Switching Farming away from Dairy

[500channelsurfer]

In my region, much of the farming around my city is dairy. Dairy is both part of the culture and tradition of the area. Dairy farming is encouraged by government subsidies, advertising, and the dairy farming industry having a large stake in politics due to the electoral landscape. There are milk lobbies, cheese lobbies and even those who lobby schools and school boards pro-dairy for their perceived nutritional benefit of children.

As we have learned from climate change research, cattle raising for any purpose including dairy is very high impact on the environment. Lots of vegans are also against dairy farming due to its exploitation of the animals and its unnatural place in the food chain, consuming a food naturally existing for a different species.

In the context of fighting climate change and improving the environment, has there been a group of farmers who were advantaged by switching from dairy to non-dairy and more environmentally friendly farming?

 

[Lou]

has there been a group of farmers who were advantaged by switching from dairy to non-dairy and more environmentally friendly farming?

not very often but it has happened.
One instance that I can think of right off the top of my head is....
Here in California both Dairy farming and Almond growing are big business. During the previous drought one dairy farmer found that the water bill was eating his profits.
So he bulldozed the dairy and planted almond trees. And put in a state of the art drip irrigation system. He now produces almonds not milk. I imagine some of his almonds are made into milk, too.

I also remember reading a story about a NY dairy that switched over to nut growing.

There is also that type of farming, I forget what it called.... but it was described in Pollan's Omnivores Dilemma. this is the type of farming Joel Salatin used on his Virginia farm. It a more organic and symbiotic type of farming that requires few inputs.

 

[Graeme M]

Big companies that produce milk aren't that much interested in changing unless their market is weakening so much that it threatens profits. I don't think that is happening. Smaller holdings are usually run by people who actually love what they do, few are motivated to want to change. Here in Australia the dairy industry seems to be on a bit of a rebound and things are looking rather more favourable. In the vegans and farmers discussion FB group I am a member of, one dairy farmer (who is on a regional dairy board) seems very positive. So I don't think there is either much of an inducement for dairy farmers to change. I have read of the very occasional case (there is one notable example from the UK), but certainly not as a common thing.

Is dairy farming a major environmental concern? Perhaps in New Zealand but they have a huge investment in dairy for the size of the nation. Here in Australia, not so much. Plus the industry has made substantial progress towards reducing emissions(primarily by improving productivity, I suspect).

 

[Lou]

Big companies that produce milk ...

Intersting points. I think it must be very different in the UK, NZ and AU.

Here in the US small dairy farmers are really struggling and being replaced by big dairy companies.

I just read something how milk dumping is not only common but a regular daily occurence now.

And the demand for milk is steadily declining.

As I mentioned above some dairies are switching to plant based milks.

 

[Graeme M]

Here in the US small dairy farmers are really struggling and being replaced by big dairy companies.

That is true here in Australia too. Unfortunately, smaller producers struggle to compete, especially with supermarkets forcing down prices to producers. Chinese interests in particular are buying up our agricultural land and farms. That is a shame because I feel the best animal welfare comes from the better smallish family owned farms. Also, young people are not staying on the land like they used to, I think the average age of a dairy farmer here is quite old.

And the demand for milk is steadily declining

I wonder. Production levels continue to climb in most producing countries. Growth has definitely slowed but I don't think that falling consumption is quite the driver. More than anything, economic factors, covid and supply chain issues have been big factors, but still, growth in the US was 1.6% in 2021, slightly down from 1.9% in 2020. Plant-based milks are but a tiny fraction of all milk sales, if we include them in the category of "milk".

 

[Lou]

The amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the US has tumbled more than 40% since 1975

US dairy industry suffering as Americans consume less milk

The amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the US has tumbled more than 40% since 1975

www.theguardian.com

There were a number of other charts. but this one is the most clear. Note that fluid milk consumption does not include cheese and other milk products - some of which ARE increasing.

 

[Graeme M]

Note that fluid milk consumption does not include cheese and other milk products - some of which ARE increasing.

