testing. The Bar Harbor VIA annual reports contain the most detailed information on the evolution of dairy inspections and milk testing, but Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor also had sanitary committees with milk subcommittees. In 1906, Bar Harbor VIA hired a milk inspector based on concerns that island dairies were not taking seriously the threat of contamination and illness, “Investigations made by the Chairman of this Committee reveal a state of affairs in the dairies supplying the town that is, to say the least, astonishingly lax. The dairymen are willing to conform to suitable regulations as to tests of cattle, etc., provided they are able to secure a return for the increased expenditure involved. Unless consumers are willing, as they have thus far failed to show themselves, to pay for the greater cost of certified or guaranteed milk, it will not be forthcoming.” Bar Harbor VIA began adding a Milk Report in their annual meeting report in 1911, when it documented a request for funds to collect and test samples of milk from fourteen dairies, noting, “chemically, all milk samples examined were excellent.” Yet, the report goes on to offer some areas for improvement, “Your committee is of the opinion that the farmers supplying the milk for BH are intelligent and willing to do what is in their power to meet suggestions. While the number of bacteria in most of the milk examined is excessive… it is certain that a few improvements, if adopted by the farmers, will reduce bacterial content to within a reasonable limit. The chief faults are: A) Dark, unventilated, unwhitewashed, and unscreened cow barns B) Bacteriologically unclean utensils and bottles due to the lack of milk rooms used solely for bottling and refrigerating purposes C) Lack of information on the part of the farmers as to what is required and how to do it D) Lack of interest on the part of the consumers.” Despite the fact that island dairies were producing clean milk, overall concern for public health and fears from outbreaks of milk-borne disease in other parts of the country brought a sense of urgency to the management of local suppliers. Dr. Robert Abbe, a summer resident and physician, convened several sanitation forums starting in 1915 to address the “means of efficiently handling special problems of resorts.” Speaking of milk specifically, Dr. Abbe said, “There is no valid excuse for epidemics because of Pasteur’s work conquering them and making sanitary conditions possible.” It would take another fifteen years before pasteurization became standard on MDI.
Photo: Mary Dow Dunham visiting a dairy farm. Date unknown, ca. 1905. Image courtesy of the Seal Harbor Library
Summer Influence on Dairies
By 1912, the milk inspector in Bar Harbor was visiting “between twenty and thirty farms supplying our community with milk (which keeps us in touch with the farmers and grangers and in knowledge of their spring water supply and general health, so that if at any time suspicion was aroused, we could more quickly put a finger on the most likely point of trouble. At present, we may be congratulated on having an unusually favorable sanitary island resort.” Not only were farmers required to improve sanitary conditions on their farms, new improvements were also constantly being recommended that cost upfront investment. In addition to sanitation improvements, the cost of bottles, bottling machines, and bottle washers was a steep investment for a small farm. Coupled with the seasonality of the milk-drinking population, making enough money as a dairy farmer on the island was a challenge. Dairies tried to diversify their products to increase income by offering farm- fresh eggs and produce in addition to butter and cream.In addition to the large volume of milk needed to supply summer demands, a larger variety of dairy products was being requested. “Attempts have been made to induce at least one farm to produce cream, but the short season and difficulty in disposing of the skimmed milk to advantage would make the venture an unprofitable one at the present time. We are
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