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Dairy Farmers, getting ready to dump milk?
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minn gopher
Posted 3/21/2020 06:38 (#8124574 - in reply to #8123352)
Subject: RE: Dairy Farmers, getting ready to dump milk?


Pine City, MN
1HandDairyman - 3/20/2020 17:31

Anyone else been contacted thru their processor about cutting back milk production or planning to possibly dump milk due to the COVID-19 outbreak?

I got a call from my field rep today about it, had a good conversation about what's going on and what may happen for future. Rep had asked if I had received the letter about it.

I received the letter this afternoon after our good phone conversation and can say I'm glad the conversation took place before it because the letter just struck a nerve. Pissed me off to be honest.

I've always tried to approach dairying with the glass half full approach. The love for the cows and positive attitude is what keeps me going. But I will admit that these last few years have worn me down and though I still struggle in the barn some days thinking it, I will be exiting the industry this year.

I've stayed milking around 40 cows my whole career and despite what some of the experts say, I've been profitable during my time milking and it's a life I have enjoyed. Sure there's been bad times but every occupation has them. I also don't hold a grudge or negative view with the larger part of the industry. They can milk 400 or 40000 more cows to my 40 if they want/need to. I might not agree with it on a large corporate scale but I'm sure they wouldn't agree with me on things either. Had a producer tell me once that he wouldn't get out of bed in the morning for my 40 cows, funny thing was he didn't even get out of bed for his 400. But it takes all kinds I guess.

The thing that gets me is when we are down it just seems we just keep getting hit again for one reason or another. Right now it's the possibility of dumping milk, before it's been closing inefficient plants to save the producer money only to turn around and charge more for trucking because now it gets hauled further away. Or the FARM program which was fine for me (had no problems with paperwork or practices,)but I had a rep admit that it was another way to get some of the older undesirable dairies to exit the industry because the practices they use although successful for up to 40-50 years didn't match with the powers that be thinking.

I don't know what the answers are and I guess I just needed to vent a little bit about it all before I spend the evening with my girls. Sometimes the best therapy is working between a couple bovine beauty's.

Thanks for listening and God bless all you fellow livestock guys/gals.



From what I hear milk is flying off the shelves.
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