Maybe this largely correlates with change in the *kinds* of dairy consumed? Back in the day, milk alone was fairly popular. I recall drinking lots of milkshakes, straight milk and of course we got milk at school. Nowadays people consume a lot of yogurt (never heard of that when I was a kid) and maybe the coffee culture accounts for a lot? This article reflects the figures for dairy more generally in the US:

U.S. Dairy Consumption Beats Expectations in 2020 and Continues to Surge Upward Despite Disruption Caused by Pandemic

WASHINGTON, September 30, 2021—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their annual per-c...

www.idfa.org

At the end of the day, dairy production is what matters for us as vegans hoping to see a change for the better, and that looks dismally unlikely to reduce any time soon:

United States Dairy, Milk, Fluid Production by Year (1000 MT)

www.indexmundi.com

 

[Graeme M]

I went back and dug up the discussion about Aussie dairy from the farmers and vegan group and the dairy farmer had this to say:

"In the immediate to medium term future that is indeed the outlook for our production (falling production), but not for our consumption. We currently export roughly 35% of our dairy production, or 3 billion L of milk worth of products. We import roughly the same milk volume, in lower value product (roughly 1/2 the $ value of the exports) such as bulk butter, cheap pizza cheese (analogue mozzarella from the US), processed and shredded cheese for fast food chains, and milk powder for manufacturing. Per capita dairy consumption trends are slightly down in liquid milk, but up in butter, yoghurt and cheese. Imports have risen dramatically in the last 10 years (from almost 0 to nearly 3 billion L of milk worth of product), exports falling very marginally, production falling by about 2 billion L. Total consumption has risen."

 

[Lou]

Good stuff.
You know consumption, per capita can go down and production up by any or all of the following things.

more other products like cheese and yogurt.
more exports
and pouring it out on the ground.

 

[500channelsurfer]

Many years ago I watched the documentary A Farm for the Future with

Rebecca Hosking. It's very (perhaps too) down to earth, and describes low-carbon farming, utilizing the natural ecosystem with polyculture.

There is definitely the argument that some terrain is only fertile enough for growing grass which is good feed for sheep, cows, etc. and therefore meat and dairy seems to make sense there.

In more areas, however, switching to a wide variety of vegan crops including berries, nuts and grains, and wild tracks for flowers etc. to encourage natural pollinators

 

[Graeme M]

You know consumption, per capita can go down and production up by any or all of the following things.

I am often dispirited by what I find when I dig into claims about progress in moving away from meat and dairy. So many vegan pages make grandiose claims but then I find out they are wrong or misrepresenting how things really are. Getting back to the topic of the OP, I once read an article exclaiming how all these farmers were transitioning from traditional animal husbandry to crops. But in fact all they had were about 10 case studies over about ten years. It just doesn't happen very often.

One thing I really learned fom the vegan/farmer discussions I've been part of is that most animal farmers love what they do and simply have NO interest in growing crops as a main line.

 

[LoreD]

Intersting points. I think it must be very different in the UK, NZ and AU.

Here in the US small dairy farmers are really struggling and being replaced by big dairy companies.

I just read something how milk dumping is not only common but a regular daily occurence now.

And the demand for milk is steadily declining.

As I mentioned above some dairies are switching to plant based milks.

True.

I live in dairy country, and have seen the decline. Some people I know closed down the dairy farm when they realized they were moving from break even to net loss. They were three generations of dairy farmers. They had a bit of luck when a giant snowstorm collapsed the barn roof right after they stopped operation. The insurance helped them move on.

I drive through the back roads and see all the empty barns.

I did the 2020 census, and part of my job was going out and checking abandoned farms. They were there in 2010, and were gone in 2020. Just an abandoned house and a collapsed barn. And these abandoned dairy farms were all over the place.

 

[LoreD]

The amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the US has tumbled more than 40% since 1975

US dairy industry suffering as Americans consume less milk

The amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the US has tumbled more than 40% since 1975

www.theguardian.com

There were a number of other charts. but this one is the most clear. Note that fluid milk consumption does not include cheese and other milk products - some of which ARE increasing.

View attachment 27831

The large dairy companies aren't doing very well either:

One of America’s oldest and largest milk producers files for bankruptcy​

One of America's oldest and largest milk producers files for bankruptcy

Borden Dairy Co., one of America's oldest and largest dairy companies, on Monday became the second major milk producer to file for bankruptcy in the last two months.

www.cnn.com

January 6, 2020

New YorkCNN Business —
Borden Dairy Co., one of America’s oldest and largest dairy companies, on Monday became the second major milk producer to file for bankruptcy in the last two months.

