Sponsor
Subscribe to vtdigger.org
Dig us On
Donate
Your donation helps fund the digging and future development at vtdigger.org. Thank you.
Banner ad
Sponsor
Vermont economy
Vermont Receives $5.7 Million in Emergency Dairy Payments
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced that $5.7 million in emergency support to more than 1,000 Vermont dairy farmers has been released. The assistance, coming at a time when dairy farmers have experienced the lowest prices in 40 years, is part of a $350 million dairy assistance measure sponsored by Sanders. Continue reading
Got too much milk?
Nation’s largest dairy coop floats supply management plan
Vermont coops weigh programs to rein in milk supply Raw milk is a highly perishable product. Once it leaves the cow’s udder, it has to be processed into bottled milk, cheese, butter or yogurt within a few days. That fact makes dairy farmers more vulnerable to the vagaries of the market than other food producers. Dairymen (and women) can’t wait for a better price. Unlike… Continue reading
Antitrust division to probe complaints about Dean Foods’ alleged monopolistic practices
Justice official says “competition isn’t well served when one player controls 70 percent of the market”
Senators say dairy industry consolidation hurting farmers A lack of competition may allow dominant dairy processors to “exert power” and depress the price farmers receive for raw milk, according to Christine Varney, the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, who spoke at a congressional hearing held in St. Albans… Continue reading
Pillar of rural economy teetering
Communities where dairy is king take a hit economically
Dairy farming is the economic engine of small town Vermont, but the industry doesn’t garner the attention paid to monolithic employers, such as IBM and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. No one is proposing a Circ Highway expansion for milk trucks, or economic development incentives to keep dairy farmers in state. Maybe that’s because dairy farmers are too busy working 2,500-3,000 hours a year to… Continue readingSponsor
Weighing in: