Originally published February 1 2006
Experts explain why organic dairy farming has yet to take off in America
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Reformer.com looks at the financial aspects of organic dairy farming, including market prices and the expenses that are special to an organic dairy.
A new study by the University of Vermont Extension Service and the University of Maine has found that organic dairies were generally less profitable, despite being paid higher prices for their milk.
The cooperative that's buying organic milk from the 96 certified organic farms in Vermont is now paying $26 per hundredweight.
A big problem is that organic dairy farming is more expensive.
Farming in general in New England is an expensive enterprise due to higher costs for land, labor, energy, fertilizer and feed.
The added expense of running an organic dairy farm makes it that much more costly.
So while demand continues to grow for organic dairy products, farmers still struggle to make enough money to cover production costs.
In reality, most consumers look for the lowest price and are unwilling to spend more than they have to for their food.
The true cost of food in America is much higher than what consumers pay.
Most farming is done on corporate mega-farms that get huge subsidies from the government.
Also, American agriculture is totally dependent on cheap energy for fertilizer and pesticide production, for running farm machinery and for transporting food all over the country.
It needs to be encouraged, and this means more support from both government as well as consumers.
For government at the both the state and federal levels, it means more subsidies to organic farms to keep them in business.
Organic, locally grown vegetables are more expensive than the ones that are trucked across the country.
But the price you pay for organics reflects the true cost of producing the food.
Perhaps as more farmers go organic, prices will fall for consumers.
Until then, it is important to do what ever is necessary to keep small-scale, local agriculture viable in Vermont and the rest of New England.
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