The recent economic downturn has made business especially difficult for dairy farmers in Utah and elsewhere. According to NPR, in 2007 and 2008 milk prices were at an all-time high. However, as the economic situation in the country worsened, the demand for dairy products decreased and raw milk prices were set to reach the lowest they've been since 1978. Now many dairy farmers are losing more money than they can make on milk sales, and some farmers are resorting to bankruptcy or selling their herds. A recent ad by the Utah Dairy Council claims that in four years Utah lost 28% of its family-owned dairy operations, and the number of families running dairy farms in the state is now down to 240.
While milk prices dropped, the cost of feeding and caring for cattle did not. According to a March 2009 KSL report, farmers say the demand of crops used for ethanol in the summer of 2008 caused the price of feed to increase, and then the bottom fell out of the milk market. The short storage life of milk makes the dairy industry especially vulnerable to hard economic times. Unlike other commodi...
These ranchers are the ones who absolutely have to keep all the cows and calves alive. If one dies, more profit is lost. These “middle class” ranchers are the ones who struggle from year to year to make payments, but they love what they do and will not quit. Middle class ranchers are the ones who work day in and day out with little rest to continue to prosper. Feeding a family, continuing the tradition, and improving the cattle industry are just a few goals which these ranchers seem to strive for. Many people who live in town don’t understand the ranching industry. Shipping is when all the young calves are weaned and sent off to feedlots, where they will be fed out until they are old enough to butcher. Ranchers only get paid once a year, which is called shipping season. When income only comes in during September, October, or November, payments have to be set up for annually rather than monthly. For example, vehicle payments are made annually, usually set up to be made around November or December, as their calf check has come in and money is now available. The ranchers credit must also be outstanding as they are leaning on bank notes to get them through the year. Once shipping season rolls around, all the notes and payments can be made from the year. The Stimpson Brothers Ranch Incorporated, which is the family ranch which I live on, struggles from year to year, but doesn’t know any different lifestyle. Everyone grew up this way, are raising their kids the same way, and will die on the place, exactly how their parents did. They struggle to make ends meet and only have enough to get by, but they enjoy the life they live and are happy with what they accomplished. The countless hours of dedication and hard work only gave them more pride in the operation and industry itself. These hard working and determined ranchers are what the real ranching world is all
After reading McKibben and Hurst’s articles in the book Food Matters, both authors present arguments on “industrial farming”, and although Hurst provides a realistic sense on farming, McKibben’s suggestions should be what we think about.
At the same time, the local agricultural economy was experiencing a deep economic depression due to the severe droughs that had occured throughout the past decade. The loss of crops cut out the average farmers'/planters' main food source as well a...
this notion of stable supply and demand affected prices of farm commodities. “Low prices on
Farmer also did very badly from this. Overproduction meant that prices fell to the advantage of the consumer, and so farmers had to sell
• The collapse of farmland values and commodity prices in the 1980's increased the competition.
There is currently a “boom” in the price of farmland in Iowa. However, this is not the first time the cost per acre of farmland has seen an increase. There were two prior events that also greatly affected the price of Iowan farmland. These events occurred in the early 1920s and the early 1980s. Upon examining these former “Golden Eras in Agriculture,” we can begin to learn more about the causes of price fluctuations.
government to set the minimum price and amount sold of a good at the market.
The effect from both the Dust Bowl drought and the Great Depression made it hard on farmers in the early 1900’s; it was hard for farmers to produce crops (“The Ultimate AP US History”). Farmers with small businesses were forced to end
had money to buy beef and cattle which was in great demand. A cow that cost 4
Although factory farms may sound harmful, they are good to the animals, the environment, and the farmers that look over them. Just like humans, animals love to be around other animals. They want the contact between each other or they will get lonely. Factory farms help make this possible by raising an abundance of animals, whether it is beef cattle, swine, dairy cattle, or the most common, chickens. Like what the media portrays, Factory Farms have negative influences on animals in agriculture and society as a whole.
... The routine conversation that is usually conducted when we gather together is concerning the inflated price of milk of which has transpired within the last ten years. With possessing a small child the need for the consumption of milk is not considered an optional luxury but a necessary commodity for small children and their overall development. With inflated prices on necessary commodities, such as milk, for many young families produces an enormous financial burden with monthly demands of milk. Dealing with this issue of inflation is an extremely difficult issue to bring a conclusive solution towards however, the article makes a good point in sharing that there is a vital need to reexamine the present system.
The current Production Capacity is Low to face the upcoming competition-The dairy currently produces 10000 liters of milk per day even after 30 years of presence in the market. This will certainly affect the chances to take advantage of the current growing market and to manage the consumption cycles of the industry. The question of whether to decide on the expansion of production capacity: With an incredible growth expected in the industry, the issue that the management faces now is, whether to increase the production capacity or not. This is very much needed as the expansion of production capacity will equip the company to supply and cater to the demand as well as attain economies of scale, which can be used as a competitive advantage against the new entrants. However, this calls for capital investments on the assets required for expansion.
Envision a farm with an abundance of animals and crops. The farm that most likely comes to mind is not one of giant machinery and smokestacks of pollution, but a vision of the old red barn and cows grazing freely. Sadly, these types of farms are mostly gone in the United States. These ‘family farms’ are being replaced every day by bigger, more industrialized farms. It is sad to see such a staple of the American culture being washed away by a type of farm that is being used purely for economic reasons. Family farming is slowly disappearing from the American landscape. We, as Americans, need to realize the importance of family farming because it produces high quality foods and helps economically for the local community.
Climate change is one of the major issues surfacing earth over the past century. The earth’s temperature has increased over the years leading to detrimental effects on the economic and life sources of people, especially that of agricultural production and livestock. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary (2014), defined climate change as a change in global climate patterns apparent from the mid late 20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, (2007) predicts that by 2100 the increase in global average surface temperature may be between 1.8° C and 4.0° C. With increases of 1.5° C to 2.5° C, approximately 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species are expected to be at risk of extinction. Moreover, the IPCC (2007) purported that climate change has severe consequences for food security in developing countries. There are numerous factors that are solely responsible for this change which are both natural and man-made. Climate change has led to a decrease in quality and quantity of plant produce and livestock because of heat stress, drought and an increase in plant and animal diseases.