Tumbling milk consumption combined with the rising price of milk have crippled the dairy industry with debt. Dean Foods, America’s largest milk producer, filed for bankruptcy November 12.

 

[LoreD]

The amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the US has tumbled more than 40% since 1975

US dairy industry suffering as Americans consume less milk

The amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the US has tumbled more than 40% since 1975

www.theguardian.com

There were a number of other charts. but this one is the most clear. Note that fluid milk consumption does not include cheese and other milk products - some of which ARE increasing.

View attachment 27831

More farms calling it quits​

‘Struggling to tread water’: Dairy farmers are caught in an economic system with no winning formula

Family farms are at the mercy of trade wars, economies of scale and a complex pricing system.

www.jsonline.com

2019

A worldwide surplus of milk has driven down the price farmers receive to the point where many have lost money for months, or even several years, at a time.

Nearly 3,000 U.S. dairy farms folded in 2018, about a 6.5% decline, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures.


Wisconsin lost nearly 700 last year — almost two a day — as even dairy farmers used to enduring hard times called it quits in a downturn now headed into its fifth year.

 

[500channelsurfer]

This thread became very negative very fast. Sorry.

I have found a few uplifting articles that I was hoping we would run into, and not just stories of dairy farmers going out of business. I did not and never would want dairy farmers to go out of business and similar. As long as there is hunger in the world, farms should not be closed. In theory much productive land that goes to feeding cows could otherwise go to more sustainable crops or farming.

Creative Programs Help Dairy Farmers Transition To Plant-Based Milks
Here ^ is what I was hoping to hear more of. In Sweden primarily, but also in USA, there are stories of farmers who have switched their production, and rightfully often gradually, as dairy prices fall, to production of non-dairy milk inputs.

Saving Cows and Farmers with Plant-Based Milk
This is a more political article and too general, but it does mention dairy farms converting to plant-based milk production, and is hopeful that political will can assist farmers with the transition.

 

[VeganRachel]

In my region, much of the farming around my city is dairy. Dairy is both part of the culture and tradition of the area. Dairy farming is encouraged by government subsidies, advertising, and the dairy farming industry having a large stake in politics due to the electoral landscape. There are milk lobbies, cheese lobbies and even those who lobby schools and school boards pro-dairy for their perceived nutritional benefit of children.

As we have learned from climate change research, cattle raising for any purpose including dairy is very high impact on the environment. Lots of vegans are also against dairy farming due to its exploitation of the animals and its unnatural place in the food chain, consuming a food naturally existing for a different species.

In the context of fighting climate change and improving the environment, has there been a group of farmers who were advantaged by switching from dairy to non-dairy and more environmentally friendly farming?

What city do you live in?. There is a huge romantic emotion connected to raising cows and milking them. It reminds us of
hundreds of years ago, the old-fashioned thing. However of course, milk is meant for baby animals of the same species.
Humans do not need dog milk, giraffe milk, or cows milk or the huge hormones in them. But you know that.
The ELMHUST DAIRY, in NY, in 2017 ended their long-time dairy business and started making only plant mylks such as walnut,
almond, and similar. They were one of the pioneers.
ALSO, links about two former dairy farmers who went vegan....cheers.

16 Former Meat & Dairy Farmers Who Became Vegan Activists

We've updated our popular feature with 8 NEW profiles of former animal farmers who went vegan and are speaking out.

freefromharm.org

Former Animal Farmers Reveal Inner Anguish That Turned Them Vegan

Many former animal farmers reveal a crisis of conscience tormented them for years, eventually leading them to go vegan. Our growing collection of transformation stories will inspire you.

freefromharm.org

Elmhurst Dairy Is Going Vegan After 90 Years With New Nut Milk Line

A revolution is happening.

herbivoretimes.com

Plant-Based Milks | Elmhurst 1925

Simpler, Better, Elmhurst. Our plant-based milks offer up to 4 times more nuts per serving: a dairy-free, gluten-free, worry-free nut milk experience.

elmhurst1925.com

 

[Clairey]

In my region, much of the farming around my city is dairy. Dairy is both part of the culture and tradition of the area. Dairy farming is encouraged by government subsidies, advertising, and the dairy farming industry having a large stake in politics due to the electoral landscape. There are milk lobbies, cheese lobbies and even those who lobby schools and school boards pro-dairy for their perceived nutritional benefit of children.

