While it may be tough to share personal stories of difficulties in these volatile dairy markets, that’s exactly what dairy producers recently did to an audience of 400 dairy farmers and politicians. An interesting story in the LancasterOnline. Here is an excerpt…

Terry Shuey, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, described an idyllic life she and her family once enjoyed while working their productive farm in Lebanon County. About two weeks ago, however, she said she sat in her son’s hospital room, where he was recovering from a ruptured appendicitis, and wondered how she would pay the bill. For the past few months, she said, she has faced the decision of “who to pay and who not to pay.” Recently, Shuey said she and her husband have been working with their bankers, “trying to make a $15,000 milk check pay $50,000 in bills.”

Shuey, her voice breaking with emotion, isn’t alone. She told of her plight Monday evening to about 400 other dairy farmers, many of whom are in a similar situation, as they gathered on a farm near Leola. While feed and fuel prices have gone up, milk prices paid to dairy farmers are down 47 percent from a year ago.

Agricultural consultant Rick Stehr, a Clay Township resident who works for REB Consulting, organized the meeting, which drew a crowd of mostly Amish men to the South Groffdale Road farm of Levi Fisher. Stehr also invited U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, state Sen. Mike Brubaker and state Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolfe to the meeting so they could listen to the concerns of the farmers and agricultural business leaders.

“I wanted to make sure these politicians were aware that this is a problem, and a widespread problem,” Stehr said.