A NOTE FROM FARMER JERRY:
Many of you have been reading about the challenges small dairy farms are facing. This past week 2 farmers contacted me about their struggles with finding a market for their milk. The number of dairy farms in America is down to 28,000 from the 32,000 only a year ago. I talked yesterday to a dairy farmer in Springville who said there are 10 small dairies that will go out of business this year in his area. One new 30,000 cow dairy is planning to build south of Rochester. This new farm could displace 600 small dairies of 50 cows. Our food security is at risk even though the same number of cows are milked, because we are putting all of our eggs in one basket. A crisis at one dairy of this size breaks the food chain as we saw during COVID. These small family farms have no way to compete with the cheap milk from large farms. Why not allow these small family dairies to sell raw milk, cream, and butter in their neighborhood and keep them producing food? We are attempting to do this at Sunny Cove Farm, and the response from consumers has been amazing. One challenge has been “on farm sales only” rule from Ag.+Mkts. with raw milk sales. The solution is to sell the raw milk through our on-Line store and have the consumers pick up their milk here at the farm. The consumers love the fresh milk, but they also want this delicious milk made into butter and cream. For everyone not familiar with the law, regulations do not allow for any type of distribution of raw cream or raw butter. If raw milk permitted dairies could sell their milk at farmers markets and deliver off the farm, this would increase our food security and provide small farms a market. If the farmer could also provide raw cream and butter this would help the consumer and the farmer. Unfortunately our state does not allow raw cream or raw butter to be produced or sold or even allow for any type of distribution (monetary or not) of raw cream or butter. It appears that the only legal butter and cream has to come from a pasteurized plant. Does this mean that a consumer who legally purchases raw milk cannot make raw milk cream and butter? No, but it could stand in the way of consumers buying raw milk legally and not being able to hire a farmer to make cream and butter. I prefer to believe that we still have the freedom to choose what we eat. What do you think? In reading the dairy books printed in 1929, all the farms made butter, cream, and cheese and it wasn’t until 1860 that a factory made cheese. If you would like to help build food security please contact the following and ask them to allow permitted raw milk farmers to sell their milk at farmers markets and deliver off the farm.
Would you be willing to help us change the law?
Thank you in advance for your help. The people to contact are:
Casey McCue, Director of Milk Control
10B Airline Drive
Albany, N.Y. 12235
518-457-1772
Commissioner Richard Ball
10B Airline Drive
Albany, N.Y. 12235
commissioner @agriculture.ny.gov
518-457-2771
Farmer Jerry
(Contact Farmer Jerry at: rawmilkmove@gmail.comor call him at 607-587-9282)
Sincerely,
Jerry Snyder