Dairy Farmers Are Quitting
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The LA Times reports:
“Frustrated with low milk prices, dairy farmers are selling cows for hamburger meat [which is what they always do after they've decided a cow is no longer profitable as a milk producer, usually at 1/4 of her lifespan] and threatening to dump milk into sewers. Many are burning through their life savings hoping to survive the slump, and others are exiting the business.” [...]
“Tom Marchy remembers learning how to milk cows from his grandfather on the family’s spread in Stanislaus County. Now 48, he saw disaster looming in the industry last fall and called it quits.”
“His biggest customer had just canceled his milk contract, and ‘it was hard to find anyone else to ship to so I just got out.’”
“He sold his herd [...] Marchy then planted 140 acres of corn on his property in the rural town of Waterford east of Modesto. He continues to tend some heifers, waiting for those young females to mature to milk cows.”
I bolded the important part: Dairy farmers are quitting dairy farming and they’re starting up other businesses, like growing corn.
More bits from the article:
- “One initiative will send about 103,000 milk cows to slaughter over the next several months, a move that will reduce the milk supply by about 1%.” That means over 10 MILLION dairy cows live, breed, and die to produce a 100% unnecessary “food” product for Americans.
- “the USDA said it would provide subsidies to export up to an additional 150 million pounds of nonfat dry milk, 46 million pounds of butterfat and 6 million pounds of cheese to help dry up the surplus.” Your tax dollars are going to support the losers in a so-called “free market” system. Does this seem fair or just?
- “Some farmers now are thinking of doing the unthinkable — dumping their milk as part of a national protest next week.” These farmers are more interested in making a buck than in feeding needing people or caring for cows.
This is the image that accomanpies the LA Times article:
The image of the farmer in his barn is supposed to convey sympathy for him and his failing business. But here’s what I see:
I see a bunch of cows – who should be grazing on a pasture – crammed into a warehouse. I see strong and gentle creatures who are destined to live their short lives being repeatedly forcefully impregnated, having their babies stolen from them, and then dying a brutal death at the hands of violent humans.
Sources and Resources:
- Factory Farming: Dairy
- Factory Farming Facts
- Food and Water Watch: Factory Farming
- Is there a factory farm near you?
Perhaps they’re listening downwind of us abolitionists who are talking about the end of animal agriculture and honestly thinking:
What if our business really IS a dying breed of economic activitiy, for all those reasons that have been cited by folks for pro-animal reasons?
Or think that some of these folks may have heard of The Mad Cowboy!
I grew up on 4H territory (my hometown is where 4H was founded, and was the home of International Harvester tractors). I’ve been vegan for nearly 35 years now; once I learned that dairy is NOT NECESSARY, my ‘religion’ changed – my (post-critical) ‘orientation to reality’ (including my relationship with the material world).
I love this from the article:
“Slumping international demand combined with an American public ordering fewer cheese pizzas has turned the milk market sour.”
It’s demand! Or lack thereof… Why would anyone choose to consume this “food” when there are so many health risks associated with it? And too, now there are tasty, fatfree, alternatives a plenty!
But, the saddest of this story (aside from the poor cows) – is that the US will be bailing this flunked industry out at the cost of health to the poor and to kids in school lunch programs. I’m very disappointed that we keep using these “low end” population as a garbage disposal for federal waste.
And a good question on the horizon is… how many more times will the (meat) dairy industries need a helping hand from uncle Sam… and how much will it take for people to finally say “enough”!
~ Recent blog post: Happy Vegetarian 6 Month Cheers to My Friend Klem! ~
@Bea Elliot: I do think that demand is falling because many people just don’t like milk, not because of the animals or health concerns…I know several meat-eaters who never drink milk because they hate the taste of it…Many people don’t give it any thought…sad
It is good news though for the animals.
~ Recent blog post: Katinka simonse and my dearest Tinkebell: animal abuse as art ~
oneandonlyhypnos – Perhaps you are right about people disliking the taste of it… But many grow-up on it and learn to “like” it… or maybe it’s just my (older) generation?
Anyway… here’s another interesting story & vid about a dairy closure & “retired” cows in California:
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/business&id=6845202
It will only be a short time till the meat industry starts to boo-hoo about all this extra “beef” on the market… that just drives the price down on their business too.
A beginning of a downward spiral for all animal agriculture? It could/should be… if we can obstain from any bailouts -
~ Recent blog post: Happy Vegetarian 6 Month Cheers to My Friend Klem! ~
How dare you self-rightous “vegans” accuse the dairyman of mistreating his animals? How could you? I raise beef cattle,and I have frequented many dairies in my time. These cattle have been designed, over hundreds of centuries, to produce large amounts of milk in short periods of time. THEY CANNOT PRODUCE MILK IN THE STRESSFULL, HORRID SITUATIONS YOU DISPLAY THEM IN. These are delicate animals that require, and 99.999% of the time always recieve, the utmost in care from the dairyman. They need balanced and complete diets. They need protection from the elements, and their body styles allow us to keep them in barns. They need medical care and attention, and recieve it on a regular basis. With reagrds to this article, which is better? Allowing the animals to starve to death, dying slowly and painfully, with no hope in the world, because the dairyman hasn’t got the money to feed them? OR, is a quick, merciful death where their bodies are used to nourish people around the world a better option for you people? Economics, not farmers, kill dairy cattle. Starvation kills them slowly, but we can offer them the best way out we have. It means food for people who can’t afford the organic carrots favoured by your sort. Don’t you dare accuse the dairyman of America. He is trying to feed his family. Get your nose out of it.