The Vermont Dairy Industry Association and Vermont Feed Dealers held their annual meeting on Tuesday, September 10th at the Stoweflake Resort in Stowe. Ken Button and
Mike Farmer represented Yankee. The day began with VDIA President Julie Smith
welcoming everyone to the new location. She then introduced Agri-Mark’s Bob
Wellington for a lively discussion about milk prices. He noted Class IV prices
are keeping the Blend price up right now and wanted everyone to be aware of the
value Agri-Mark gains from selling whey. Twenty years ago it cost them to
dispose of whey, it’s now a source of revenue and the non-dried whey they
produce from white cheddar is in demand as a food ingredient. We then learned
about Bob White Systems experience developing a low investment low impact
(LILI) on-farm milk pasteurizer. Their initial goal of building a system that
costs less than $20,000 has now resulted in a much more efficient and unit but
one that cost over $80,000. Brett Denny from VT DHIA updated the group
regarding services they are now providing since their merger with Lancaster
DHIA. They are still operating as VT DHIA but have gained access to much more
lab testing. After lunch the Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year winner, the Gervais
Family from Bakersfield, gave us a presentation about their dairy business.
This three generation dairy includes almost 10 family members and they produce
milk at two locations, raising all their own replacements and livestock. They
also have a methane digester and produce maple syrup. A related company Boston
Post Dairy, owned by the sisters, produces goats milk cheese. Yankee staff and
directors sampled their cheeses in our 2012 Christmas Baskets. Following the
presentation by Clement Gervais, the Keith Tupper Award was presented to Gene
Archambault who is a quality control inspector for St. Albans Co-op. The final
sessions of the day were presentations by farmer and author Michele Payn-Knoper
discussing how to portray agriculture in a positive light and to tell our own
story. She shared insight from around the country dealing with attacks on
agriculture and tries to get farmers to act to share with the non-farm public
just what it is that farmers do. We also received copies of her most recent
book “No More Food Fights”.
Our last activity was the evening banquet where we were
joined by the Vermont Feed Dealers and Manufacturers Association. With over 100
people in the crowd we were challenged by Trent Loos of Quincy, IL to also take
action to advocate for agriculture. Trent has a nationally aired radio
broadcast called Loos Tales launched in 2001. In 2008 he was recognized as the
“Voice of Rural America” by the West Quest organization. He has accepted the
challenge to speak for rural America advocating for agriculture and speaking on
behalf of the folks who would rather stay home and tend to their crops and
livestock than take on those attacking their life-sustaining industry.
