U.S. dairy farms are disappearing at an alarming rate and milk prices are partially to blame.
Since the 1970s more than 600,000 U.S. dairy farms have closed their barn doors. While the number of farms has declined, the average herd has grown.
Today, more than 60% of all U.S. milk production occurs on farms with more than 2,500 cows.
One of the biggest problems dairy farmers face is milk pricing. Since 1937, the Federal Milk Marketing Order has set a monthly, uniform price minimum for milk based on its use. The order is meant to ensure farmers are paid accurately and in a timely manner, but some argue it has missed the mark here lately.
Dairy farmers across the country are set to vote on a new set of Federal Milk Marketing Orders come the new year, an opportunity to make a change that has been a long time in the making.
