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Recently I traveled to the famous Pocono Mountains observing the prices of milk in stores. I wanted to see how the gallons of whole milk were moving. I am very concerned because the price of milk set by the Federal Milk Marketing Order is dropping dramatically.
Reports from Federal Order No. 1 are showing a reduction in fluid sales. Our favorite store is still Bill’s Market in Daleville. The day I stopped at Bill’s Market there were 27 rows of whole milk on display. I started my trip at a Dollar Store in the Poconos and was surprised that this small store had 40 gallons of whole milk on its shelf. A worker in the store said, “we sell whole milk, not skim milk.”
I also visited the Weiss grocery store in Tunkhannock which had at least 12 rows of whole milk. This amount of whole milk on the shelves is good. In addition to ProAg’s efforts, there are other groups in Pennsylvania working to get more fluid milk sales.
One must ask the question “If whole milk is selling this well in these stores, why is the price paid to the dairy farmers dropping dramatically?”
Maybe the reason is that the people advertising on our TVs and other venues are not promoting milk properly.
Recently I was watching TV and right in front of my eyes I saw a big ad promoting oat “milk.” Two days later, I witnessed a big ad for “Silk Milk” all over my TV screen. That’s two big ads for artificial milk.
Why don’t I see an ad for real milk when our dairy farmers are having large sums of money taken from their milk checks every month for advertising? Dairy farmers expect to see the same kind of ads for real milk, especially in big cities with big populations and during kids’ shows.
I consider Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Bloomsburg and Williamsport big enough cities to have ads for real milk on TV.
It is time that milk companies, dairy cooperatives, and everyone else illustrate how the money being taken out of the dairy farmers’ milk checks is being spent. Dairy farmers deserve an accounting for this money. They have waited long enough.
Arden Tewksbury
Progressive Agriculture Organization