TOWN OF WARWICK - Tunis Sweetman has more than 300 head of productive dairy cattle on his 25-year-old farm outside Warwick. He has been losing money since February, and unless there are some drastic changes in the price formula for dairy farmers, he could join a growing number of farmers who call it quits.

Sweetman says, however, he is a fighter.

The problem, he said, is an antiquated marketing and pricing system that give them only 25 percent of what a gallon of milk sells for in the supermarket.  That does not cover what it costs the average dairy farmer to produce that gallon.

“But if in fact, 45 percent of us go out of business this year, I think it’s an issue of national security, because eventually, not too long in the future, this country is going to be importing more food than it produces.”

That’s a message resonating with Rep. John Hall, who visited with several area dairy farmers, at Sweetman’s farm, and spend an hour listening to concerns.

Hall hears it from the farmers, and the cows

The Sweetman farm, surviving despite challenges

“And how close to the edge they’re being pushed by the price of milk, and what would seem to be excessive profits being made by the executives and the middle men that are processing the milk, and handling and sending it to the consumer, and how little of the price that you pay at the counter, when you buy milk actually goes to the farmer.  It is kind of shocking.”

It is also having a ripple effect.  Dave Cole is a sales representative for Cochecton Mill, in Sullivan County.  He said with fewer farms, he is having to travel farther to break even.  No layoffs yet, for his business, but, “… there has been talk of layoffs”.

Sweetman said they need short-term, or ‘band-aid’ fixes, such as efforts being made by New York’s two senators, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and a long-term solution.

The senators succeeded in getting an amendment to the Farm Bill, directing another $350 million to the Farm Service Administration to help New York Farmers. 

Hall said when congress reconvenes next month, he will bring whatever legislation the senators have to address the situation, to the House floor.