Time for change for dairy farms says union head

Small farms getting run out of business from overproduction, low prices.

After another year of challenges for dairy farmers, one Wisconsin farm group leader is saying it’s high time for change.

The head of the Wisconsin Farmers Union says the current market system leads to overproduction, low prices and small farmers getting out of the business. 

That’s not good for the nation, says Darin Von Ruden, who is a dairy farmer in Westby, Wis.

“For the benefit of the country and what we really need to look at is diversity,” Von Ruden said. “If we continue down the path that we’re going, of larger and larger dairy farms, we could be looking at 3,000-4,000 owners of farms that are controlling the milk supply in this country.”

Von Ruden says a national supply management system would protect small farmers from ultra low prices that eventually put them out of business.  

“We’re going into the third year of low milk prices,” Von Ruden said, “so a lot of dairy farmers are really struggling right now with trying to meet their income needs.”

Another problem is taking place on a global scale.

“It seems like the world’s supply has been growing and continues to grow,” Von Ruden said. “Also, some of the export markets that the U.S. has been kind of depending on the last few years, (the) economies in those countries are struggling right now.”