Future for Dairy

It has been established that I enjoy my milk products. So it's no surprise that yesterday's conversation on Civil Eats about the future of dairy farms in America caught my eye.

The original piece is a reaction to the sharp drop in dairy prices that is endangering American farmers, who are now being paid roughly half of what it costs them to produce milk. Not surprisingly, the cause involves the economic slow-down. When the recession hit late last year, many dairy farms were expanding to meet the growing worldwide demand for milk products. As we all tightened our belts, the demand fell and dairy farmers found themselves knee-deep in a surplus. At the same time, we saw a loss in our milk product exports according to the U.S. Foreign Agriculture Service, and an increase in milk product imports. By late 2008, the dairy industry was in trouble.

{ An organic dairy farmer in Brookfield, Vt. Photo courtesy of the New York Times }

The Civil Eats post mentions that the price drop is worst for conventional and small to mid-sized farms, but a recent New York Times piece explains that the organic dairy industry is being hit at least as hard, as farmers who made big investments to go organic are now watching their cash-strapped consumers return to non-organic milk.

I'm cringing at the idea of losing 80% of our dairy farms by the end of the year, a loss that would make us increasingly dependent on huge dairy operations and foreign imports, and I am in absolute agreement that action needs to be taken to avoid that outcome. Unfortunately, the problem is reaching a critical mass and the solution will most likely need to come in the form of an immediate increase in subsidies. That said, I feel strongly that these subsidies be a temporary solution, the last thing we want to see is a dairy industry that looks like our model for growing and subsidizing corn.

The future of our small, medium and organic farms depends on an economically sustainable solution, and as Farm Aid's Hilde Steffey points out, "Ultimately, what our dairy farmers need is a complete overhaul of the milk pricing system: one that incorporates the national average cost of production, a fair living wage, and an inventory management mechanism designed to address overproduction as needed. Furthermore, the Department of Justice must tackle unchecked anti-trust violations and excessive control in the industry to ensure a pricing system that is fair and transparent for dairy farmers, processors and consumers alike."

So while subsidies are an important temporary answer, it's crucial that we look ahead for a creative and economically viable solution... The future of our ice cream depends on it. If you're interested in making your thoughts heard feel free to share them in the comments below, or click here.

{ honey lavender ice cream from Epicurious.com }

Spilled milk

Remember our conversation about the dropping prices of dairy and the effects on our small and organic farms? Well American dairy operations aren't the only ones taking a hit from the drop in prices. According to a New York Times article Monday, protesters gathered outside of the European Union headquarters in Brussels during an emergency meeting of the agriculture ministers. They spilled milk on the streets, threw eggs and brought tractors out to block traffic; all of behalf of dairy farmers, some who are now getting paid less than 75% the cost of production.

The issue is nothing if not complicated. Subsidies and government aid could help the farmers in the short run, but this might only prolong the problem, leaving us with a ineffective system that looks like our model for corn production. For certain, a decision needs to be made quickly regarding a plan going forward, so that the dairy industry can start effectively planning for the future. In the meantime, the Brussels police force may want to invest in some goggles.

{ Photo courtesy of the New York Times: "A farmer sprayed milk on policemen during a protest against falling milk prices outside the E.U.’s headquarters in Brussels, where agricultural ministers discussed its policies at an emergency meeting." }

In like a lion.

Winter is here. The seasonal transition feels especially monumental this year, bringing with it a new decade; one that will hopefully be less fraught than the last. There are reasons to be optimistic on this front, particularly in the world of food politics. I'm looking forward to talking about some of those reasons here as the year unfolds.

At Fresh, the arrival of the new year means a renewed energy to report on food issues, follow the progress of sustainable food activism and, of course, to share stories about what we're putting on the table. I think 2010 is going to be an exciting year for this blog and I hope that you'll all stay tuned. As you may have noticed, winter also means a new look for Fresh; my favorite of our seasonal layouts. It's the fourth in our series, but this art was actually the original inspiration for the other seasons. If the orange hues seem more fitting for summer than winter I can say that, as someone who loathes cold weather, juicy citrus is one of the best things about this season. Not to mention that the bright colors are a pick-me-up that many of us can use this time of year.

{ Photo courtesy of the New York Times }

For me personally, this winter also means a transition as I finish my fall internship in New York with Slow Food USA and look forward to new challenges and opportunities for 2010. In light of this change, I decided to push something of a personal reset button this week. After months of seriously celebrating New York food and the holidays, I'm detoxing for a few days. Though I don't subscribe to any diet plan that entails surviving on spicy lemonade, I am cutting out dairy, gluten, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. You may be wondering how I will motivate myself to get out of bed in the morning without bread, chocolate and cheese to lure me and I won't lie; it isn't easy. But I'm getting through it by enjoying (or trying to enjoy) lots of raw whole foods, like the Lancaster Farm Fresh Lacinato Kale the the grocery near me has been carrying recently, along with buckets of carrot and ginger dressing (recipe below).

That said, the rest of the week will be quiet here but we'll be back with new posts on Monday. Thanks for your patience all, we hope to see you then.

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Carrot Ginger Dressing
Adapted from Gourmet

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium to small shallot, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons water

Combine the carrot, shallot and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped and well combined. Add the rice vinegar and sesame oil and combine. While the food processor is going, drizzle the grapeseed oil and water in a steady stream until well blended. Serve on top of salad, fish, chicken or with raw sliced veggies.