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FMMO Milk Pricing Issue 2024

March 23, 2024

A Look at the Dairy Industry

January 23, 2023

Hosted by Bill Sayre WDEV radio, presented by Bill Rowell.

Listen here

Dairy Market Competition

January 2023
During 1970 there were 648,000 dairy farms operating in the United States, by 1988 the number
was 216,000, and by 2018 there were 40,000 remaining. Milk production at that point was 217
Billion lbs., better than half of which (50.3 %) , was produced by 2.9 % of those farms. Read the article

Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance Letter to the US Secretary of Agriculture

Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance Letter to Sonny Perdue, April 15, 2020

Read the letter

As Dairy Farms Head Into 5th Year Of Low Milk Prices, Support Builds For Supply Management

Avoiding The Issue

Bill Rowell, November 15, 2018 Dairy co operatives are beginning to recognize a need to manage their milk supply. Federal regulation allows this practice, and is presently being utilized by a couple of the larger  cooperatives. Read the paper.

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Bill Giving Citizens Right To Sue Over Water Pollution Has Financially Strapped Farmers On Edge

Bill Rowell, chairman of Vermont Dairy Producer's Alliance (VDPA) is interviewed at the statehouse by John Dillon for the VPR evening news. May 7, 2018
Listen to the interview

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As State Regs Tighten, Vermont Dairy Farmers Seek Unifying Voice

Leon Thompson, Vermont Correspondent, Sept 23, 2016

Lancaster Farming

Read the article

 

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Vermont Farmer and GMO Proponent Likes Federal Bill But Others Are Not Pleased

Leon Thompson, Vermont Correspondent, Jul 30, 2016

Lancaster Farming

Read the article

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Unhealthy Fixation

By William Saletan, July 15, 2015

"The war against genetically modified organisms is full of fear mongering, errors, and fraud. Labeling them will not make you safer.".....Read the article

 

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USA Today GMO Story

Dan D’Ambrosio, USA TODAY 3:41 p.m. EDT, June 9, 2014

Burlington, Vt. -- There was a celebration on the Statehouse steps in May when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill into law that made Vermont the first state to require labeling....Read More

 

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Letter of Appreciation
September 13, 2014 - Letter of appreciation for hosting a farm tour and participating in The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) conference on "Ag Literacy". Read the letter here

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Cow Power Turns Manure Into Electricity
Sheldon, Vt., October 19, 2013
This idea was the seed, according to Bill Rowell: If a region, state or country wants to be energy independent, with stability, and protect its environment, it should use its available resources.
To Vermont farmers, their most abundant resource was obvious...Read more

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Farm Bill Response
June 25, 2012
I will begin by offering my thanks to the many of you who have put great effort into improving national policy for the dairy farmer, since there is little time for you to hear from everyone I will be brief. I notice that progress on dairy at times seems to stall, and that lobbyists are quick...Read more

 

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Dairy Bill Status Report
I am writing to request your consideration and support, and to implement the management tools necessary to prevent the next crisis, which is slated for 2012 if we choose to continue this three year cycle of boom and bust. This devastation can likely be avoided if we prepare ourselves. During 2009 there was little argument as markets began to recede, the producer sector found itself relying on tools and policy that proved incapable of correcting a problem ... Read more

 

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A Farewell Tribute To Our Friend, Doug Maddox
Riverdale, California, December 27, 2011
To read click here.

 

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International Congress of Milk Producing Nations

I will begin by expressing my gratitude to our friends from Argentina for demonstrating leadership in the dairy industry, for their careful attention to detail in organizing the Congreso Internacional de Productores de Leche (CIPLE) , and for their kind hospitality and friendship. This International Congress of Milk Producers was convened in Argentina in the City of Villa Maria, Cordoba, September 19, 2011, the two day program was repeated in Sunchales, Santa Fe, a region some 300 km distant, and concluded there on September 23'rd. In attendance were a total of 16 countries... Read more

 

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Genex

During the downturn of 2006,  we watched trailer loads of milk leave our farm well below what was considered fair market value, the next crisis had already been predicted for 2009, and it was to be followed by yet another sometime during 2012, so on and so forth;  we recognized our lack of control over the situation then, and its similarity to the 50's and 60's on our Dad's farm.  We agreed that change in national dairy policy would have to take place one day soon and finally recognize the producer as being key to a viable dairy industry, that it would be necessary to develop management tools to address the needs of the producer, and that allowing industry partners to speak for producers all these years had been an apparent oversight on our part, the producer community. Read more

 

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A Unified National Response as Dairy Producers  

The National Dairy Producers Organization Inc. is a 501 c3 not for profit corporation formed in compliance with Delaware state law, the organization came to exist legally on November 19, 2010. We established a Board of Directors from the organizing committee and then elected corporate officers. Our attorney is Mr. Fred Fielding who served as General Counsel for three U.S. Presidents, and whose offices are located on Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C. Membership consists of voting members and associate members, voting members must either be a current or retired dairy farmer; associate members are typically those whose livelihood depends on the milk check such as vendors, which account for much of our rural infrastructure across the nation. Anyone can join the organization as an associate member Read more

 

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The Morses Line Port of Entry

September 25, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen, this morning we intend to demonstrate our need and community support for keeping the Morses Line Port of Entry open. Morses Line is a small Port of Entry and does not account for high volumes of traffic experienced at major ports, although it does serve as relief for Highgate Springs during times of heavy traffic, or crisis. To read the entire speech click here.

