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Bloomfield, KY. | This article was tough for me to read. First of all, this could have been me. I guess I was fortunate to get out of milking several years ago or I would be one of the Dean's producers losing my market.
But that is not really the thing that hits home for me. I know several of the people that the article is about and it is hard not to feel badly for them.
Bob Klingenfus is a distant relative whom I have only met once, but my Dad & Grandmother knew his Mother & Grandmother well and spoke of them often when I was growing up. They are good, hardworking people who deserved better than this.
I've known Maury Cox for many years. He has worked many years to improve the state of dairy farming in Kentucky. I'm sure this is tough for him to see what is happening to these dairy farmers.
John Kalmey and I met at UK when we were teammates on the UK Dairy Cattle Judging Team. Since then, I have not had a better friend in this world. He was Best Man when I got married. He is the hardest working person I know, and one of the most intelligent. He and his Dad have bred many Excellent cows, and were the premier homebred show herd in Kentucky back when they did some showing. John has held many leadership positions in the dairy industry in Kentucky and the nation. He knows a great deal more about the milk marketing system than any other dairy farmer I've ever talked to.
I say all of this to emphasize that this guy is not just some hillbilly who decided to milk a few cows because he couldn't get a decent job. He was a professional dairy farmer. He is getting put out of the career he loves because some corporate and cooperative idiots decided he didn't fit their model.
OK. Rant over.
I do want to add, John's Dad is in his 90's and still very sharp. I talked to them both last month and they are accepting this better than I ever could.
Jack McClaskey | |
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Really sad dairy article
