A good look at Contoocook Creamery’s operations will show a well-oiled routine: over 120 dairy cows milked to produce 128,000 fluid ounces per day, about three cows processed for beef every month and 180 acres of corn that mostly feeds the livestock — all done in-house.
That process hasn’t always been the standard. With a farm that has stood as long as 1907 under five generations, operations had to change alongside wars, financial crises and industry evolutions.
Most recently, Contoocook Creamery left the wholesale market in 2021 to pursue retail, gaining direct control of the farm’s day-to-day operations, from raising calves to bottling milk.
“When we finally made the switch and listened to people asking how they could buy our product directly, that’s worked for us, both here at the farm and delivering it throughout the state,” said Jamie Robertson, the owner of Hopkinton’s Bohanan Farm and Contoocook Creamery.
Some costs around the farm haven’t been easy to navigate. Fuel is a big one — needed to run the tractors that plant and collect grains in the field and power the delivery trucks to get products onto shelves.
With that also comes a higher cost of grain and fertilizer, which Contoocook Creamery outsources from Canada. The 50% tariff increase on some Canadian goods that Trump signed last month is “really scary,” Robertson said.
“If we can’t cover our costs, it’s not going to be a good picture,” he said.
As Robertson went on about the farm’s operations under a two-row pole barn, many of the cows on either side of the farmer poked their heads curiously through the metal gates to get a bite of hay.
Cinde Warmington took it all in.
The Democratic governor hopeful who’s challenging Gov. Kelly Ayotte in this year’s election visited the farm Friday to get a better sense of its operations and struggles.
Warmington, a former executive councilor who is the only Democrat on the ballot, has been a staunch critic of President Donald Trump and his policies during her campaign. She opposes the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs that affect small businesses and agriculture operations.
“We need to stand up and make sure that Washington hears what the impact is on tariffs on local people like this,” she said. “Listening to Jamie and a lot of others across the state, the cost of fuel is through the roof, and I think it’s time that we took a look at a gas tax suspension here in the state and give them some immediate relief on these costs that they’re facing.”
Warmington has narrowed the gap between her and the governor. A recent poll showed 44% of likely voters would choose Ayotte compared to 39% for Warmington. However, 43% of voters didn’t know enough about Warmington to form a favorable or unfavorable opinion of her.
Ayotte spoke out last year against Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and their impact on the state, but said she “appreciate[d] the concerns” Trump had over securing the northern border.
“As I have said before, I disagree with tariffs on Canada because they simply are not good for New Hampshire,” Ayotte said in a statement. “I will continue to urge the administration to resolve this dispute with one of our state’s largest trading partners as quickly as possible.”
In addition to recognizing the plight of agriculture around the state, Warmington is also looking at affordability as a whole in her campaign. She said the price of groceries, child care and energy have gone up drastically — costs she tied to Ayotte.
She said housing was her top priority.
“We need to be addressing that in terms of investing in the affordable housing fund, we need to be investing in the Housing Champions program and we need to be really reining in private equity that’s driving up the cost of housing,” Warmington said.
The switch to retail has insulated Contoocook Creamery from the volatility of rising prices their wholesale competitors are experiencing. Some cost-saving measures, like switching from glass to plastic bottles, have helped keep their costs down, but other line items in their budget have risen past expectations.
Robertson said he hopes New Hampshire’s governor can help farms like his through strengthening the state Department of Agriculture and the university system that assist local farms through expertise and research.
“We just can’t keep cutting and cutting those things out,” he said. “We’ve got to keep some infrastructure to be able to keep farms rolling.”
