Don't give up on small dairies

Don't give up on small dairies. You've heard it, so believe me when I say the last year has been incredibly difficult for ALL dairy farms. We just experience the struggles differently based on generation, size and manpower. Dairy farming is a way of life and for many families it has been the way of life for years and years and years. Thank you. Thank you to the children who have chosen to stay on the farm and take it over caringly. Year by year battling the hardships and pushing through to see the family farm continues. 97% of farms are family owned. Every year they grow and they invest in land or equipment or buildings and cattle.

But when the family farm begins most times it is small. The equipment is old, the herd is young and the debt is hefty. What would you say to that farmer with just 7 years under her belt? What would you tell her when she asked, "is there still a place in this business for a small farm?" Because she hasn't been through this before and all she sees are established farms feeling the stress or getting bigger. How would you follow up the response when you notice the tears in her eyes listening to someone say "small farms are going to get pushed out"?

After a year of dealing with "milk surplus" and our income being reduced well beyond what is feasible, I cannot help but wonder when is enough? How many cows do you HAVE to milk?

I am not my husband. He started this business because he does not easily accept no. I am the wife who supported his idea. I am the mom who has gotten attached to being home with her kids and taking care of her animals. I am the farmer who knows the needs of her cattle and of her children and knows if she expands right now something has to give. So when someone tells me they just aren't sure a small farm will make it, it gets me down. I have reasons why I want to stay a small farm. And yes, I know that it takes the milk hauler A LOT more stops to fill his truck BUT he will also get a lot more holiday treats this Christmas.

I ask that you not give up on the small dairy farm. I ask those that can't even define a "small dairy" today to remember the majority of farms are less than 200 milking. And I ask consumers to continue adding dairy in your diet because waking up early and working long days, weekend and holidays is a lot easier to do when people appreciate and need the product.

-Farm on, Nicole

Raw Milk in Michigan

Did you know in Michigan it is illegal for me to sell raw milk? Sure is; I could lose my Grade A license which allows me to sell my product to a cooperative. Over the last few years I have received more and more questions about selling or trading milk from my farm, but the answer is always no. There is a lot of chatter whether or not raw milk is better for you or taste different but to tell you the truth my kids and I have NEVER tried the milk from our cows. It's a personal choice but my husband drinks milk from the cows and so far he seems fine.

The sale of raw milk from me is illegal here in Michigan but you do have the option for cowshares. Cowshares would include entering into a contract with a farmer and paying them to harvest the milk for you. An annual payment would give you ownership in a cow and pay for her spot on their farm. A monthly payment would help the farmer feed your cow and cover the labor for them to give you 'X' amount of milk a month. This is legal because you assume ownership of the cow, and removes the farmer from selling a product you could become sick from.

Another option you have for raw milk is to have your own cow that you milk yourself. This would come with financial responsibility and the expense of your own labor to feed and care for the animal, but if you have the acreage and shelter it may be something you'll consider. Some things to keep in mind are that cattle do not produce milk until they have delivered their first calf. You will want to purchase a cow that is in milk and possibly even confirmed pregnant, that way you get milk immediately and can continue getting milk after the calf is born. There will be a period before the calf is born that you need to stop milking the cow... So maybe your homestead will have two cows 😉

There are a lot of pro's and con's to the argument of raw milk and the great thing is that it's your choice to make. I choose to buy my milk from the grocery store because it is what I'm comfortable with. Milk on the store shelves comes from Michigan dairy farms and it travels from farm to fridge in 48 hours. That's pretty darn fresh. At processing plants milk is pasteurized (required by law) and homogenized, bottled and labeled. Thank goodness for our milk haulers and truck drivers who mooo-ve the goods!!

I hope everyone continues to keep dairy in their diet, regardless of where you get it from. Who knows, maybe the law will change in the next several years or maybe I'll start branding my own milk like these Michigan families (check them out).

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Shetler Family Dairy

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