Thursday, May 19, 2016

Dropping Milk Prices, Emotional Stress



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!

11 comments:

  1. 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

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  2. God 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.

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  3. Well put. Thanks for sharing our story in such a compassionate and honest way.

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  4. I 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!

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  5. I 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.

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  6. Hear! 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.

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  7. Farmers lives really matter! Pray and drink milk! I do!

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  8. I have a friend whose family runs a dairy farm so I know first hand how dedicated they are. I wish them all the best!

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  9. We 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.

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  10. And let's tear out some trees so we can plant two more rows of corn. Smh. I hear what you are saying.

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I write this blog to share my passion for my cows and farming, please be respectful of that. I reserve the right to delete those comments which portray hate, call names, and are out right disrespectful. If you have an honest question, I will respond, to explain what we do on our farm, why we do it and how we do it. Please read with an open mind. My time to blog is short, as most of our days are spent caring for our beloved cows. Thank you!