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New Federal Rule to Hit Edaleen Dairy: Farm Too Large for Revised Exemption
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Moo-To-You May Become Moot-To-You
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USDA Announces Final Decision to Amend pacific Nothwest and Arizona-Las Vegas Milk Orders
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Do-it-yourself dairies may lose exemption
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New rules may milk farm dry
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Local dairy on Federal Government hit list
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U.S. sour on tactics of milk's top co-op
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Public rallies behind local dairyman
Yuma, AZ, June 19, 2005

Monday deadline looms for Smith Brothers
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See more Dairy News!

Public rallies behand local dairyman

By Joyce Lobeck
Yuma Sun
June 19, 2005

It would appear that the main business of government is meddling in the business of others," wrote one person in protest of a proposed rule change aimed at four independent milk producer-handlers in Arizona and the Pacific Northwest .

  Wrote another: "I am very troubled that the USDA would enact rules that increase the price of milk to the consumer and that limit competition in the marketplace."

  A business owner in Mexico wrote: "Through the competition they present not only in Arizona , but (also) in Mexico , has helped keep milk prices affordable to the poor people and the senior citizens of both countries. I fear that through this proposed amendment that milk prices will drastically increase, not only hurting the consumer, but my small business as well."

  If approved by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, the revised rule would require Hein Hettinga, owner of Sarah Farms in Yuma , Edaleen Dairy and Smith Brothers Farms of Washington and Mallorie's Dairy in Oregon to conform to the federal milk marketing order.

  That's a move Hettinga has been fighting for some time, first in Congress, and now with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 It's a fight not only to remain independent and totally in control of his operation from cow to bottled milk reaching grocery stores. It's also a matter of bucking a near-monopoly in the diary industry that is supported by the federal government.

  In the end, it's the consumer who would be impacted, Hettinga said, predicting that the price of milk in Arizona could rise by 50 cents a gallon if he is forced to comply with the marketing order.

  And so it was the public the targeted dairymen appealed to, asking that comments in opposition to the proposed rule be sent to the USDA through a Web site, www.keepmilkpriceslow.org , they set up. In addition, petition drives were conducted.

  Over a 36-day Grass to Glass outreach campaign waged by the dairies, the USDA has received 37,641 e-mails and petitions totaling 135,507 milk drinkers.

 This number is based on e-mail and petition surveys where respondents were asked to provide a "household count." The average household count was

3.6 persons, according to the Web site.

  Now it is up to the USDA to respond to each of those comments before Johanns makes his decision.

  "I think it will be six months before the decision," Hettinga said.

  And, should Johanns rule that the dairies must comply with the marketing order, Hettinga is prepared for the next step.

  "I will go to the courts and seek an injunction," he said. "I'll take this as far as I can."

  Meantime, he appreciates the public support. "I thank them all," he said of the petitioners on his behalf. "If this is stopped, it will be because the public was made aware and responded. When light is shown on issues, the government responds."

  The federal marketing order was established in 1936 to protect dairy farmers and handlers by establishing co-ops, including United Dairymen of Arizona, to process and market their milk.

  If subject to the marketing order, Hettinga said he would have to pay the federal government an estimated $3 million to $4 million a year, money that the government would then distribute to other dairymen in the state who belong to UDA.

  The Web site will continue to direct opposition letters to Johanns with copies sent to each of the U.S. senators in Washington , Oregon and Arizona .

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.