Letters: Local dairy farms face crisis; Authoritarianism in action

Local dairy farms face crisis

I am writing as a local dairy farm wife to bring attention to an issue that affects our community and everyone who depends on local agriculture.

Right now, dairy farmers in our area are being paid less than $19 per hundredweight for milk — yet it costs us well over $25 to produce it. On top of that, co-ops and processors continue to take extra deductions and “market adjustments” out of our milk checks while grocery prices stay the same or increase.

Meanwhile, the cost of a healthy dairy cow is over $3,000, and feed, fuel, labor and equipment expenses keep rising. This pricing system is outdated, tying our livelihoods to a volatile commodity market instead of covering the real cost of producing safe, local milk.

This crisis doesn’t just hurt small family farms — it impacts large farms, local jobs, feed mills, vets, mechanics and the rural businesses that depend on agriculture. When farms close, communities suffer.

We want our neighbors to understand what’s happening and why it matters. What consumers pay at the store is not what farmers receive. We need fair milk pricing and accountability from co-ops and processors so local farms can survive and continue feeding our region.

I encourage everyone to discuss this, share it, and ask local and state leaders how they plan to support agriculture before it’s too late.

Thank you for helping spread the word.

Authoritarianism in action

President Trump has no moral center. His guiding principle is domination via cruelty. He squashes critics and elevates sycophants.

With zero evidence, Trump invoked claims of insurrection and rebellion to justify sending thousands of troops to California to punish peaceful, legal protests of his immigration policies. He’s poised to do the same elsewhere. He threatened the use of “very big force” against any protesters of his military parade.

He professes concern for police, while denying irrefutable evidence of vicious attacks on police during the January 6 insurrection. He failed to activate troops to control unlawful rioters — and then pardoned those convicted of brutally assaulting police.

Trump’s support of states’ rights is selective and wholly dependent on whether the state agrees with his policies. He says abortion rights should be left to states, but recklessly deployed federal troops to California over Governor Newsom’s strenuous objections.

Trump exploits antisemitism as cover to punish and defund universities. Meanwhile, buyers of his crypto coin, rewarded with a private dinner that flouts his personal profit-seeking, deal in assets with antisemitic symbols, including one called “F--- the Jews.”

Donald Trump demonstrates authoritarianism in action. He weaponizes antisemitism for political gain. He claims rebellion and insurrection when protesters oppose him, but ignores true insurrection, granting pardons and commutations to J6 rioters, including those who assaulted law enforcement officers. He supports states’ rights only when states support his political agenda.

Trump was largely elected to bring down prices. Instead, he’s bringing down our democracy!

Rep. Thompson’s opportunity

Residents of our Congressional district are fortunate to be represented by Glenn Thompson, dean of our state’s congressional delegation and House Agriculture Committee chairman. An astute, influential leader, he has questioned the impact of tariffs on the farm economy.

Here is how the budget bill pending in Congress would harm residents of our district: cuts to VA personnel helping over 45,000 vets; jeopardizing VA health benefits going to 9,600 vets and dependents; cuts in medicaid benefits for 170,000 recipients (22% of population), and also creating a crisis for at least five small hospitals depending on Medicaid revenue; possible cuts to Medicare, 158,000 (21%); cuts to SNAP benefits (over 98,000, 12.9%).

Dee Stewart, president and CEO of Americans for a Balanced Budget (CDT June 20), says 82% of Republican voters want Medicaid preserved or expanded, with similar support for SNAP. These cut are very unpopular across party.

Reporter John Cole in a March 15 Pennsylvania Capital Star interview asked Rep. Thompson, “When do you expect the Farm Bill to be passed, and will reductions of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, be on the table in the negotiations of the upcoming Farm Bill? Thompson: Absolutely no reductions in the nutritional benefits.”

Thompson voted for the House budget with SNAP cuts included. If not changed, this and other provisions would cause great harm to our rural district. Here’s hoping he will use his considerable clout to reduce the harm done here by the final bill.