Figure this one out?

[GMN]

Got the milk check price the other day, it went down $3 a cwt from this time last month, its got alot of us quite peeved! Someone is making some serious money off of us, because milk prices are still high in the stores. I'm going to raise some cain, and get some answers. Its strange because last Saturday at the egg hunt, I ran into a older farmer, and he said he had heard it was coming, but I just didn't believe it, and wham. He also said in July milk prices would be at all time highs, and the beef market too. I'm gonna hang onto my animals to sell until then, and see if he is right. Now the market is bad, no sense giving the animals away, is there?

GMN

 

[TexasBred]

Got the milk check price the other day, it went down $3 a cwt from this time last month, its got alot of us quite peeved! Someone is making some serious money off of us, because milk prices are still high in the stores. I'm going to raise some cain, and get some answers. Its strange because last Saturday at the egg hunt, I ran into a older farmer, and he said he had heard it was coming, but I just didn't believe it, and wham. He also said in July milk prices would be at all time highs, and the beef market too. I'm gonna hang onto my animals to sell until then, and see if he is right. Now the market is bad, no sense giving the animals away, is there?

GMN

Gail, do you sell to DFA? In years past they've always been able to come up with every excuse in the world to justify milk price cuts. Never heard of milk prices being high in July... that's usually when they usually really cut prices..right when you need it. Friday on futures board milk was still over $18 a hundred. But that's down from $20 a couple months ago.

 

[bigbull338]

what has the block cheese an butter been doing the last 2 weeks.that could be the reason that the milk took $3/100 nose dive.that or your bufferfat or protine levels has taken a nose dive.an DFA loves to dropp the pay prices as quick as they can.

 

[GMN]

Got the milk check price the other day, it went down $3 a cwt from this time last month, its got alot of us quite peeved! Someone is making some serious money off of us, because milk prices are still high in the stores. I'm going to raise some cain, and get some answers. Its strange because last Saturday at the egg hunt, I ran into a older farmer, and he said he had heard it was coming, but I just didn't believe it, and wham. He also said in July milk prices would be at all time highs, and the beef market too. I'm gonna hang onto my animals to sell until then, and see if he is right. Now the market is bad, no sense giving the animals away, is there?

GMN

Gail, do you sell to DFA? In years past they've always been able to come up with every excuse in the world to justify milk price cuts. Never heard of milk prices being high in July... that's usually when they usually really cut prices..right when you need it. Friday on futures board milk was still over $18 a hundred. But that's down from $20 a couple months ago.

Yep that is who I sell to, and all i can say about them is they are a bunch of shizters!

GMN

 

[dun]

Yep that is who I sell to, and all i can say about them is they are a bunch of shizters!

GMN

Sadly the other outfit that some of the producers use isn;t any better. A couple of years ago they kept their prices higher and a bunch of the local dairys abandoned their contracts with DFA, paid a penalty and went with the other outfit. Now from what I've been told they're just like DFA.

 

[GMN]

Yep that is who I sell to, and all i can say about them is they are a bunch of shizters!

GMN

Sadly the other outfit that some of the producers use isn;t any better. A couple of years ago they kept their prices higher and a bunch of the local dairys abandoned their contracts with DFA, paid a penalty and went with the other outfit. Now from what I've been told they're just like DFA.

I'm calling the fieldman today, gonna raise some stink, and the mood I'm in, I don't think I'll be stopping there. Figures, of course, now I have had 7 fresh cows, my milk is way up, but will I be any better off? Probably not-sucks!

Gail

 

[TexasBred]

Got the milk check price the other day, it went down $3 a cwt from this time last month, its got alot of us quite peeved! Someone is making some serious money off of us, because milk prices are still high in the stores. I'm going to raise some cain, and get some answers. Its strange because last Saturday at the egg hunt, I ran into a older farmer, and he said he had heard it was coming, but I just didn't believe it, and wham. He also said in July milk prices would be at all time highs, and the beef market too. I'm gonna hang onto my animals to sell until then, and see if he is right. Now the market is bad, no sense giving the animals away, is there?

GMN

Gail, do you sell to DFA? In years past they've always been able to come up with every excuse in the world to justify milk price cuts. Never heard of milk prices being high in July... that's usually when they usually really cut prices..right when you need it. Friday on futures board milk was still over $18 a hundred. But that's down from $20 a couple months ago.

Yep that is who I sell to, and all i can say about them is they are a bunch of shizters!

