“We had to go to bed hungry and cold:” Photo-report from Milk with Dignity pickets!

As 2025 comes to a close, we want to share a photo-report from one final farmworker-led action for human rights. Last month, as temperatures plunged, farmworkers and allies once again hit the picket line to demand Milk with Dignity.

Immigrant farmworkers set up pickets in front of three Hannaford stores over the course of the day, calling on the supermarket chain to address the human rights abuses in its dairy supply chain by joining the worker-led Milk with Dignity Program. As farmworkers and allies picketed in front of stores, potential Hannaford customers turned around rather than cross the picket line. While workers picketed the stores, Hannaford’s sales dropped by over 20%.

In Morrisville, South Burlington, and Middlebury, farmworkers braved the cold to speak about the abuses they have endured on farms supplying Hannaford-brand milk. Farmworker leader Emilio addressed the crowd at one of the pickets:

“I worked on a farm in Hannaford’s supply chain for five years. Over those five years, working more than 12 hours a day, I never once had a vacation. And if I got sick and had to take a day off, that day was taken out of my paycheck. We lived above the milking parlor, where we could never escape the sound of the machinery or the rats that infested our home. I’ll never forget the night that the electricity, heat, and water went out, and we had to go to bed cold and hungry after a full day’s work. This is the human rights crisis in Hannaford’s supply chain.”

Testimonies like these are leaving their mark, not only among the hundreds of consumers who showed their solidarity by refusing to cross the picket line, but with the company itself. Responding to Migrant Justice’s longstanding campaign, Hannaford’s parent company, Dutch multinational Ahold Delhaize, commissioned a “Human Rights Impact Assessment” for its Northeast U.S. dairy supply chain. 

Just before November’s day of action, Migrant Justice hosted the investigators charged with looking into rights violations, connecting them with workers on farms supplying Hannaford-brand milk. Farmworkers were unanimous in calling on the company to address systemic human rights violations by joining the Milk with Dignity Program. The investigators are now back in Europe, preparing to submit their report to the company.

Show your solidarity with immigrant farmworkers’ campaign for Milk with Dignity. Join thousands of others who have signed the Hannaford consumer pledge!

Farmworkers and allies bundled up to hold pickets in front of the three Hannaford stores throughout the day

Picketers urged customers to turn around and show their solidarity by not shopping at the store. Hundreds stayed away, dropping stores sales by 20% as the pickets were underway

The message was clear: Hannaford fails farmworkers!

Hundreds received pledge forms to show their support for the campaign. Thousands of Hannaford customers have signed the pledge!

"Get up! Get Down! Milk with Dignity is coming to town!"

"Hannaford, listen up! Farmworkers aren't giving up!"

"What do we want? Milk with Dignity! When do we want it? Now!"

Workers addressed the crowds throughout, sharing tesitmonies of abuses on farms in Hananford's supply chain – as well as testimonies of dignified conditions on farms in the Program!

As always, faith communities turned out in force, recognizing that dignified working conditions are a moral issue.

Migrant Justice actions are a family affair, with no community member too young to join the picket line.

Despite the company's attempts to keep workers away, they brought their message up to the store's front door.

Tired of the company's excuses, workers and their families led a march through the Hannaford parking lot.

As night fell and temperatures plunged, picketers' spirits remained high...

The day of action ended with hot chocolate and fresh tamales to warm back up!