Editor,

National Milk Producers Federation does not represent the nation’s dairy producers. They represent co-ops and processors. In their new FFTF policy, they want to eliminate the minimum pay price and have us buy gross margin insurance to protect our losses. You cannot buy enough to make yourself profitable.

Of course, they would have the federal government carry some of that cost. That is not being responsible. Our government has a large deficit in the trillions, and some would say it is taxation without representation.

Our co-ops are no friend either because they have a conflict of interest or have completely forgotten their original intent to market our milk at the best price for us.

The new, young National Dairy Producers Organization looks like it could be a positive voice for the dairy producer. This is a group of dairy farmers nationwide that has a sole mission to make dairy producers profitable.

We have never had a national voice, and as professional dairy producers, we should have the right to price our milk and our services at a profitable price just like all other professional people. Look it over. It can be your voice if you use it!

Thomas Monteith
Woodland Farms
Granville, Massachusetts

Editor,

The latest articles about supply management were nonsense. After being in the business for 30 years, we have seen it all, for example, what oversupply did to Ocean Spray as well as Tillamook Cheese.

Take a look at Organic Valley shippers and Canada. In Canada, they are protecting themselves with quotas and therefore are in control. This is the right way to manage, with dollars in the pockets of the producers.

Quotas are the answer, but as we know this would ensure that the American dairyman would be in the driver’s seat and that wouldn’t sit well with processors.

My hope is that dairymen are paying attention, and they don’t allow the powers that be to convince them that overproducing is the answer.

Bob Hampton
Dairy producer
Rochester, Washington