It is my opinion that with the current condition of the world, turmoil, terrorism and strained relations, our country should really consider securing our ability to produce food. I am a dairy farmer and I’m proud of it. Like other farmers who produce food, we are proud because we know people have to eat and we are necessary. But many farmers are in a bad way right now. Many years of low and unjust milk prices have destroyed our attitudes, our iron will and our next generation from wanting a life of poverty and hard work, and I mean hard work every day.

We recently had a window of opportunity to change the way milk is priced through the 2007 farm bill. So the dairy farmers rallied to the occasion with hopes and dreams of an honest and just way of pricing milk. We had meetings, we made phone calls, farmers worked hard to illustrate problems, show the need for change and provide good sound solutions. These solutions were industry and consumer based, not government subsidies. Most proud farmers don’t want government subsidies. Every state and federal official that we as farmers spoke with agreed that there is a pricing problem equating to low back-to-farm milk prices that have put many farmers out of business. But the same officials who agree with the farmers that something must be done exhibit a stubborn and puzzling hesitation to do anything but talk about it. So you can imagine our frustration with the whole problem.

Currently the Federal Milk Marketing Administrator sets the minimum price of milk paid to farmers. The processors that purchase our raw milk must pay us that minimum price. The processors could pay us more, but they simply don’t have to. The processors know that we have a perishable commodity and we have to sell it. When there were many small processors, a farmer had the option to sell his milk somewhere else, giving the farmer some pull in the market. But now the market is monopolized by big processors who leave us no choice.

“Supply and demand” the processors say, but that is so artificially manipulated it’s disgusting. The Federal Milk Market Administrator uses the market report from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), which trades less than one percent of the cheese manufactured in the United States. This makes it easy for the processors to send one or two extra railroad cars of cheese through the CME, simulating a surplus, driving down prices to farmers for their own profit. The milk protein concentrates that processors import also become part of the manipulation of supply and demand. Because processors can import milk protein concentrates at low cost and use them to manufacture cheese, the processor shows less need for our milk, which again lowers our price. The consumer should realize that milk in the United States is produced under the watchful eyes of our FDA and USDA, that keep our food safe. Milk protein concentrates are not regulated by these or any other organizations.

Currently, we are still selling our milk below the cost of production although the price does continue to climb. I recently went to a school to give a speech in a cafeteria and I spotted a vending machine with milk in it: 14 ounces for $1.25. That translates into over $120 for a hundred pounds (cwt) of milk retail. Currently dairy farmers are only getting between $17 and $18 for a hundred pounds of milk.

Now farmers are being told that milk could go over $20/cwt for a couple months. But two months doesn’t mean farmers are doing well. We have to avoid being pacified for just long enough to let the window of opportunity for action—like the 2007 farm bill that is now being drafted—to pass.

There is no more farmland than what we have now. When a farm goes out of business, more often than not it grows houses and never returns to agriculture. This country is no longer a breadbasket to the world, but a shopping basket from it. The milk supply in this country is more fragile than most people can imagine. It’s time to apply more pressure, not back off because prices are up. Stay activated. Call your representatives; call your Senators, Congressmen, and the governor. Call the Department of Agriculture. Encourage them to act for the good of our country, our economy, our agriculture, our food supply and our people. To secure our ability to produce food in this country farmers have to be profitable.

(Brian Smith, a dairyman from Milanville, PA, is a candidate for the position of Wayne County Commissioner.)

