We have been in the dairy business for more than 30 years. Half of that time was spent on a typical New England freestall operation, the remaining time on a large Western purchased feed, drylot type of dairy.

Financially, 2009 was the worst year ever in the dairy business. The pundits all spouted that it could never happen again, that it was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

Well, here we are, three years later, zero change in dairy policy or production management and history is repeating itself quite quickly.

Dear Editor,

The “unrealistic expectation” of making supply management work in this country, sadly, is very divisive because most states east of the Rockies are producing below processor capacity and would be hurt by production cutbacks, unlike California, which is flooded with milk most of the time.

The use of the Dairy Security Act as a starting point in upcoming Farm Bill discussions will only serve to divide regions and distract from the real solution that would help all producers, regardless of farm size or location, and that is market reform and price discovery.

Dear Editor,

Taxpayers on the hook for $3 billion to push small dairy farms out of business?

The proposed cure is worse than the disease. The disease is farm milk price volatility and ongoing narrow to negative milk-to-feed margins that have crippled many dairy farm businesses. The proposed cure is the Dairy Security Act which was introduced by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN).

Just read your article on “Why is fluid milk consumption declining?” The one thing that you missed and the most important reason is – taste.

Milk distributors have thinned it down until it is not real milk anymore. No dairy will admit to producing the kind of milk that is in the stores today.

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.

In 2008, infant formula fed to babies in China was found to contain a chemical called melamine, which had been added to milk powder to boost the quantitative protein analysis. Consumption of contaminated formula sickened and killed Chinese infants.

It is time for leadership, not politics, on the issue of immigration in this great nation. The recent events surrounding a tragic event at a local agricultural business are evidence of the great need for a clear and unambiguous policy to be enacted and consistently enforced regarding the immigrant labor force that, for our nation’s entire history, has been the backbone of our agricultural and service industries.