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“Daddy went broke and all I could find was work as a day laborer,” said Eli Weaver. “We’re working hard to make our dairy operation successful.”
What’s new to the Weavers is old hat for Morgan County’s Mickey Childers, a self-described “country boy who married into the business” four decades ago.
During that time, he has helped his dairy become one of the largest in Alabama. He said he and his hands milk about 650 cows daily.
“The biggest change in Alabama is so many dairy farmers going out of business,” Childers, 61, said. “We only have seven dairy operations left in Morgan County. At one time, we had 25 to 30 dairies.”
Eric McClain, an area manager for the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, said consumers who complain about the high cost of a gallon of milk usually blame dairy farmers without knowing “the real facts.”
McClain, who is based in Louisville, Ky. and attended the field day in Macon County, said environmental rules and regulations have added to the challenges confronting dairy farmers in Alabama.
“They have to file waste management plans and stay up on all the changes that keep coming their way,” said McClain. “Farmers must be mindful about not allowing animal waste to flow into wetlands and streams.”
Then, there’s water, which has become a major milk competitor.
“Milk consumption is fairly steady but, unlike other dairy products, it has to be sold at beverage departments and therefore has plenty of competitors up to and including water,” McClain said. “Who would have thought 10 years ago that people would be carrying around water bottles?”
He said producers are working hard to improve milk packaging and to impress upon the public that “water doesn’t have the nutrients of milk.”
Ted Tyson of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said those rules and regulations from environmental agencies carry a price and, for small dairy operators, it can be enough to drive them out of business.
“The economic environment is very tough,” said Tyson. “Regret-tably, a lot of the things our dairy farmers have to do from an environmental standpoint are much more expensive the smaller the operation you have.”
One way to limit any potential problems with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is to raise dairy cattle in a contained area. That takes the cows out of the pasture—away from streams and wetlands and closer to milking equipment.
“Milk production per cow goes up in a confined area as compared to any other kind of operation, especially open range areas,” Tyson said.
Childers has seen dairy production change through the years with bigger cows to milk and more scientific advances helping farmers.
“We know how to manage our cows better and get more production out of them,” said Childers, who lives in the Somerville community of Morgan County. “Everything we do is for our cattle. If we raise corn, it’s to feed them.”
McClain estimated that there are about 20,000 milk cows in Alabama. That may seem like a lot, but they pale in comparison to dairy herds in other states as well as the beef industry in Alabama.
Bannon said he milked his way through Auburn University after arriving there in 1964. For him, it was quite a learning experience—one far removed from a classroom.
“I had seen cows before, but I had never milked one,” he said, a big smile breaking across his face. “I learned to be cautious around them. They can be somewhat fractious in temperament and you have to be careful not to be kicked.”
Bannon said modern equipment has helped make milking procedures easier, but dairy farming still remains “very labor intensive.”
He said dairy cows will produce for up to seven years, averaging about 20,000 pounds of milk a year. He said milk cows can cost about $1,600 each. Added to that cost are expenses related to keeping the cow healthy and well fed so she can produce.
Alabama is fortunate to have the E.V. Smith Research Center Dairy Unit. It is used by experts from Auburn University and Tuskegee University as well as local groups and area schools.
The Center’s herd consists of 150 cows and 120 replacement heifers and calves. Milk produced at the site is sold through the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative and is processed at the Winn Dixie milk plant in nearby Montgomery.
All cows and heifers are artificially inseminated with emphasis on predicted transmitting ability for pounds of milk, feet, legs and udders, said Cal McCarthy, who manages the Center’s dairy herd.
McCarthy, who grew up in Ohio, moved to Alabama in 1973 and bought his own farm. He had been working in the artificial insemination end of cattle and when he had a chance to buy a farm, he didn’t hesitate. He and his family worked hard to make it a success.
During the past three decades, McCarthy has seen many changes in the dairy industry and he hasn’t changed his opinion that it will remain a viable part of Alabama agriculture.
“There will always be dairies,” he said. “Let’s face it, dairy is still nature’s most perfect food. People have tried to discount it through the years, saying butter fat is bad for you, but, they still come back to it because of the calcium and other things that are so good for you.”
McCarthy, 63, said he can’t blame those who have gotten out of the dairy business because, at times, he feels the same way—almost.
Now, with what I do, I actually get a day off each week,” he said. “We’re going to see larger dairies where they can afford to hire employees where everybody can get some time off.”
Until then, farmers like Jeff and Renee Kimbrough will continue to watch over their dairy herds like loving parents which, in their case, they are.
They can’t compete with Alabama’s larger dairy operations and they really don’t want to. Their cows are like family—even if they do milk them for all they’re worth.
Alvin Benn is a freelance writer from Selma. |
