Standards are a double-edged sword: they can create the conditions to level playing fields and advance shared social objectives, but they can also hinder the growth of markets. Policymakers in the Northeast US and at the federal level face such a challenge on organic dairy products. The Origin of Livestock Rule dating to 2015 was intended to facilitate a one-time shift in herd type. However, delay in the finalization of the rule has opened a loophole that advocates say allows larger farms to cycle livestock in and out of the category. The change has resulted in increase “organic” production of milk, putting market pressure on smaller producers, as companies like Horizon have notified almost 80 farms in the region that they would discontinue change their purchase contracts for milk, leaving farmers and communities facing ruin. While market shifts were hastened by the rule and its ambiguities, and “organic” supplies are available to consumers at a lower cost, the costs in , wellbeing, livlihoods, and ecological health remain an uncalculated but surely significant loss for the region.