MrShotShot
June 1st, 2009, 10:35 am
I was reading this story and it got me wondering about something.
We seem to get hit on all sides by groups and organizations (mainly left-leaning) screaming about equal exchange this and equal exchange that. We've got EE coffee, EE tea, EE chocolate, and a host of other such things and the argument is that the farmers who produce this stuff were being taken advantage of by large corporations buying their products below market value (Starbucks, Hershey, etc.).
Well after reading this story (and many more similar stories about the plight of NY milk producers over the years), I'm left wondering why many get so animated about what some farmer in Equador is making on his coffee beans, but yet seem to care nothing about the dairy farmer who, in some cases, lives right up the road from them.
It's kind of sad when you think about it.
Central New York dairy farmers lose money to low milk prices
Mexico, NY -- Like all dairy farmers, Gary and James Hurlbut always have something to do on their farm. If they're not fixing fences on their town of Mexico farm, they're feeding cows. If that's all done, they are fixing equipment. And then after that, there's hay to harvest.
But for all this work -- usually 15 hours a day -- they are losing money. They are putting off paying bills because they don't have the money. The farm business hasn't paid them a salary in six weeks. And for the first time since they've owned the farm, they are applying for a loan just to get by.
"We are losing $6,000 every month," Gary Hurlbut said. "When all is said and done, at the end of the month, we have nothing left."
As the country celebrates National Dairy Month beginning today, the Hurlbuts and other dairy farmers are suffering from the low prices being paid for their milk.
The cost per 100 pounds of milk -- which equals 11.6 gallons -- is down nearly $7 from last year.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/central_new_york_dairy_farmers.html
We seem to get hit on all sides by groups and organizations (mainly left-leaning) screaming about equal exchange this and equal exchange that. We've got EE coffee, EE tea, EE chocolate, and a host of other such things and the argument is that the farmers who produce this stuff were being taken advantage of by large corporations buying their products below market value (Starbucks, Hershey, etc.).
Well after reading this story (and many more similar stories about the plight of NY milk producers over the years), I'm left wondering why many get so animated about what some farmer in Equador is making on his coffee beans, but yet seem to care nothing about the dairy farmer who, in some cases, lives right up the road from them.
It's kind of sad when you think about it.
Central New York dairy farmers lose money to low milk prices
Mexico, NY -- Like all dairy farmers, Gary and James Hurlbut always have something to do on their farm. If they're not fixing fences on their town of Mexico farm, they're feeding cows. If that's all done, they are fixing equipment. And then after that, there's hay to harvest.
But for all this work -- usually 15 hours a day -- they are losing money. They are putting off paying bills because they don't have the money. The farm business hasn't paid them a salary in six weeks. And for the first time since they've owned the farm, they are applying for a loan just to get by.
"We are losing $6,000 every month," Gary Hurlbut said. "When all is said and done, at the end of the month, we have nothing left."
As the country celebrates National Dairy Month beginning today, the Hurlbuts and other dairy farmers are suffering from the low prices being paid for their milk.
The cost per 100 pounds of milk -- which equals 11.6 gallons -- is down nearly $7 from last year.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/central_new_york_dairy_farmers.html