Ag Weekly: Solving the school milk carton shortage

LYONS FALLS, New York (WWNY) - Got milk? The nation’s milk supply is in good standing, but there’s a shortage of the cartons they put it in.

“The primary supplier to wax cardboard milk cartons to the U.S. burned down, so that’s what created this shortage,” said James Munn, who’s general manager of Black River Valley Natural.

As a result, schools need to use bottled milk. And where better to get it from than local suppliers like Black River Valley Natural.

“We haven’t been in the school milk business for years, but we tried to pivot as quick as we could to address the urgent need,” Munn said. Our biggest concern was that because of this shortage, schools were going to stop serving milk.”

Within a week, the business pushed out 12,000 half pints to local food delivery services and local schools.

“One of the advantages of being a small creamery is we were able to quickly pivot, whereas it might take a large creamery months to even a year,” Munn said. “We were able to do it within weeks.”

Black River Valley Natural uses local milk from Grimshaw Dairy and Next Generation Creamery, getting it right out to local students.

“I think it proves that as an ag-based community,” Munn said, “we’re focused and supportive of our farmers and whatever we can do to keep milk in our schools.”

Munn says other schools and institutions who may be impacted by the milk carton shortage can give them a call and they’ll make sure the shelves are stocked.

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