A family that has operated a dairy in Louisiana and Mississippi for nearly a century and helped save Creole cream cheese from becoming an extinct regional delicacy is fighting to save its operations from extinction as well.
On Feb. 22, Mauthe’s Progress Milk Barn, one of the only remaining dairy farms in Mississippi to pasteurize, bottle and distribute its own milk, received a cease-and-desist letter and was forced to suspend all production.
The family farm is facing a three-month suspension of operations while it navigates the federal and state regulations.
The dairy was producing milk with equipment that would have been allowed for some dairies that were grandfathered in under current regulations. But that didn’t apply to the Mauthes, and the Mississippi State Department of Health has given the family a 14-item checklist of things to address.
“We are currently waiting on parts that are needed. They are hard to find and are expensive, and we are trying to be as proactive as we can regarding the situation,” Jaime Mauthe said. “We are scared. It’s terrible. I see the strain and tension on my children’s faces, and it worries me that we may never recover from this.”
Heartbroken over the ordeal, the family has reached out to the community for support by creating a GoFundMe page that as of Thursday morning had reached 20% of the goal, which is enough to support five weeks of feed for the farm’s 120 total cows, heifers and calves.
“We spend an average of $2,500 per week to feed our cows, and without revenue due to the recent permit changes, we’re facing financial hardship,” Kenny said. “But we are thankful and feel so heart-warmed by the donations from our neighbors and community who have reached out to us.”
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Henry Mauthe Sr. started milking cows in the 1930s in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and delivered the milk door to door. In the 1950s, when the city started expanding and the Ninth Ward became more residential, the family moved to Folsom, La., to have more land.
In the 1980s, Jamie and Kenny Mauthe set out on their own as the fourth generation of dairy farmers. They purchased 330 acres in the Progress community and began production as a commercial dairy.
Today, Mauthe’s Progress Milk barn is known for pioneering the way for many other dairy farms to thrive in a dying field, with 22 years of providing processed dairy products to its community and bringing Creole cream cheese back to New Orleans after it had virtually disappeared for 20 years.
Daily operations are run with the help of local staff and the couple’s four children, Sarah, Katie, Travis and Daniel.
In 2001, the decision to begin bottling their own milk stemmed from the laborious 10-hour days as commercial dairymen that had put a strain on the farm and its finances.
The family met Richard McCarthy, who helped them distribute their products to the Crescent City Farmers Market.
At the market, they met Poppy Tooker, who calls herself the Governess of Slow Foods. She was doing a demonstration on how to make Creole Cream Cheese. The Mauthes decided to take a chance by devoting some of their production to making the regional delicacy.
It turned out to be a decision that would change the course of their farm for the better.
Tooker’s Slow Foods organization was focused on authentic and cultural foods instead of processed and fast foods that took away from the region’s culinary roots. A lot of foods like Creole cream cheese were extinct or headed towards extinction, and Slow Foods would show people how to make it to encourage a comeback.
No one had made Creole cream cheese for 20 years. Borden’s Dairy in Jackson was the last to do so.
The Mauthes started going to farmers markets in New Orleans to sell theirs. The Times-Picayune ran an article about the family’s Creole cream cheese, and that launched sales into overdrive.
“We went into the market with 500 Creole cream cheeses, and they were all sold within 45 minutes,” Jamie said.
With the success of their new product, a suggestion was made to make a Creole cream cheese cheesecake, because they were worried the younger generation may not catch on to the Creole cream cheese and it would run its course.
The Mauthes have since created a name for themselves, selling a range of products including Creole cream cheese, Milklady Cheesecakes, chocolate milk, butter, whole milk, plain yogurt, buttermilk, heavy cream, skim milk and reduced milk.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit, forcing the family to shut down.
“We have lived through many catastrophes,” Jamie said. “When Hurricane Katrina hit we were forced to shut down for five years due to devastation to our farm. When we regrouped, we sold all but 50 acres of the farm, began renovations, and got our permit for processing in 2010.”
The COVID-19 pandemic also hit the family hard, as many stores limited the amount of milk that shoppers were allowed to purchase. Although this increased the demand for milk at the time, the supply of milk remained strong with no shortage. The purchasing limitation, coupled with the impact from the loss of markets for milk due to school and restaurant closures, led to an oversupply of milk.
In addition, COVID-19 struck so quickly that it has taken some time to re-tool storage and packaging of the farm’s perishable commodity.
Milk processors are not capable of processing the excess supply, leading many farmers with no choice but to dump their milk. Cows continue to produce, even in times of oversupply, and unlike many other agricultural commodities, milk can’t be frozen or stored.
“We lost 30% of our profits during COVID,” Jamie said. “It has been tough for everyone.”
The dairy has weathered storms literal and regulatory, and while it can no longer produce milk, its remaining supply of butter and cheesecakes are still available for sale.
Kenny said customers are still able to purchase from them, but they will have to stop by the barn on Joe Tucker Road to do so.
Meanwhile, they’ve met with elected officials in Mississippi and Louisiana, including Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, state Rep. Dan Eubanks of DeSoto County and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
“We have had several calls from Mississippi representatives, senators, lawyers, state officials,” Jamie said. “Nothing has been done yet, and I’m also not too sure if they can help, but their support is greatly appreciated.”
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-mauthes-progress-milk-barn, or contact Jamie or Kenny to pick up a T-shirt when available.