GMN

Well DFA does have to keep those corporate salaries way up there you know...as well as keep the corporate jets flying and fund all those board meeting held in Florida, Hawaii and other little places. What is the name of the other coop that serves your area?

 

[novaman]

I too am selling to DFA. I am very upset with what they take off for hauling. Their premiums are less then the other big company in this area. I am looking into switching to a local cheese plant just because I'm tired of being jerked around. Just as a note, DFA was very good to me when I switched over to them but ever since it has gone downhill.

 

[bigbull338]

you boys can gripe about DFA all you want.but i wouldnt switch milk companies an go with an indepent.because the small processors are more prone to bankruptcy.an if they go under youll lose your butt.ehen formost went bust we lost $10,000 a month milk check.well that lose ened up costing us $20,000.so beware with small companies that could happen to you.an yes DFAs hauling charges are through the roof.but theres nothing you can do about it.

 

[GMN]

you boys can gripe about DFA all you want.but i wouldnt switch milk companies an go with an indepent.because the small processors are more prone to bankruptcy.an if they go under youll lose your butt.ehen formost went bust we lost $10,000 a month milk check.well that lose ened up costing us $20,000.so beware with small companies that could happen to you.an yes DFAs hauling charges are through the roof.but theres nothing you can do about it.

I talked to my fieldman yesterday about the drop in milk prices, he said it was because of the ingredient in milk replacer, dry whey, I think it was called, has gone down, so I think honestly its just an excuse they use to lower the milk price to us, kind of ticks me off. He said next month it will go up $1.97, which will be in the mid $18 range, still alot lower than it has been throughout this whole year.

Novaman: I too think hauling is too much, its that diesel surcharge they have been taking out for years, and now this Gold Standard program. Sure we get a incentive per cwt for the hormone free, but by the time we pay the Gold Standard deduction, it pretty much evens out, where it is nothing. I just wonder who thinks up all these plans that create deductions in our checks. If you think about it, we have to accept what they pay us, but I can guarantee you if we were able to set thier pay, they would have to cut back on a whole lotta things to pay their bills. It does burn me that this Rick Smith, probably makes over $100,000 plus a year, full benefits, and hey his newsletters sound good, but I think he is clueless as to what dairy farmers are going thru now, with the high cost of grain, diesel, and just the everyday expenses that everyone else has, if he really understood this, his lil newsletters would be more oprientated to this, not talking about all this crap, nobody even cares about.

BigBull I ain't a guy.

Gail

 

[bigbull338]

gail i know your a gal.i just love to hear dairymen an wemen gripp about the prices.i for one cant really gripe about them at all.because for 27yrs rode though low milk prices an high feed prices.milking cows paid for building a new milk barn an house 320acs of land cows equipment cars an trucks.plus made a dang good living.

 

[TexasBred]

Gail, the guy is telling you the truth about dried whey price going down but that happened a month ago and it didn't go back down nearly as low as it had been 6-8 months ago. And those big shots at DFA make a whole lot more than 100 grand a year. The big dog (can't remember his name...Jerry maybe??) probably has a total pkg. close to 1 mil. But...in most cases dairies don't have an option other than to sell to them. We've still got over 60 grand in capital retains that they've been using for 10 years. Think we're suppose to get "some" of it maybe this year.

 

[kickinbull]

We also have a dairy. And we also are not too happy about the price of milk. People outside the farm sector know that fuel and fert. are up so they assume that the farmer has just passed on the cost. And they are fine with that, they think I'm nuts if I tell them it's not the truth. They say we should get together and do something. Ya right. Once, I suggested that everyone that drawns a milk check without milking(hauler,fieldman, lab worker clear up to the president) should have their checks go up and down with the price of milk. Another, ya right.

 

[dun]

Once, I suggested that everyone that drawns a milk check without milking(hauler,fieldman, lab worker clear up to the president) should have their checks go up and down with the price of milk. Another, ya right.

I can beat that! A neighbor said that the dairys out to just quit milking for a while, go on strike. You have to realize this putz just moved to the "country" from the city.

 

[bigbull338]

Once, I suggested that everyone that drawns a milk check without milking(hauler,fieldman, lab worker clear up to the president) should have their checks go up and down with the price of milk. Another, ya right.

