Dairy farmers ask state for help

Hartford (WTNH) - There was a plea for help from the state's dairy farmers. They say a combination of federal law and the bad economy is threatening to close down the state's remaining dairy farms. And, farmers are now asking for help.

It's a business as old as the state itself and it's hard work. As one dairy farmer noted, farmers work 365 days a year except on leap year when they work 366.

If you live in the city, you may not realize that dairy farming is a $1 billion a year business in Connecticut with between 4,000-5,000 jobs.

But, despite the fact that you may be paying close to $5 a gallon for milk, the local dairy farmer is losing money because the federally mandated wholesale price of milk is below what costs to feed and house the cows and run a dairy operation.

According to their association, the mandated price this month is $1. But, it costs about $1.90 to produce a gallon of milk. That's why Connecticut dairy farmers brought Daisy from Greenbacker Farms, in Durham, to the state capitol, Thursday.

"We're here because, in my town alone, at the beginning of last year we had eight working farms in our town," said Ben Freund, of North Canann's Freund Farm. "By the beginning of next year, we'll have five working farms in that town."

"We have a clear, significant economic impact as well as jobs in the state," said Peter Orr of the Fort Hill Farm in Thompson. "We just need a stimulus to get us through these difficult times."

The dairy farmers are looking to state lawmakers to create some sort of safety net fund for farmers. It could involve a fee to milk retailers but they also want a cap on the retail price so that consumers don't get soaked. But, no one is sure exactly where the fund would come from. All they do know is that the dairy farms need to be helped especially because of the jobs involved.

"Saving dairy farms is a shovel-ready project in the state of Connecticut," Senator Don Williams said.

If you've ever been in a barn, you know why that's funny.

But there's nothing funny about what's happening. And Williams, who's from the farming area of Brooklyn, pledged to find some kind of solution despite the tough economic times for the state.