing some of the most perfect food from some of the hardest working folks to you. When the last truck makes its last delivery of the day and heads back to home they will finally get their chance to enjoy this Christmas Day. It is, indeed, a well deserved, wonderful life for we dairy farmers, milk truck drivers and everyone who works to get our milk to your table. Happy Christmas to all.

The long day is in the rear view and winding down. It’s time to head ‘er for home and get ready to do it all over again.