If you don’t know by now, consider this your notice, milk
prices on-farm have been dropping for months and currently are at the lowest
point they have been in almost 7 years.
The last time financial impacts like this hit the dairy community there
was a mass exodus of producers, many of which wish they didn’t have to sell
their cows but they couldn’t provide for their families anymore. This is our current reality. Today I read articles about record cheese
inventories in the United States putting pressure on milk price to drop even
lower. I heard from fellow dairy farmers
that the exodus has started again, dairy farmers are being forced to sell their
herds and even land in order to pay off debt and save themselves. This dip in prices will have long lasting
effects on the dairy community, no matter the size of the farm. It does not discriminate. So as a reader, why should you care? What is my purpose in sharing this with
you?
These dairy farmers work tirelessly for their families,
their cows, their farms, and yes you the consumers. They are experiencing emotional stress that
you can’t even describe. These dedicated
farmers wake up every morning fully aware that they are literally paying admission
to milk their cows. They are not receiving
income from their farms, but paying just to keep them. Many
farms are accumulating thousands and even millions of dollars of debt just to
feed and care for their cows. But it
isn’t the financial situation that concerns me the most. What concerns me the most is the emotional
and mental health of these amazing people.
These men and women will most likely sacrifice everything
they have to give to keep doing the one thing they know and love, milking
cows. I talked to a dear friend in Ohio
who has a small herd. He told me he will
farm until he’s completely broke and go to a food bank for himself and his wife
before he sacrifices his cows. That’s right, he would sacrifice for his
family before he would sacrifice for his cows.
He’s not alone, I know many just like him. I know of farmers trying to make cuts to the
budget, but they refuse to compromise their soil, water, and cows’
well-being. These passionate men and women
believe in a hope that is impossible to describe, because many believe if they
keep pushing forward through the hard times that good times will soon
follow. Their perseverance pushes them to keeps them fighting for their calling. Crops were planting this spring
and hay is being harvested, farmers’ optimism continues, but at what
price? I can see the stress on their
tired faces. The worry is in their eyes:
how will they feed and clothe their families, how will they pay even part of their
monthly bills, how long will this last and can they make it that long?
What can you do to help farmers? Keep drinking milk, eating cheese and
enjoying yogurt. Dairy foods are some of
the most local foods we have available, with the average gallon of milk
traveling no more than 100 miles to the grocery store from the nearest dairy
farm. By drinking milk, you are helping
your neighboring dairy farmers. Please
help these amazing farmers provide for their families and yours, by doing
something as simple as making sure you and your family enjoys 3 servings of
dairy each day. And while you’re at it,
please pray for these hard working heroes, they need all the love and support
they can get! Thank you!
As A Dairy Farmer, As a Wife, As a Mother As Caretaker of our Small Farm Wolfhollow in Northeastern NY I plead with people to understand our struggle and yes pray if you wish as we work everyday...My Husband left the Farm to become a Mechanic to provide for our Family as the Cows can barely care for themselves. We sunk every dollar into this place and have to hold on if there is to be something left for our retirement and children God Bless All of My Fellow Farmers <3
ReplyDeleteGod Bless You. The American Farmer is an amazing breed. It's hard work but rewarding. I am proud to be a farm kid! The care of the animals assisted me in a career of nursing. Even though I am off the farm you can't take the farm out of me.
ReplyDeleteWell put. Thanks for sharing our story in such a compassionate and honest way.
ReplyDeleteI was a dairy farmer for 20 plus years. It is a very hard BUT rewarding life. It was a beautiful way to raise a family. What you say in your article if beautifully put! There is nothing easy about the life on the dairy farm, but it taught my children work ethics and they can be hired anywhere at anytime because they know how to look for work and not wait until someone give them work. I was and am still proud to be an American Farmer, even though I have left the farm, it is and still is a great place to raise a family. Be proud and stand tall!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how we can fix the utter disregard that people in America have for where their food comes from and the people who produce it. Americans just want cheap, cheap, cheap and they never stop to think about the farmers and families that do without in order to produce food for them. The day in, day out struggling and worrying are far worse then any amount of work. I am ready to throw in the towel myself. Hope you all can hang on and hope for improved prices and soon. It is difficult to dig out of those holes that poor prices cause.
ReplyDeleteHear! Hear! What a well-written, heartfelt piece of writing. Hopefully, some non-farm folks will read this and realize the plight of those trying to survive on the farms. I know all about the laws of supply and demand, but what happens when the demand is there and supply is inadequate? This could become reality.
ReplyDeleteFarmers lives really matter! Pray and drink milk! I do!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend whose family runs a dairy farm so I know first hand how dedicated they are. I wish them all the best!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written.
ReplyDeleteWe are a fifth generation farm family, and we raised our kids on a fifty cow milking herd. Farmers work hard. Farmers love their job. However, some of our own have not yet learned the lesson that almost destroyed the US auto industry: supply cannot outpace demand or your product has no value. How many dairy cows were added to the national herd when prices were high a few years back? Yes, for awhile there was a bigger check from more cows...but, seriously did we not think that eventually the supply would force lower prices? How low does the price have to go for us to let go of a few of our cows so that we can balance the milk supply again? We can do it intelligently, voluntarily - or - some will be forced out of business. Just a 3% US supply reduction would dramatically change the economic outlook for the better.
ReplyDeleteAnd let's tear out some trees so we can plant two more rows of corn. Smh. I hear what you are saying.
ReplyDelete