UPCOMING “DAIRY DOES D.C.” DAY – Dec. 2

Delivering a Reality Check

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Dairy farmers and their allies will descend on Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Dec. 2. Seats are filling on buses departing from New York and Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. for appointments with senators and congressmen.

Goals of the upcoming Dairy Does D.C. Day include balancing influence and building bridges. Due to incomplete data and skewed data analysis, our political representatives are being influenced by information that inappropriately portrays the state of the dairy industry.

The most significant areas with data and corresponding analysis flaws include: 1) Import/Export Volume 2) Cold Storage Reports and 3) Domestic Milk Production and Utilization. Talking points in D.C. will reflect these three areas. To receive the data and analysis from which we will be sourcing our talking points, please contact United States Dairy Farmers and Friends at usdairyfarmersandfriends@gmail.com.

Dairy farmers will be delivering messages on their own behalf to keep checks and balances in the political influence as they did in July in conjunction with the House of Agriculture Hearings. In addition, farmers will be building bridges with Congressional representatives of suburban and urban areas.

"We are excited to be launching our campaign of building bridges with metropolitan representatives," says Debbie Windecker, a dairy farmer from Frankfort, N.Y. "Just as dairy farmers and consumers need to connect, so do our rural and urban politicians. I have been told first-hand and repeatedly that there is a real disconnect between them."

IMPORTANT NOTE: You need not be in D.C. to be a part of this message delivery. Schedule appointments at your senator and congressman’s local district offices or contact the district offices by mail, fax, phone or email on or around Dec. 2.  For communication-related assistance, please contact Tammy Graves of US Dairy Farmers and Friends at usdairyfarmersandfriends@gmail.com. Your message, meeting, call or letter is valuable whether you are a farmer, consumer, breed association member, state assemblyman or senator, Chamber of Commerce member, Land Trust, FFA teacher, agribusiness owner/employee or college faculty or student.

“I’ll be echoing the D.C. voices in to my representative’s California offices,” says Barbara Borges-Martin, a California dairy farmer.”

Buses are departing from the following locations and will arrive in D.C. by 7:30 a.m.:

Utica, N.Y. 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and arrive in Washington by 7 a.m. December 2. The bus will depart Washington, D.C. at 5 p.m. Call Bryan Gotham at 315-405-6456 or blcgotham@yahoo.com to reserve your seat. We want to express our many thanks to our current Utica bus sponsors. GOLD Level: Bourdeau Bros., Brown’s Feed, Whites Farm Supply, Poulin Grain, Cargill; SILVER Level: Leberge & Curtis, Griffith Energy, Performance Premixes, North Counry Vet, Animal Medic; BRONZE Level: Blue Seal, Springer’s

Hornell, N.Y. Tuesday, Dec 1. Call Lisa Robinson to reserve your seat - $50/seat and fundraising will continue -607-525-6329  or robinsonfarms@zooninternet.net.

Wyalusing, Pa. on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Call Tina Carlin 570-833-4592.

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