Dear Friends,
The American family dairy industry is in crisis. Because of price fixing and foreign milk imports by the Dairy Farmers of America -- the country's largest milk "cooperative" which controls 40% of US dairy production -- the amount that farmers are paid for the milk they produce has dropped over 50 percent in the last six months. This is the largest single drop since the Great Depression.
Banks across the country are cutting off farmers' access to credit and at least two dairy farmers in California have committed suicide. The latest estimates suggest the price crash could lead to as many as 20,000 family dairy farmers being forced off the land by the end of the year.
While the problem deserves a more comprehensive long-term fix, the immediate solution is clear: US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has the power to adjust the price of milk paid to farmers to "reflect the price" of production. We used to do this...It's the same as "FAIR TRADE" except for our own farmers not just foreign ones!
I just signed a petition asking US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to take the first step and act within his authority to immediately adjust the floor price for milk to a level that will keep family dairy farmers in business. Please have a look and take action.
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