October 29, 2009 WES GILLINGHAM: The Catskills' future is up to us September 3, 2009 JEFFREY MOORE: Destroying it won't 'save'it August 6, 2009 BARBARA LEWIS: Trees: a legacy and a future July 9, 2009 SARAH CUTLER: Share the road June 11, 2009 SUSAN SCOTT: The democratization of information May 14, 2009 MICHAEL CHOJNICKI: A turning point April 16, 2009 JOHN CONWAY: Dual-mode transportation March 19,2009 KEITH LEPAN: NY H2O February 19, 2009 JEFFREY SEEDS: One-sidedness January 17, 2009 TOM HOLMES: Taking back the power December 25, 2008 TINA PALACEK: When a community is really a family November 27, 2008 STEPHANIE TURNER: Gas drilling from a realtor's perspective October 30, 2008 SUSAN SULLIVAN: From visiong to reality: the role of local government October 2, 2008 MARY BETH WOOD: Investing in career and technical education September 4, 2008 JOE LEVINE: When compromise is a recipe for disaster August 7, 2008 VIDAL MARTINEZ: The Upper Delaware experience July 10, 2008 WES GILLINGHAM: Sticking together June 12, 2008 LINDA COBB: The Harmony Project May 15, 2008 Barbara Arrindell: Looking back April 17, 2008 JO CLEARWATER: Welcome to the new world March 20, 2008 JONATHAN F. ROUIS: Out of many, one February 21, 2008 MIKE URETSKY: Mired in gas January 24, 2008 Some visionaries look at 2008 October 4, 2007 Greg Swarz: Coming Home September 6, 2007 Jim Serio: Educating the Delaware River Basin August 9, 2007 Stephanie Streeter: Still endangered? July 26, 2007 Molly Rodgers: Be informed, be connected July 12, 2007 Brad Krumholz: The landscape mind June 28, 2007 John Bunting: Milk price and power June 14, 2007 Brian Smith: It's time to work and worry May 31, 2007 Carol Roig: Celebrating history close to home May 17, 2007 Debbie Smorto: Be a part of the solution April 19, 2007 Robert Dadras: Creating a new direction for Sullivan County April 5, 2007 Dave Williams: Save your local dairy farm March 22, 2007 R.A. Dubensky: Losing our future March 8, 2007 Dave Williams: Save your local dairy farm February 22, 2007 Troy Bystrom: Conserve to preserve February 8, 2007 Alegra Jennings: Do you see what I see? January 18, 2007 Amy Gruzesk: A new alliance for business in Pike January 11, 2007 Grace Wildermuth: Our rural environment must be preserved December 28, 2006 John Jose: Meeting the challenges of stormwater management December 14, 2006 Daniel Kennedy: Making memories in Pike County November 30, 2006 Stephen Stuart: Sustainable Solutions November 16, 2006 Linda Cobb: The Harmony Project November 2, 2006 Judy Harlan: What municipalities can do about flooding October 19, 2006 Samuel Jackson: Walking the talk October 5, 2006 Jay Epstein: The foundations of a viable plan September 14, 2006 Tom Kane: The clean water act September 7, 2006 Skip Mendler: A community of communities August 24, 2006 FREDERICA LEIGHTON: Flood reality: vision or the lack of it August 10, 2006 DICK RISELING: A vision of actions July 27, 2006 PAT CARULLO AND MARCIA NEHEMIAH: Red plus blue equals green July 13, 2006 Neal Halloran: Greenway: a program whose time has come June 29, 2006 Steven Sharoff: Strong visions can change the world June 15, 2006 Heinrich Strauch: Cooking up a vision June 1, 2006 Jennifer C.S. Brylinski: The IDA keeps to its vision May 18, 2006 Norma and Bob Santee: Maintaining our environment May 4, 2006 Don Parry: The “vision thing” April 20, 2006 Joe Walsh: Keeping farms a mainstay of Sullivan County April 6, 2006 Heather Brown: Why I came here, and what keeps me here March 23, 2006 Pat Carullo: We are with the program March 09, 2006 Helen Budrock: The power of proactive thinking February 23, 2006 Carol Collier: A basin-wide collaboration February 9, 2006 Barbara Leo: A birding trail for the Upper Delaware January 26, 2006 Virginia Kennedy: Our vision—economic and environmental sustainability January 12, 2006 Tom Zeterburg: At the crossroads of two rivers December 29, 2005 Sally Corrigan: Hallmarks of a successful community December 15, 2005 “Better Models for Development” scores a hit - a compilation by Tom Kane and the Visioning Committee December 1, 2005 Brian Stuart: Protecting an amazing backyard resource November 17, 2005 John LiGreci: The need for a master plan November 3, 2005 Tom Kane: The need for intelligent land use practices October 20, 2005 Michael Chojnicki: The need for intelligent land use practices October 6, 2005 Alan Schadt: The Town of Highland through a crystal ball September 22, 2005 Ernie Mattern: Comprehensive Planning in Damascus September 8, 2005 Jerry DaBrescia: Visioning in Hancock August 25, 2005 Neal Halloran: Ways to secure open space August 11, 2005 Clem Fullerton: Flow woes August 11, 2005 Tom Kane: Options for preserving open space July 28, 2005 Charlie Buterbaugh: Fishing Days Gone July 28, 2005 George Fluhr: What's special about this place June 30, 2005 Tom Kane: There are many visions in the river valley June 30, 2005 Mary Curtis: My vision for the Upper Delaware River June 16, 2005 Sarah Sutto-Plunz: It depends on us June 16, 2005 Green buildings: a healthy revolution in the construction industry June 2, 2005 Pat Carullo: If horses can fly, rivers can speak! May 19, 2005 Laurie Stuart: A view from the ridge April 21, 2005 Rosie Starr: Preserving the Beauty of the Delaware River Valley April 7, 2005 Robert Burrow: Developing a plan takes study March 24, 2005 Tom Kane: Comprehensive Plan: The Key to the Future March 10, 2005 Katharine Dodge: We have a choice: aggressiveness or fairness February 24, 2005 Editorial: A tide in the affairs of men February 24, 2005 Jim Greier: Let’s not put our eggs in one basket February 10, 2005 Elliot Zucker: A voice for private property rights January 27, 2005 Steve Daley : Visions of business growth and home ownership January 13, 2005 Laura Quigley : Living and working in the land of plenty December 30, 2004 Dr. Martin Handler : My list of visions December 16, 2004 Dr. Bruce Getzan : Bringing harmony to contrasting visions December 2, 2004 Sally Talaga : Visioning’s first step November 18, 2004 Michele Ulmer : Be involved before it’s too late November 4, 2004 Marcia Nehemiah: It's all about the river October 21, 2004 John Drobysh: Balancing preservation with property rights October 7, 2004 Jeffrey Moore: Raising the standards in the river valley September 23, 2004 Dimitri Zaimes: The right and wrong of the Upper Delaware September 9, 2004 Frederica Leighton: Combining hindsight, foresight, present awareness and action August 26, 2004 Krista Gromalski: Turning the Conversation Up August 12, 2004 Jo Clearwater: Visioning July 29, 2004 Noel Van Swol: What about Property Rights? July 15, 2004 Cindy Wildermuth: A call for stewardship July 1, 2004 Tom Kane: Taking stock of the visioning process June 17, 2004 Dick Riseling: Sustainability and justice is at the heart of vision June 3, 2004 Peter Pinchot: Exurban sprawl or livable communities?