Summary: The dairy industry has been struggling with low milk prices, infrastructure problems, trade issues, and isolation for several years. Small family farms have been going out of business faster than any time in recent history and even milk cooperatives that buy milk from the farms have claimed bankruptcy. At the start of 2020, the end of the four-year milk price nightmare was starting to come to an end and producers saw the light at the end of the tunnel to start digging themselves out of. Then COVID-19 hit. This pandemic rocked the system in an unprecedented and unpredicted way. With this comes intense farm stress, despair, and desperation for many. Understanding how the system works – or doesn’t – is important because dairy producers work 24/7/365 to provide our families a safe and nutritious food. The very least we can give them is an attempt to understand and help them when they need it.

Intended audience: Dairy producers, those who work with dairy producers (i.e. nurses, bankers, feed salesmen, etc.), and consumer

Objectives: By the end of this presentation participants will be able to:

1) Explain how milk gets to the store, including the supply chains associated with the producer, processor, retailer, and consumer

2) Identify current and past market and industry stressors for dairy producers

3) Describe the impact of this and other farm stress on a dairy producer’s livelihood and mental health.

Funded through the generous support of:

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy