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Calif. expected to lose 100 dairy farms
San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate.com ^ | Updated 10:56 p.m., Saturday, October 13, 2012 | Stacy Finz

Posted on 10/14/2012 11:23:39 AM PDT by thecodont

The nation's drought and high corn prices are devastating California's $8 billion dairy industry to the point where farmers can't afford to feed their cows - and their professional trade organization has been regularly referring despondent dairymen to suicide hotlines.

Experts in the industry estimate that by year's end California, the largest dairy state in the nation, will have lost more than 100 dairies to bankruptcies, foreclosures and sales. Milk cows are being slaughtered at the fastest rate in more than 25 years because farmers need to save on corn costs. According to the Western United Dairymen, a California trade group, three dairy farmers have committed suicide since 2009, despairing over losing their family's dairies.

"I've never seen it as dire as it is now," said Frank Mendonsa, a Tulare dairyman who serves on the Western United Dairymen board. "Pride is just eating these guys up. People are calling me and asking me what to do. It becomes like a counseling session to stop people from hurting themselves. But it's not just losing our jobs that is driving the desperation. We're losing our houses, in some cases the same houses that our grandparents lived in, and we're losing our entire identities."

The problems started in 2009, when milk prices bottomed out and grain prices soared, partly due to the government's ethanol mandate. Congress is requiring that gasoline producers blend 15 billion gallons of ethanol, made from corn, into the nation's gas supply by 2015. Dairy farmers were forced to borrow against their land and cows to make their bills.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Calif-expected-to-lose-100-dairy-farms-3946897.php#ixzz29IaSB7WG

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: agenda21; dairyfarms; economy; ethanol; feedcosts
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1 posted on 10/14/2012 11:23:45 AM PDT by thecodont
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To: thecodont

This will make it that much easier to apply UN Agenda 21 to those farms.


2 posted on 10/14/2012 11:25:58 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the psychopath.)
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To: thecodont

So much for those happy cows.


3 posted on 10/14/2012 11:26:40 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: thecodont
The problems started in 2009, when milk prices bottomed out and grain prices soared, partly due to the government's ethanol mandate. Congress is requiring that gasoline producers blend 15 billion gallons of ethanol, made from corn, into the nation's gas supply by 2015. Dairy farmers were forced to borrow against their land and cows to make their bills.

Law of unintended consequences. The ethanol and milk price supports created this situation.

4 posted on 10/14/2012 11:27:57 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: thecodont

No mention of the highest taxes in the nation and high regulations on these farmers.

Let’s not tell the truth. That would be too easy.


5 posted on 10/14/2012 11:28:38 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal The 16th Amendment!)
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To: thecodont
More "Hope and Change" at work?

I know I'm "Hoping for a Change" (Actually Praying for a Change) come Nov 6th!

6 posted on 10/14/2012 11:31:24 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty ("Get that evil, foreign, muslim, usurping, gay bastard out of MY White House!" FUBO!)
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To: thecodont

Californians don’t need milk, let them drink Merlot.


7 posted on 10/14/2012 11:31:56 AM PDT by centurion316
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To: thecodont
Ah. The perfect example of the ruinous effect of one of life's shibboleths - the curse of unintended consequences to half baked ideas given substance, id est, ethanol is such a great, green idea to save the planet. What does it matter if the production of ethanol drives up the price of grain, removes a food source from masticatory consumption, and delivers a supply of liquid that causes increased engine wear and reduced mileage?

The loss of dairies is a necessary sacrifice to the goddess Gaea.

8 posted on 10/14/2012 11:35:16 AM PDT by Thommas (The snout of the camel is in the tent..)
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To: unixfox

“No mention of the highest taxes in the nation and high regulations on these farmers.Let’s not tell the truth. That would be too easy.”

And just how do you know this? Please provide some specifics! Most regulation on farming is at the Federal level, so show us where the State is involved. As the article points out, California is THE LARGEST DAIRY STATE in the country! Where are you going to get your milk if it goes bust? You must be a sorry excuse for a human being if you relish this kind of personal distress, but it appears that you do!


9 posted on 10/14/2012 11:35:52 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: SeaHawkFan

It’s so ironic. CA has both oil and cows, gov’t won’t let them have either.


10 posted on 10/14/2012 11:36:03 AM PDT by thecodont
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To: thecodont

Dairy farming was once a major industry in Southern California. In 1960, there were nothing but dairy farms for miles along Goldenwest St. in Huntington Beach, an area that is today filled with shopping centers, office buildings, etc. Many of their owners had Dutch names.

The last dairies in Southern California, in the Chino Valley, are rapidly disappearing.


11 posted on 10/14/2012 11:39:37 AM PDT by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: thecodont
"I've never seen it as dire as it is now," said Frank Mendonsa, a Tulare dairyman who serves on the Western United Dairymen board. "Pride is just eating these guys up. People are calling me and asking me what to do. It becomes like a counseling session to stop people from hurting themselves. But it's not just losing our jobs that is driving the desperation. We're losing our houses, in some cases the same houses that our grandparents lived in, and we're losing our entire identities."

Many of the Texas cattle ranchers lost their cattle and ranches, after last year's drought. I don't recall the rancher's being referred to a suicide hotline, though.

12 posted on 10/14/2012 11:44:29 AM PDT by Jane Long (Soli Deo Gloria!)
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To: centurion316

“Californians don’t need milk, let them drink Merlot.”

Keep your stinkling hands off of my 5 gallons of whole milk a week!!!!!


13 posted on 10/14/2012 11:48:27 AM PDT by dalereed
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To: thecodont

We don’t need these greedy, fly producing polluters.
We can get all the milk we need at the grocery store.


14 posted on 10/14/2012 11:52:30 AM PDT by umgud (No Rats, No Rino's)
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To: centurion316

Soy Milk, Almond Milk


15 posted on 10/14/2012 11:57:38 AM PDT by Gadsden1st
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To: thecodont

When you burn your food in your gas tank, this is what you get.


16 posted on 10/14/2012 11:59:45 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: thecodont

The dairy farmers can rest easy now, a Dairy Future Task Force has been formed to study the problem, gather information, make field trips, interview stake holders and other concerned persons.

When the subject has been thoroughly examined a report will assembled and given a public comment period, any changes discussed and a final draft prepared for the legislature and the last two dairy farmers in California to consider.

Final issue date unknown.


17 posted on 10/14/2012 12:00:48 PM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: SeaHawkFan
Law of unintended consequences. The ethanol and milk price supports created this situation.

Government intervention in a free market never works. It only makes things worse.

In the end, everybody gets screwed -- the suppliers, the processors, the consumers. Not to mention the taxpayers, who pay for the subsidies.

18 posted on 10/14/2012 12:00:59 PM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA; Ignorance on parade.)
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To: thecodont

Hmm, the government forces me to burn corn in my car while putting dairies out of business due to high corn prices. Nice work.


19 posted on 10/14/2012 12:02:13 PM PDT by Wayne07
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To: Jane Long

I’m surprised California doesn’t refer them to an assisted suicide hotline.


20 posted on 10/14/2012 12:06:22 PM PDT by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
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