This is the most balanced and accurate article I have read so far on New York's so-called yogurt "boom". The author should be complemented on his excellent research into a complex topic.
People who don't understand the way milk is priced have been expecting farmers to be all excited about this new market for their product. Instead, far from expanding to milk more cows, dozens are simply giving up and going out of business. The new market doesn't mean any more money in their milk checks and it doesn't lower the record high energy and feed expenses they are facing.
It's okay not to understand milk pricing, by the way, because it is so ridiculously complicated as to have been written in hieroglyphs that have no key. However, the author of this article spoke to farmers and industry members who do get it, and they made the situation as clear as possible.
If you have time, read the whole article for excellent insight into what is going on with NY milk production and all the new yogurt plants.
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6 comments:
Finally...the truth!
My darling root came today. I will plant it sometime after Mother's Day!
It is in fine fiddle!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Linda, Glad it made it all right. if you start it in a pot and keep it indoors you can even start it now and put it out after last frost for your area.
As you well know, "going vertical" and "value added" production has far more failures than success, plus it requires huge investments.
There are always people trying to grow organic beef or cereal grains and marketing them, or producing foodstuffs from the local crops around here. Very few have met with success, and success means just staying alive and continuing in many cases.
I used to make my own yogurt.
Well. That business about pricing formulas . . .
I had no idea.
And this issue of 'limiting production' . . .
Wow. I can sure understand the aggravation.
LInda, I was so glad to read this story.so many press sources are touting this as a huge boon for dairy farmers....and it just....isn't...or at least not yet.
jeffro, and you have to be a marketer. So many of us simply aren't. We produce fantastic beef...we are darned proud of it...all USDA inspected and all...but no one wants to be in charge of finding customers and getting them to buy it..
Ann, I have done so as well, back when I had goats. I even made soft cheese from it
Cathy, it is nuts! I do like Senator Gillibrand's suggestion of exempting farms under 200 cows from supply management and giving them a shot at being competitive. I don't see it passing, but it would save a lot of small farms....maybe....
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