full article here
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/24/dairy-farm-turns-to-gofundme-for-survival.html
I really couldn't decide where to put this thread. I'm going to have to ask Dano again to create a "Current Events" section. Or "Animals in the News" or something.
Anyway, I can't decide if this a good news or bad news story. Although I guess after you get halfway and see the cows behind bars you might lean towards bad news.
Just don't let that factoid that America is losing dairies think that the cows are winning. (1) Milk production has been steadily increasing for decades. Up 13% over the last 10 years. It is just that it's done with fewer dairies. There are fewer dairy farms now. (2) That means that dairy farms are increasing in size. which is bad news for cows.
Farms with under 500 cows are decreasing. Farms with over 500 cows are increasing. and as herd size increases the care of the cows usually decrease.
So although I don't feel bad that another dairy might go under. It's another small dairy. And the cows are better off in small dairies.
1. Over the past year, the state known as “America’s Dairyland” has lost 500 dairy farms, according to the State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and something Dale has seen firsthand.
2. "Moreover, because milk production per cow doubled between 1970 and 2006 (from 9,751 to 19,951 pounds per year), total milk production rose, and average milk production per farm increased twelvefold."
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45868/17034_err47b_1_.pdf?v=41746
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/24/dairy-farm-turns-to-gofundme-for-survival.html
I really couldn't decide where to put this thread. I'm going to have to ask Dano again to create a "Current Events" section. Or "Animals in the News" or something.
Anyway, I can't decide if this a good news or bad news story. Although I guess after you get halfway and see the cows behind bars you might lean towards bad news.
Just don't let that factoid that America is losing dairies think that the cows are winning. (1) Milk production has been steadily increasing for decades. Up 13% over the last 10 years. It is just that it's done with fewer dairies. There are fewer dairy farms now. (2) That means that dairy farms are increasing in size. which is bad news for cows.
Farms with under 500 cows are decreasing. Farms with over 500 cows are increasing. and as herd size increases the care of the cows usually decrease.
So although I don't feel bad that another dairy might go under. It's another small dairy. And the cows are better off in small dairies.
1. Over the past year, the state known as “America’s Dairyland” has lost 500 dairy farms, according to the State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and something Dale has seen firsthand.
2. "Moreover, because milk production per cow doubled between 1970 and 2006 (from 9,751 to 19,951 pounds per year), total milk production rose, and average milk production per farm increased twelvefold."
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45868/17034_err47b_1_.pdf?v=41746
