Michael and Steve MacLaren Plainfield, Vermont Brothers and third-generation dairy farmers Michael and Steve MacLaren have been receiving national news coverage for closing their dairy farm, which – until recently – was the last one still milking in Plainfield, Vermont. The MacLaren farm had been in business for more than 70 years. Click here to read the Associated Press article. Ron Gibson West Weber, Utah Hamblin Dairy Syracuse, Utah The Standard-Examiner, out of Ogden, Utah, has recently run two stories about struggling dairy farms.
The April 16 article, "Multigenerational dairy business suffers in West Weber; same across Utah," featured fifth-generation dairy farmer Ron Gibson, whose farm has 1,500 cows and 1,300 calves. The article pointed out that the number of Utah dairies has dropped from nearly 3,800 in 1970 to 250 today.
Stan Hamblin's farm was the focus of the May 1 article, "Kids learn where milk comes from during visit to Davis County's last dairy farm." Hamblin Dairy, with its 200 cows, is currently the sole operation in a Utah county that used to be home to more than 100 dairies.
Jim Litscher
Fountain City, Wisconsin
The Country Today recently featured Jim Litscher, who has returned to dairying after a bout with Hepatitis C. Litscher had sold his 55-cow herd at the onset of his illness. This past fall, he acquired and began milking a few Brown Swiss.
Coulee Flats Dairy
Mesa, Washington
The Tri-City Herald made news of the fact that county commissioners approved a conditional use permit for Coulee Flats Dairy to expand an existing feedlot five miles east of Mesa. Dairy owner Case VanderMuelen intends to have up to 3,500 cows at the 646-acre site, which is about two miles east of his dairy, where he milks 4,400 cows.
Click here to read the Tri-City Herald article.
Rulon, Reed and Virginia Gardner
Afton, Wyoming
As a winner of the 2000 Olympics, it would be an understatement to say that Rulon Gardner has received a lot of press. But the most recent coverage was all about milk.
Rulon, who was raised by Reed and Virginia Gardner on a family dairy farm, was the star of a fundraiser for a food bank program called Milk for Minors, which provides shelf stable milk for children. The Casper Star Tribune previewed the event in a March 6 article.
Insight Dairy LLC
Little Falls, New York
Lancaster Farming spotlighted the husband-and-wife team of Jessica Hula-Fredericks and Chris Fredericks, who have an unconventional way of sharing ownership of their dairy farming business.
Click here to read the article in Lancaster Farming. PD
