Milk Maid

To say this year has been a challenge for area farmers would be an understatement.

The weather has been terrible, with the late snow, cold and wet spring, downpours of rain all year and mud everywhere.

It’s made simple things like driving through a pasture, baling hay and even just getting to fields incredibly difficult.

Are we going to get all the crops in on time?

Will we be able to get all the field work completed before it snows? Will we have enough bedding, hay and feed sources for our animals?

Will we be able to cover our losses or at least some of them?

These are just some of the questions that have been swirling around farmers’ minds lately and it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

On top of those things, commodity prices have been very low. Tariffs and trade issues with different countries like China and Canada have created a lot of uncertainty within the markets too.

It seems like every week when I’m scrolling through my social media accounts I see another farm family calling it quits.

The dairy families that I’ve seen selling out have hired professional photographers to take photos of the family doing chores and milking cows for the last time.

They also capture the last moments that the cows are on the farm and are headed out on trailers. Those photos are tough to look at.

The family I saw last week that sold out really surprised me.

They had quality cattle and all three daughters were Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists with their middle daughter serving as Princess Kay.

I’m not sure of Minnesota’s decreasing dairy numbers, but I can bet they are heartbreaking to look at.

A September Wisconsin Public Radio article said, “Wisconsin lost 47 dairy farms in August, putting the state on pace for its worst year since 2013.”

“The latest data from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection shows there were 8,372 licensed dairy producers at the beginning of September. That’s 429 fewer than were licensed at the start of the year.”

“It’s the biggest decline since 2013, when the state lost 434 farms in the first eight months of the year.”

The really disappointing part of the declining numbers of farms is that they are smaller family farms like my family’s, with herd numbers below 500 cows. Those small farms are vital to small communities.

Just think about it. An average farm needs a veterinarian, an elevator for feed, a hardware store, a welder and mechanics, fuel, schools, grocery stores and the list could go on and on.

Small farms are small businesses, they are needed to keep cities, especially rural ones, thriving. The stress of farming can be overwhelming, but there are resources like the Minnesota Rural and Farm Helpline, (833) 600-2571.

What can you do to help? Keep checking on your farm friends and family members. When you’re buying groceries, buy an extra gallon of milk or dozen eggs.

Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.