As we have learned from climate change research, cattle raising for any purpose including dairy is very high impact on the environment. Lots of vegans are also against dairy farming due to its exploitation of the animals and its unnatural place in the food chain, consuming a food naturally existing for a different species.

In the context of fighting climate change and improving the environment, has there been a group of farmers who were advantaged by switching from dairy to non-dairy and more environmentally friendly farming?

I do not like animals being created for food purposes, especially meat. It is pretty cruel.

 

[fat cow]

More farms calling it quits​

‘Struggling to tread water’: Dairy farmers are caught in an economic system with no winning formula

Family farms are at the mercy of trade wars, economies of scale and a complex pricing system.

www.jsonline.com

2019

A worldwide surplus of milk has driven down the price farmers receive to the point where many have lost money for months, or even several years, at a time.

Nearly 3,000 U.S. dairy farms folded in 2018, about a 6.5% decline, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures.


Wisconsin lost nearly 700 last year — almost two a day — as even dairy farmers used to enduring hard times called it quits in a downturn now headed into its fifth year.

its mostly small farmers quitting but the slack is taken up by big farms expanding and doing quite well, why dont pro vegan companies or wealthy individuals flood countries with oat or soya etc milk at cost[few p/litre], it would attack the dairy industry financially, with costs of around 30p/litre they could never cope

 

[VeganRachel]

I am often dispirited by what I find when I dig into claims about progress in moving away from meat and dairy. So many vegan pages make grandiose claims but then I find out they are wrong or misrepresenting how things really are. Getting back to the topic of the OP, I once read an article exclaiming how all these farmers were transitioning from traditional animal husbandry to crops. But in fact all they had were about 10 case studies over about ten years. It just doesn't happen very often.

One thing I really learned fom the vegan/farmer discussions I've been part of is that most animal farmers love what they do and simply have NO interest in growing crops as a main line.

I believe many vegan groups do see the 'meatless mondays" and go vegan trials as successful> surely they do make a difference.

However, the lion "carnivore" dieters, certainly fueled by meat industry insiders and trolls, are increasing. They consume 3-4 times the amount
of animal protein as normal omnivores do.
So many animals farmers say they "love their animals". And they really BELIEVE that they do. But, they are in the industry for profit at the animals expense. They do not see the exploitation and cruelty they are actually participating in. There is an huge arrogance about this. In dairy, the cows are raped wih a gloved arm to impregnate them. Cows often defacate from this violation of their body. Male calves are garbage to the industry and killed after birth or made into veal. Cows have their horns burned off with a hot iron or by other means. Calves are taken away from mos after birth, while she desperately bellows to be with them. Mastitis is common when cows are treated as milk machines for humans. But, the farmers are used to these
practices as "normal". Cows have a shelf life. When their forced milk production drops, they are slaughtered at an early age. But the farmers "love' their animals.
Milk consumption is decreasing, but CHEESE consumption is growing. Humans seem to love eating the fatty salty cheese and do not realize
they are actually eating tons of milk, but in another forem.

 

[VeganRachel]

not very often but it has happened.
One instance that I can think of right off the top of my head is....
Here in California both Dairy farming and Almond growing are big business. During the previous drought one dairy farmer found that the water bill was eating his profits.
So he bulldozed the dairy and planted almond trees. And put in a state of the art drip irrigation system. He now produces almonds not milk. I imagine some of his almonds are made into milk, too.

I also remember reading a story about a NY dairy that switched over to nut growing.

There is also that type of farming, I forget what it called.... but it was described in Pollan's Omnivores Dilemma. this is the type of farming Joel Salatin used on his Virginia farm. It a more organic and symbiotic type of farming that requires few inputs.

Elmhurst dairy switched from milking cows to making 'milked" almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds and other mylks in 2016:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/01/30/580393275/a-century-old-dairy-ditches-cows-for-high-tech-plant-milk

Plant-Based Milks | Elmhurst 1925

Simpler, Better, Elmhurst. Our plant-based milks offer up to 4 times more nuts per serving: a dairy-free, gluten-free, worry-free nut milk experience.

elmhurst1925.com

However, fans of almond mylk should understand that almonds (and peanuts) are high in Omega 6 fats and low in Omega 3's which help
fight inflammation. Eat flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, or walnuts which are high in Omega 3's to balance the almonds.