 

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USDA/US DOJ Dairy Workshop
Planting our crops is a great effort and expense, planning, preparing, and then waiting for favorable conditions. Positive results are essential to our livelihood and the decision to proceed usually comes down to common sense and gut instinct, conditions have to be just right, waiting is difficult and time is money.
Since 1970, we have seen the number of dairy farms in this country drop from 648,000 to the 54,000 remaining today. We have seen the consolidation of a number of small farms result in 1 large farm. Read more

 

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American Farm Bureau Meeting 

January 18, 2010

In view of the fact that the American Farm Bureau (AFB) represents a cross section of agriculture in the United States, its voice is something of a barometer for policy decisions at the Congressional level.

The AFB held its annual meeting January 9 – 13 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, Washington this year. Delegates represented all fifty states before an audience, which exceeded 5,000 attendees.

The diversity of agriculture represented at the meeting and AFB policy on the vast array of topics required a great deal of time, patience and consideration to move forward in the better interest of our country. To read more about the trip click here.

 

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The Producer's Voice

We rely on history in our search to move forward, it recounts lessons of our success and failure and is littered with the many experiments, which put us here today. Some of the problems we face today result from yesterday's solutions and literally glare at us waiting for a response in order to move forward, a lack of response confines us to facing the result of our current dilemma in a repetitive cycle of crisis after crisis. Read more

 

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U.S. Senate Judiciary Hearing on Dairy Pricing

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing on Dairy Pricing in St. Albans Vermont during September of 2009. I was honored to be asked to present testimony. Read more  or  Select this link to view the testimony.

 

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Vermont Cow Power Contingent travels to Rimouski, Quebec

August 20, 2009

The idea of this trip started in the fall of 2008 when Dominic and Najat Dufour traveled from the Gaspe Peninsula Quebec Canada with their 3 year old daughter Leila to visit the CVPS Cow Power™ project at Green Mountain Dairy in Sheldon, Vermont.  After their visit, the Dufours invited Bill Rowell to the city of Rimouski to speak with a group of people interested in championing the idea of developing anaerobic digesters on the smaller farms of their region. The delegation had the endorsement of Vermont's Governor, Lt Governor and Secretary of Agriculture. The Rimouski Quebec group was very interested to learn about how CVPS Cow Power™ works, and the process of bringing together the various groups to facilitate such a project.  To read more about the trip click here.

 

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How Do you Stop a Crisis?

While it is recognized that markets fluctuate, our need for a milk market finds us producing for some that are volatile. Last year's export market of nearly 11% quickly disappeared causing an over supply of milk which invited our current situation. We need to identify stable markets for our product, manage our supply to meet demand, and discourage a market surplus through price. Read more

 

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Northeast Dairy Summit

March 21, 2009

Dairy Farmers Working Together hosted the Northeast Dairy Summit on March 20, 2009 in Burlington, Vermont.

Thank you to our attendees and everyone whose hard work made the conference a success!

Featured Speakers were Nationally Recognized Dairy Economist Chuck Nicholson, Cornell University; John Meyer, Holstein Association; Rob Vandenheuvel, Milk Producers Council; Calvin Covington, Southeast Milk Inc.;
Bob Naerebout and Jim Stewart, Idaho Dairymen’s Assoc.

DFWT remains committed to providing creative answers in unsettled times.
Contact 802-848-7446

 

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U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee Field Hearing

On March 12, 2007 the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture held a field hearing on the 2007 Farm Bill, in Montpelier, Vermont.

I was asked to give testimony for the Vermont Farm community. Read more

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Brian & Bill Rowell Families accepting the Vermont Farm of the Year award

 

Green Mountain Dairy Recognized As Vermont Dairy Farm Of The Year
By Lisa Halvorsen
Freelance Agricultural Journalist for University of Vermont Extension
Like many top dairy producers in Vermont, Brian and Bill Rowell attribute their success in large part to their ability to think outside the box to maximize available resources to maximize profits. Cow comfort ranks high on their agenda, as does communicating effectively with their 15 fulltime employees and using sustainable practices to protect the environment and preserve the land for future generations.