I can beat that! A neighbor said that the dairys out to just quit milking for a while, go on strike. You have to realize this putz just moved to the "country" from the city.

hey dun do you remember what happened to the MO dairymen that quit shipping milk to the co-ops in the late 60s.well they got the bright idea that they would all dump their milk for 3 or 4 days.an they did that.then when they started putting milk in their tanks.they called their co-ops an said pick my milk up.an their co-ops said sorry you dumped your milk.an you no longer have a contract with us.sell your cows your no longing milking cows.a friend of mine bough 40 cows out of the kill pens.an started his dairy from those cows.

 

[GMN]

We also have a dairy. And we also are not too happy about the price of milk. People outside the farm sector know that fuel and fert. are up so they assume that the farmer has just passed on the cost. And they are fine with that, they think I'm nuts if I tell them it's not the truth. They say we should get together and do something. Ya right. Once, I suggested that everyone that drawns a milk check without milking(hauler,fieldman, lab worker clear up to the president) should have their checks go up and down with the price of milk. Another, ya right.

The general public is pretty clueless as to what goes on at a Dairy Farm. Most people think we make tons of money, and do not realize that we just have to take what they give us. My fieldman said that DFA will have to keep the prices up (ya know from the measly $11-$13) it use to be, because if they don't they know farmers will sell out and quit. To some degree I think they get it, but still I do believe they use alot of lame excuses to drop milk prices. I was pretty ticked about it, considering my grain bill has doubled her in the last 2 months alone, and I just thought, what? Now is not the time for milk prices to go down, plus if you factor in grass is coming on, of course they would use this dry whey as a excuse then, when they know darn well that everybodys milk goes up in Spring, I can't say anything good about DFA right now, I think its all politics, and to some degree they just tell us what they think we want to hear, and really don't care how we pay our bills or survive.If I could get the CEO's address of DFA I would surely send him a very informative letter, but I doubt it would do much good, except to let me vent!

Gail

 

[stocky]

Bigbull, that happened with several of my neighbors. It was the NFO, National Farmers Organization members. The NFO tried to organize the farmers but it was doomed from the start because all farmers are against each other. What is good for grain farmers is bad for livestock and dairy farmers. What is good for pork is bad for beef. What is good for chickens is bad for grain and beef, etc. So, they were never able to get everyone organized for better bargaining power.

 

[bigbull338]

yes an it made a buddy of mine rich.he had just finished building his barn.when those boys lost their contract to ship milk to their co-ops.so mr ed was buying those cows for $250 to $325.milked emm 3 or 4 yrs.then a guy wanted to buy them.an he sold them for $800 a hd.

 

[DaletheDairyFarmer]

his name was gary hanahan and in his 7 or 8 yrs. as ceo of dfa he was pd whatever his wage and beneys came up to and what ever he could get (acquire) then to get rid of him it cost another 4.5 million which at the time was something like 48cents per milking cow across the country. i dont recall as to whether the 4.5 was cash and stocks etc. or that was just the cash portion either way dfa members and all dairy producers in general took it hard and dry because of this guy. his plan when he started was to have control over the entire milk supply in 10 yrs they have come close to that through outright membership, marketing (alliances) and just plain dirty pool.ie. formed alliance with dairylea here in north east then with that power now agrimark upperups won't wipe themselves without dfa permission its pretty sad that dfa now operates as a corporation instead of as a member driven co-op.they don't seem to realize that we could all make a little in a mutually beneficial relationship but they want all the power , read as money, for themselves. the dept of justice was supposed to have been looking into it and building a case when those attorneys all got canned. maybe some kind of connection there?

 

[eskimobirdlady]

As someone who isnt a milk producer but a consumer of at least a gallon of milk per day for my family of 3, I would like to jump in here. My husband grew up farming and sadly the farmer gets the stick *sigh*. One of the answers to this post said something about the price of milk replacer being lower and I wanted to ask WHERE?? Here in interior Alaska milk replacer is $99.99 per 50 pound bag. What is it going for elsewhere? We only had one calf to feed it to thank goodness! The last time I bought it in Michigan (over 20 yrs ago lol) if i remember correctly (old age ya know? lol) it was about $15 or $20. Raising our own meat and in the future milk isnt a money making deal for us at all. With fertilizer, as we have heard, going to go up drastically in the next year, (here it has already gone up 50% since last year) we know when that happens the price of grain will skyrocket for the consumer. I feel really bad for you producers but my wallet hurts too. The lowest price I pay for milk is $3.50 a gallon and I know that you guys are not making the money!! Heres to hoping you can still make a profit as well as me not going broke feeding my family! Peace Connie in Alaska