Comments on USDA Milk Purchasing Program

NFFCPress Room

In response to USDA’s announcement of a new program to purchase fluid milk for distribution to The Emergency Food Assistance Program, National Family Farm Coalition sent a letter to USDA and Congressional agriculture leaders that included a Section 32 milk purchasing initiative among a list of suggested actions to address the urgent dairy crisis. NFFC applauds the agency’s decision to establish this purchasing program. It will provide a much-needed market for some of the surplus milk contributing to low farmer prices while putting wholesome dairy products into the hands and stomachs of people in need. However, NFFC’s proposal of the program was intended as a temporary measure, and we hope that USDA and Congress will take the additional steps outlined in our letter.

Retailers Want to Own Farmers – CAFOs Fill the Bill

Jim GoodmanBlog

But having the blessing of UDSA, CAFO’s continue to grow to the point that “About half of the organic milk sold in the U.S. is coming from very large factory farms that have no intention of living up to organic principles.” according to Mark Kastel, co-director of the nonprofit Cornucopia Institute.

In Organic Farming, Rules Are Not Made to be Broken

Jim GoodmanBlog

No organic farmer will deny there are times when animals get sick, it is too wet to cultivate or it gets so dry you have to buy feed and you remember your past life as a conventional farmer, when there was a synthetic fix for the problem or feed that was an easy phone call away. But no one ever said farming would be easy; you just figure it out, learn from the problem and plan ahead.

Pro Ag Holds Press Conference in Tunkhannock

NFFCPress Room

At a press conference held at the Perkins Restaurant in Tunkhannock, Arden Tewksbury, Manager of Progressive Agriculture Organization (Pro-Ag) announced that several farm organizations, milk cooperatives, and county commissioners have petitioned the USDA in Washington DC asking for a national milk hearing for all dairy farmers.  The petition clearly asks the Department of Agriculture to conduct milk hearings that would allow the average dairy farmer to testify and illustrate the severity of the problems that the majority of dairy farmers are experiencing.