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Got Milk?
As Vermont's Milk Industry Continues To Free-Fall, Canadian Dairies Are Thriving
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<blockquote data-quote="farmerjan" data-source="post: 1505188" data-attributes="member: 25884"><p>Add into the DFA and Dean foods crap, is the whole thing now with the Walmart deal of building their own processing plant(s) and direct contracting with a producer(s)... integrating milk like the poultry and hog industries. The small dairyman cannot compete when they keep dropping the prices, and the true "dairyman" and breeders are being forced out. The average dairy cow now lasts only 2 lactations. We are not breeding for type, or anything that will hold up and withstand years...there is next to no longevity considered. This is not a good thing for the genetic diversity and there will only be those few farmers that can afford to keep a few good cows of different breeds around....What happens to the breeds when these guys are gone? I don't like all the control, but many smaller dairy farmers have said that they would be glad to see the industry have a few more controls, like Canada where you get paid a decent amount for X amount of milk and any surplus you get little or nothing. That way in order to expand you would have to "buy more base" to make it profitable. The biggest problem, is that the price of milk is not based upon the cost of production plus a profit margin; like most other products are. It is these federal milk marketing orders, and the fact that we are "committed to CHEAP FOOD " in this country. </p><p>There are other things that have contributed to the mess, but getting bigger and more concentrated farms is not going to be in our best interest in the end. What is happening to the aquifers when these dairies are concentrated in areas where it is dry? Great for the farmer to not fight all the elements; but we are drawing down the water reserves faster than they are being replenished. All the irrigating for the crops too. All the cities in places of semi-desert climates. </p><p>And what about the "bio-security" of these farms? When some other country wants to control us, they are going to be able to control the food supply because it is no longer spread out but concentrated in huge mega farms. Control the food and you control the people.....</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="farmerjan, post: 1505188, member: 25884"] Add into the DFA and Dean foods crap, is the whole thing now with the Walmart deal of building their own processing plant(s) and direct contracting with a producer(s)... integrating milk like the poultry and hog industries. The small dairyman cannot compete when they keep dropping the prices, and the true "dairyman" and breeders are being forced out. The average dairy cow now lasts only 2 lactations. We are not breeding for type, or anything that will hold up and withstand years...there is next to no longevity considered. This is not a good thing for the genetic diversity and there will only be those few farmers that can afford to keep a few good cows of different breeds around....What happens to the breeds when these guys are gone? I don't like all the control, but many smaller dairy farmers have said that they would be glad to see the industry have a few more controls, like Canada where you get paid a decent amount for X amount of milk and any surplus you get little or nothing. That way in order to expand you would have to "buy more base" to make it profitable. The biggest problem, is that the price of milk is not based upon the cost of production plus a profit margin; like most other products are. It is these federal milk marketing orders, and the fact that we are "committed to CHEAP FOOD " in this country. There are other things that have contributed to the mess, but getting bigger and more concentrated farms is not going to be in our best interest in the end. What is happening to the aquifers when these dairies are concentrated in areas where it is dry? Great for the farmer to not fight all the elements; but we are drawing down the water reserves faster than they are being replenished. All the irrigating for the crops too. All the cities in places of semi-desert climates. And what about the "bio-security" of these farms? When some other country wants to control us, they are going to be able to control the food supply because it is no longer spread out but concentrated in huge mega farms. Control the food and you control the people..... [/QUOTE]
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As Vermont's Milk Industry Continues To Free-Fall, Canadian Dairies Are Thriving
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