End of an era.

[Brebis]

The other side of this equation is the fact there are fewer and fewer small and medium sized feed mills and food processors that are still around to have a local relationship with small and medium sized farmers. Once the mills/processors and retailers get big enough they can squeeze smaller framers who just can’t compete with the economies of scale of the bigger ones.

I’ve worked in several cheese dairies over the last 20 years and have seen several (including Black River here in PEC that was 114 years old) fold because they tried to chase the bigger guys. I have just started a job working at one of the biggest dairies in Canada and though it pays well and the people are great, it makes consistent, cheap and bland cheese-oh how I miss getting fresh curd just made or wonderful handmade artisan cheese covered in a blanket of colourful moulds!

The agricultural middle is being lost and with it the stability that all these linked businesses create in local rural economies. I agree with you Gubi that despite its shortcomings the quota system has been good for farmers and the G&M take is very biased.

[G Williams]

One thing that the Press overlooks, is that our Milk Marketing system has been good to Milk Processors, who also have a captive supply that provides a bar to entry to new entrants. Lets not forget the people who Truck the raw milk or distribute the finished product. The drive for more efficiency is muted all the way down the line.

[Skinny rooster]

To me it's as simple as this, I love milk, I drink a lot, I love Canadian milk because it's pure, clean and drug free. I don't want American milk up here, I don't give a rat's behind how safe the big chemical companies say their hormone injected milk is, these are the same type of companies that said feeding cows dead sheep won't cause mad cow disease.... oops. Plus TVO ran a document saying that the American system accepts puss and blood in their milk, but hey it's ok according to them as long as it's so many parts per million. Canada doesn't allow any...... so it's either I buy wholesome Canadian milk or I will stop buying milk, simple as that for me.

[MommaChick]

My boss just sold last april. I cried when I cleaned the parlour for the last time. We use the cows as nurse cows and raise veal now. Quota is a the only thing keeping Canadian Dairy Farmer afloat in my opinion. Hydro, fuel and feed are through the roof, equipment is astronomical. I bought 1 cow and 1 heifer when he was done milking last year, just because it made me less sad about the whole thing.

[Skinny rooster]

I pass by this guy's farm every day on my way to work, he sold all the cows and moved to a newer house. The farm looks abandoned, it has always been a busy farm all my life, so sad to see. The trouble was he just couldn't get reliable help. Very stressful if you have to take your kid to the hospital and then come home to find that the relief milker didn't bother to show up because he wanted to play on his four wheeler all day with his buddies, plus couldn't be bothered to at least say he wasn't coming. No milking done, no cleaning out, everything balling for feed. Plus all the other garbage that other people listed. I think he made a smart move, less stress, good money return and a lot more time for his kids now.

[KimChick]

Skinny...it truly is a sad situation and there's no easy or even possible solution...the root of it is money of course..and the whole thing about the milk production thing was screwed up right from the get go when they issued quota, which in itself was not a bad idea, but went off the rails when the quota became the main commodity on the dairy farm...when a farmer who had been issued milk quota at no cost at the outset retired, he should have had to return the quota to the system..instead, it was kept and sold to the highest bidder and it got stupid expensive and a part of the huge cost of owning the farm...so young people wanting in couldnt afford it...its not the whole thing of course, there are many other issues, such as no one wanting a 24/7 job never really leaving the farm...an accute business accumen, rising costs for everything and a supressed price for your product...and so on...but yeah, those days that we grew up in are gone gone gone...

I believe that would be because Canada has a Dairy Board, correct?

[TomK]

Kim... I am not a Dairy Farmer but I believe it's the Ontario milk marketing board but I'm not certain about what happens at the federal level and yes they screwed up royally back when they did not take back the quota that was handed out free to farmers at the beginning of the program and reallocate it fairly to new entries but rather allowed it to be a commodity that the farmer who had it could sell at an ever escalating price which is now out of the reach of anyone entering the dairy milk business.... Therefore it's virtually impossible for anybody to start up a small operation and only the existing big guys can afford to pay the ridiculous prices attached to quota

[baronrenfrew]

Family farming is (almost) dead. Either you have a market garden, or you're in agribusiness. Then the "farm" can be big enough to hire more people and move them around where needed. Go big or go home.
Even small wineries make more money as wedding venues and tourism than making wine.

[Killerbunny]

Just wanted to ask the Dairy Farmers here a question (or anyone). I bought some "35% cream" and yoghourt. I noticed on the new packaging a maple leaf. It proudly announces Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients. What is that about? I should say that all the ingredients in the yoghourt were dairy except for the culture.

[Brebis]

The only dairy products that are wholly made from Canadian ingredients ( fresh milk, cream, skim milk) and will have the Blue Cow logo on the packaging, otherwise they can put a Canadian flag on it and say made in Canada but it can include imported ingredients and varied modified milk ingredients. The Blue Cow logo has strict conditions for its use and is the only guarantee that it made from Canadian milk.