Family Farm Defenders Announce Support for the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011
8/4/11

The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011 (new dairy proposal) received a real boost today when John Kinsman, President of the Family Farm Defenders (FFD) announced that the Family Farm Defenders was strongly supporting the introduction of the new dairy proposal (formerly the Specter-Casey bill).

President Kinsman, a dairy farmer from LaValle, Wisconsin, said, " it's time that dairy farmers have a pricing formula based on the dairyman's cost of production."

According to Kinsman, Wisconsin is the second largest milk producing state in the union, but the dairy leader said, "we are losing a substantial amount of dairy farmers and this new dairy proposal is going to help eliminate the current exodus of dairy farmers."

Fred Matthews, a dairy farmer from La Fargeville, New York who is a member of the Family Farm Defenders said, "there are various dairy proposals being tossed around the milk shed, but the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011 (which is an update of the Specter-Casey bill) is the only proposal that will cover the dairy farmers cost of production and price raw milk at the dairy farmers bulk tank."

Kathy Ozer, Executive Director of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) stated, "It's really rewarding to realize there are many organizations that are lining up in support of the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011."

The NFFC and many of their support organizations have been very critical of the National Milk Producers Federation proposal which calls for both the United States Department of Agriculture and dairy farmers to purchase insurance programs to cover the dairy farmers potential losses.

According to news releases by the Progressive Agriculture Organization, (Pro-Ag), the dairy farmers' cost of production will be covered by the new dairy proposal, and also will return a profit to the dairy farmer, WITHOUT COSTING THE GOVERNMENT ANY FUNDS.

Both Kinsman and Matthews are urging all dairy farmers and Agri-business people to contact their U.S. Senators and Congressmen and urge them to support the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011.

The Family Farm Defenders is a multi-State organization.

For more information, you may contact John Kinsman at 608-986-3815.