A new program in Vermont aims to help dairy farmers become more profitable by improving their access to technical support.
Many farmers have been frustrated by the lack of access to experts to answer questions and help them better manage their operations, according to anAssociated Press article by Lisa Rathke. The new program aims to give them that support.“The idea behind it was to grow the production of commercial milk in Vermont by teaching farmers better, more efficient ways to farm,” Mark Rodgers, vice chairman of DairyVision's executive committee, told the AP. “The focus is on increasing the milk supply in an environmentally and fiscally sound manner.
“It's aimed at farms that might be moving from one generation to the next, or farms that might decide to merge, or farmers who want to shift crops or have labor issues.”
Cost of an assessment is $6,000, but farmers pay only half that; DairyVision pays the other half through public and private funding. Farmers pay for any additional work after the assessment.
While Vermont offers many sources for technical support for farmers, the new program focuses on farmers who produce commodity milk rather than value-added products. PD
—Summarized by PD staff from cited source
