'The answer is simple'

My name is Floyd Hall and I must admit that I am up in my 70’s. I have some friends who keep asking me why do you keep on fighting for dairy farmers.

Many times I ask myself the same question. The answer is simple. I feel I have some friends left still in the dairy business and I want to try to help them get a fair price. By the way, I think it’s time you silent dairy farmers stand up and support our efforts to get you a fair price. I grew up on my dad’s dairy farm and I was always amazed how my dad would have a little money saved up to purchase new equipment when needed. (He never had to beg a banker for any funds).

In addition, when Route 81 came through our farm, the authorities took 90 acres of prime land from our family dairy farm. And it helped ruin our farm.

Finally, I decided to farm on my own. After one year, my barn burned, and I lost 14,000 bales of hay; but thank God no cows. I rebuilt, remembering, how my dad had enough money to purchase items when needed. I thought I would do the same. I soon found out that the price of milk to farmers kept dropping, and after the milk support price froze in 1981, I soon realized that things were not the same as when my dad was farming.

At this point, I began hauling cows from Vermont to Minnesota, and every place in between. Later, I sold my cows in 1991. Since that time, in addition to hauling hundreds of cows, I have attempted to obtain a fair price for all dairy farmers. I’ve learned a few things.

1) Dairy farmers are great people and great farmers.

2) Unfortunately, the majority of them will not unite and work together.

I’m not giving up. I’m teaming up with my friends in Pro-Ag (they just won’t give up) and I now urge everyone to support the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act and get it reintroduced in Washington before it’s too late for our farmers.

Floyd Hall
LaFargeville, NY 

U.S. dairy farmers, what do we do next?

Over 10 years ago two U.S. senators from the large Dairy State of Pennslyvania, Arlen Specter and Bob Casey promoted “ The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act”, also known as the “ Specter/Casey Bill”.

S.1640. This Bill was written by Arden Tewksbury, manager of ProAG and Gerald Carlin, P.A. dairy farmer. The Specter/Casey Bill would price all milk produced in the U.S., based on the “ national average cost of production”, to be adjusted 4 times annually by the Secretary of Agriculture. This bill would give dairy farmers a fair price for their milk, they could count on, that would take the present ‘Roller Coaster” out of milk pricing without a cost to U.S. taxpayers.

Specter/Casey also has a ‘Fair” Supply Management Component, that would eliminate the overproduction of U.S. milk, help struggling dairy farmers get a cost of production, keep their farms and families whole. .All of which is so important to the future of our country.

Please contact your U.S Congressmen and Senators. AS soon as possible!

Frank Bachler
Meredith, N.Y

After dairy farming for several years...

... in Drums, Pennsylvania (Luzerne County) our family moved to a dairy farm in Berwick, PA (Columbia County). At first, we used the existing buildings but later constructed a large loose housing operation with a modern milking parlor.

We also purchased additional land in order to raise sufficient feed for our animals. With two brothers and two sisters heavily involved with their dairy operation, we thought we had it made.

In 1991 brother Matt and our dad went to a dairy meeting at the Berwick High conducted by the Progressive Agriculture Organization. Officials of Pro-Ag pointed out what could happen to our milk prices if something wasn’t done about the pricing formula.

With an ever-increasing number of grandchildren joining our farm operation, we made increases in milk production, but we always maintained a true family farm operation. We thought we were doing alright, but we experienced tragedies like other farmers have gone through. We had a barn burn to the ground, killing 150 calves and young stock. We lost our dad at an early age. We had a brother killed in an unfortunate accident. We also had a brother and sisters afflicted with strokes, and are now in wheelchairs. Thank God for our good grandchildren.

Unfortunately what Pro-Ag predicted in the 90s has caught up with most of our dairy farmers, especially the family farms. The prices that dairy farms received in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2018 and now 2020 have forced many dairy farmers out of business. While Faihopity farms are still hanging on, and if our dairy farmers are going to survive, then all of us must get behind the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act.

This is a dairy bill written by two Pro-Ag members. If people had gotten behind this bill early on, then we could have avoided all our losses for the last six years.

Dairy farmers can wait no longer. We urge everyone to get behind this proposed national bill. Now!

Elaine Broyan
Faihopity Farms; Berwick, PA

P.S. Yes, we have been a member of Pro-Ag since 1991, and we are proud of it.