RUSSELL, Iowa — We are a small family dairy operation located in Iowa. We declare our full support behind the proposed dairy pricing formula that will allow us and the few remaining family dairy operations a fighting chance to make a fair living. (This is S-1640; The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act, that needs to be reintroduced into Congress.) That’s all we want, a fair and honest living. As you may know dairy farming is a 7 days a week job (livelihood). We don’t get days off, no sick leave, no vacations etc.. That’s what it takes to be a dairy farmer. How many people do you know that can make a living being paid a price that equals the same amount that people were getting paid in the 80s? NO ONE. But we are expected to? We don’t want a hand out just a fair price for the service of feeding America and taking care of our land and animals in a way that benefits us all. This is sad but we are persuading our children to take up any career but dairy farming because the stress and heart ache from not being able to make things work financially, we don’t wish on any one, especially our children and it was my dream to bring them into this with me. So I am holding on to this little bit of hope that if we can get a fair price from a new formula maybe just maybe my dream can once again be back on the table.
Fortunately the Harvey farm escaped damage due to the recent Iowa storm.
— Jamey Harvey
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