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| !,000 cows today, 2000 next year, 4000 in 4 years and in 10 years 10,000. If prices are high they add cows because they are making money if prices are low they add cows in order to keep cash flow up. Used to be 40 cows was a small farm now it is 250 cows in 10 years small will be bigger then 250, probably 500 or a 1,000. Milk plants start dropping the small farmers that are somehow hanging on so they lose their market all in the name of efficiency. Soon no place close to buy feed, vet practices start disappearing, etc. is it all their fault, no but most do nothing to preserve the community either. Maybe I sound like I am anti big-farm, maybe I am, maybe not but from where I sit they simply externalize their costs on the rest of society that has to put up with trucks hauling feed and manure that may or maynot stop for traffic, road damage, etc. Some are well run and good neighbors some are not. Society does homage at the alter of efficiency no matter what it costs, no resilience or redundancy. Flame away. | |
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mega-dairy
