# The disappearance of part of rural America.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

The disappearance of small dairies is disheartening....but you cannot operate in the red forever.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com..._sink_again_LN/


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

_I'd sooner deal with 10 smaller dairies then 1 large one.Seems like everyone else would sooner deal with the 1 large dairy.He gets his milked trucked cheaper.Volume bonuses.Gets everything at semi load discounted price.They even gave some tax breaks to build large dairies._

_Was just talking of all the old farm sites that have been bulldozed out over the yrs.There used to be 2 places per mile with most of them milking 20 cows.Now maybe 4 dairies in the county.I know of a 600 cow dairy that is quiting and jusy going to grain farm.The next generation doesn't want to milk.I can't blame them._


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

Milking cows is hard work for little reward. God bless the little guys who are still doing it.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> _I'd sooner deal with 10 smaller dairies then 1 large one.Seems like everyone else would sooner deal with the 1 large dairy.He gets his milked trucked cheaper.Volume bonuses.Gets everything at semi load discounted price.They even gave some tax breaks to build large dairies._
> 
> _Was just talking of all the old farm sites that have been bulldozed out over the yrs.There used to be 2 places per mile with most of them milking 20 cows.Now maybe 4 dairies in the county.I know of a 600 cow dairy that is quiting and jusy going to grain farm.The next generation doesn't want to milk.I can't blame them._


There used to be at least 6 dairy's when I was growing up within bike riding distance, now there is one. We were milking around 225 head which was considered large then. I didn't mind feeding them, cleaning barns, doing all the field work and haymaking to keep em fed but DON'T stick me in the parlor, Dad knew this and got out when the dairy buyout came along. He admitted he wouldn't have the stomach for milking cows now with the wild swing in milk prices, back then you could almost guarentee a good enough price to at least turn a small profit.


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