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And the price of corn goes higher..............

It is with much dismay, that the price of corn
continues to rise...higher than it ever has.
As a dairy farmer, corn is a valuable and
"must-have" commodity. 
Following on the heels of the 2009 dairy
crisis, it is a huge blow.

It worries me.  We normally grow our
own corn, but due to flooding, we had
a $20,000 corn loss and need to buy a load of corn.
That will cost at least $6000.00 and it may not
be enough to last until the fall harvest. 

I don't know where that money is coming from.
It is one more expense that is a burden for us.

I also worry about the beef and hog farmers.  How
will they make it?  The American people do not
realize that farmers that are able to
stay in business will need to raise their prices
and the consumer will be paying
much more for all their food, not just beef or pork.
Chicken will cost more, cereal prices will rise
and anything that contains corn syrup (and
it's in everything) will cost more.



It is times like these, that I wish we didn't
build a dairy farm.  I wish we had kept our
jobs and grew the corn and soybeans that we
used to.  We could be reaping lots of money
like the ag farmers we jokingly refer to as
4 x 4 farmers - they work 4 months
out of the year and drive 4 wheel drive
vehicles.

And then I look at our sweet girls
and our tiny little heifers, and I feel bad about
what would happen to them if we gave up. 
It isn't something we are ready to do yet,  so
I walk around the house looking at what I
can sell to keep going......

Another Dairy Farm Lost

When I started this blog and became a
"twitterer", I made several long distance
friends who were also dairy farmers. Some of
these friends live in the east and some in the
west.
Although we have never met in person, we bonded over
the fear and anguish of trying to survive
the dairy crisis. We gave each other
support, information and tried to buoy
each others spirits as we struggled
to hang on to our farms.

One of my friends from Pennsylvania recently
let us know that they will be selling their
cows in the spring and taking jobs off the farm.
How sad I am for them, but I am so
grateful this crisis has not taken their
farm.

I have tried to stay away from the news and
not look at the milk futures. The market
is still too volatile and too scary.

Dairy farmers have not recovered from
the crisis of 2009. We struggle from
day to day. I try to remember that we
do not pay tomorrow's bills with today's
money. Sometimes that helps, sometimes not.

Every time a piece of equipment breaks, I
cringe.

This spring, we lost our second hay cutting
and had a $20,000 corn loss due to
flooding. Now the price of corn is hovering
around 6.00 per bushel and when you need to
buy 1000 bushels (or more) it is scary.

It seems as if no one is listening. I
know that Congress created the special
committee to look at the problems in
the dairy industry, but
the wheels of government take too long
and Congress cares more about fighting
amongst themselves and trying to "undo"
recently placed programs instead of
looking at the American people and what
they are going through.

I am sick and tired of trying to get
Secretary Vilsack to look at the
real picture. He never answers my
letters. I am ashamed to say he
is from Iowa.

I hope that something can be done soon
to save the family farms. I'm sick
and tired of people losing their
livelihoods and sometimes their homes
because of the greed of the "big boys".

To my dear friend Diane... May God Bless you
and your husband.
I wish you peace in
your life as you move on to a more
secure future.

Death of a Dairy Farm

I made this video at our friend Danny's bankrupt dairy farm.  It is so sad.  Please view it and pass it on to everyone you know.  We have to stop the travesty of bankrupt dairy farms and do something to protect the producers. 

Thank you dear Hoof TrimmersAssociation!!

The Hoof Trimmers Association contacted us several months ago.  They were looking for a deserving dairy farm to provide a free trim and our farm was picked!!
They came today and what a great group of guys.  They were skilled and gentle with our cows.  Eric, Lee, Scott and Vic took turns trimming and educating my husband and I as they provided expert service.  We have had some bad experiences with hoof trimmers in the past.  They either were not very skilled or they were mean to our girls.  We just won't tolerate that kind of behavior.  We love our girls and want them to be treated humanely.
They were in desperate need of a pedicure and today was their spa day.
We can't thank you all enough for providing this service for us.
God Bless You!!

