STATE LEGISLATORS
Are legislators in dairy states caught between preserving cultural traditions and putting time into a more viable sector?
State legislators have the duty of forming committees and passing bills that will help their constituents. As less and less legislators are able to properly represent or satisfy the needs of farmers, it be comes unclear when they're spending too much time feeding a dying industry, at least on the smaller scale.
WHY SHOULD THEY CARE?
Local farms keep consumer dollars in circulation in a particular community
Local farms better connect families to the food they eat and who produced it
Local farms produce fresher and healthier goods because of their reduced need for transportation or long-term storage treatment
When local farms employ workers, the amount of skilled agricultural laborer is spread more equally throughout the country
WHAT CAN THEY DO?
As fewer and fewer legislators are connected to the dairy industry, it becomes increasingly important to form knowledgable committees for counsel. The National Farmers Union is one group that determined legislators should seek out in order to promote the well-being of farmers.
In the NFU's 2019 report, the organization laid out policies that they see as crucial to restoring family-owned farms.
Article one lays out their mission as such:
The primary objectives of national agricultural policy should be to enable farmers to significantly increase net farm income, improve the quality of rural life, and increase the number of family farmers, so farmers may continue to
provide a reliable supply of food and fiber and serve as stewards of our nation’s resources.
State and local legislators are able to use the advice and industry insight of groups such as the National Farmer's Union to further goals such as:
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Improve and fully fund permanent disaster programs
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Promotion of farm-to-school and farm-to-institution programs
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Promotion of family-farm based agritourism
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The purchase of surplus fruits and vegetables for federal food aid programs
CASE STUDY: DAIRY PRIDE ACT
The Dairy Pride Act is an important way that legislators can help small dairies now. It would require the FDA to require nationwide enforcement of mislabeled imitation dairy products. This means that plant-based products such as "almond milk or "coconut milk* would replace the word "milk" with "beverage." This would be a vital piece of legislation for small dairies because imitation dairy has gained the reputation of the nutritional value that dairy products have, without actually meeting the high standards that dairy farmers are required to.
2019
Whole Milk
for Healthy Kids Act
The 2019 Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would allow for whole milk in school cafeterias. In 2018 congress passed a bill that allowed 1 percent flavored milk in their food programs. Commemorated by fans of Big Dairy, the bill is marketed as an opportunity to add more choices for children, and open a new market for farmers.
Opposing viewpoints disregard the act's facade and assert that it "It’s about scoring simultaneous wins for Big Dairy and the sugar industry."