The dairy crisis continues

Here is an email I received today:

"I tried to post a comment on your page but, I'm not sure that it worked.  I am a 41 year old single mom of the best 2 children in the whole world and I am also a dairy farmer.  I just wanted to let you know that i know where you are coming from!  This past week we missed two milkings because I was behind on my electric bill and they turned it off.  It took me 24 hours to get the power back on.  I couldn't find anyone with a generator that I could borrow or anything.  My poor cows were bellowing and leaking milk everywhere.  Not one person cared!  People just don't know what we are going through right now.  I have never been this poor in my life and the cows eat better than we do.  On top of that, I had surgery on my neck on March 9th and have had no choice but to pay someone to milk my cows for me for the past 6 months.  I have not made a penny.  I had a good friend and neighbor who lived less than a mile down the road.  His name was Ronnie Cox.  One morning, he milked his cows, went to the house, got his gun,  and shot himself in the head in his front yard.  After that, his son, Billy Ray, took over the farm.  One year later, Billy Ray, was found hanging in the hay mow of the barn.  What is this world coming to??  I could go on for days but I just thought that I would write and let you know that you are not alone.  I believe that this hardship is just beginning. What are we going to do? I thought that I had my cows sold in October.  I sold them on a milk assignment and the guy never paid me.  I ended up getting them back in January thinner than a rail and almost unrecognizable.  I cried so much it was horrible.  My cows have always been my pets(jerseys) they come when i call them. and follow me all over. It cost me almost $10,000 to get them back and start getting the weight back on them.  Anyway, like i said, I am rambling now. Just wanted u to know that I am just as disgusted as you are I am struggling just as bad and willing to do something about it as well.  If you can think of something I could do to add to what you have done already, please let me know."

 

This is another sad story.  Does anyone have any ideas what we can do? It seems like nothing is working.  Everyone, including the government, is talking in circles and nothing is being done.  The price of milk is pathetic.  I have read multiple news reports that continue to blame the dairy farmers because they keep increasing their milk production and are bringing their young heifers on board.  Of course they are!  How else can you keep afloat???  There are two ways to make money - either the price has to go up or the milk production has to increase.  As a dairy farmer, you cannot control the milk price, so you do the one thing you can do - increase production.  This is going to continue until either the whole dairy industry collapses or everyone can come to an agreement.  Unfortunately, if I was a betting person, I would bet that the whole thing is going to go down in flames.  How depressing.   

 

Letter received from Sen. Harkin in response to letter written to him about antibiotic use in dairy cows

Dear Friend:


I appreciate hearing your thoughts regarding The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009. The discovery of antibiotics has been one of the most important advances in public health. These medicines have provided the ability to cure what were previously life-threatening diseases and have saved countless lives around the world. In addition to their uses in human medicine, antibiotics have also been successfully applied in animal agriculture to prevent and treat disease in animals. In humans, over time, some disease-causing microbes have become resistant to antibiotic treatments with significant public health implications. Tuberculosis, gonorrhea, malaria, and childhood ear infections are examples of diseases that are becoming more difficult to treat with antibiotic drugs.

I have long been concerned with the potential problem of antibiotic resistance stemming from the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. In 1999, and again in 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published two studies on the matter at my request. The studies found that widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture has been correlated with increased resistance of bacteria to medication, and that antibiotic resistant foodborne pathogens can be transferred from animals to humans. But the studies also found that the extent of human health risk from the use of antibiotics in agriculture is unknown. Further research is needed. That is why in the 2008 farm bill, I included provisions to allow further research to study antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Federal agencies are actively monitoring the correlation between antibiotic use in animal agriculture and any increases in antibiotic resistant pathogens in humans. In fact, last year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed a ban on the use of an antibiotic in poultry feed. FDA evaluates every drug on a case-by-case basis, and the agency has determined that enrofloxacin use in poultry increases resistance in a particular foodborne pathogen.
The animal agriculture sector relies on antibiotics to produce a safe and abundant food supply. It is important that antibiotics be used judiciously for both the health of animals and humans. I will continue to work to ensure that current systems used to evaluate antibiotics in food production are adequate, and I will take your views into consideration when I make decisions on pending legislation regarding the use of antibiotics in agriculture.


Sincerely,
Tom Harkin

United States Senator

Our future

Dairy farmers always look at their heifer calves as their future. When my husband goes up to the maternity pen to help with the birth or immediately after the birth of a calf, the first thing he does (after making sure the calf is OK) is to check and see whether it is a boy or a girl. We normally sell the boys.  We keep all the girls.  We love and care for them and treat them like our little princesses.  We have had our herd for 17 months and we have had 59 births!  Time has passed so quickly.  We have 28 heifers - from 2 weeks to 17 months.  Our first three "babies" were inseminated today.  It will be exciting to care for them, watch them become new moms and then milk beside their own moms. It's a miracle to help create a life - even if the life you create is a calf!

Farmers: Stay Safe!

Last Tuesday, my husband nearly lost his life in a farm accident.  He was grinding feed and heard a "noise".  So he pulled back the guard on the grinder and bent over to listen. He thought he was far enough away from the PTO shaft, but he was not.  It caught the pocket of his sweatshirt and slammed him down on top of the PTO.  My husband had on 5 shirts - a t-shirt, 2 long-sleeved shirts and 2 heavy Carhartt sweatshirts.  It ripped every one of his shirts off.  My husband is very strong and somehow, by the grace of God,
he pushed his hand against something on the grinder and held his head away from the moving wheels and parts until all of his shirts were ripped off and then he fell backwards.  At least that is what he thought. A few days later we looked at the machinery and there was no place he could have braced himself without his arm being ripped off. He actually was about to be torqued over the PTO and knew he could not get out of the situation and thought his life was over. Somehow he woke up on the ground, in the snow, with no shirts on and he was 30 feet away from the still spinning PTO and he had not been flipped over. He cut his throat when he was pulled down on the PTO and barely missed his jugular vein. 
This is a wake up call for everyone.  My son, who is a John Deere mechanic, came down to help milk the cows and do the chores while my husband recovered.  I told my son that I hate farm equipment, because it is so dangerous. His words to me were,"Yes, but it is usually operator error."  He is so right.                              So everyone......PLEASE be careful.  Leave the guards in place.  Stay away from the PTO shaft and for goodness sake, don't step over the PTO while it is running.

I am so thankful my husband is alive.  He is really a careful person.  But one mistake, one split second, can cost you your life.  Don't let this happen to you!

Americans should get back to the basics in life

I'm happy that the USDA is promoting "Know your farmer- know your food".  The horror stories about the food supply that trickles into the US from other countries and the recalls on beef and other products should scare Americans enough that they would want to know EXACTLY where their food comes from.  Here in rural Iowa, there isn't any reason why people can't buy locally grown and produced foods.  It is my opinion that all Americans should have a little garden and purchase as much locally grown food as possible.  In the end, it would save on massive recalls, fuel used for trucking foods long distances, factory pollution from processed foods, and a decrease in the use of preservatives and other chemicals that are added to keep food "fresh" for longer periods of time. 
We raise our own beef and know exactly the life it has had.   We know what it has been fed and if it's been treated with antibiotics (rarely, if ever).  It is my goal to go back to the basics in life.  I want to continue to eat my own beef and my own raised pork.  I am learning about beekeeping so I can have my own honey.  I plan to plant and take better care of a vegetable garden (I haven't done very well with that in the past!).  I want to get my own chickens this spring and plan to purchase a pastureizer so I can have my own milk to drink from the dairy, my own butter, cream and possibly cheese.  Every time I purchase milk in the grocery store, I think to myself, "This is ridicuous.  I have 64 dairy cows and I am BUYING milk!!". 
With the way the world is going, I think it's in everyone's best interest to become as self sufficient as possible.  That's my plan.  Want to join me??

Dairy farmers do not dump antibiotics into the food supply

There is so much misinformation out there. I wish the news media would get their story straight.  Who the heck do they get their information from???  How many dairy farmers do you know that dump antibiotics into the bulk tank???  NONE!
Here's the truth:  Dairy farmers want their cows to be healthy, but sometimes a cow gets sick and needs to be treated. When that happens, the dairy farmer will give her the appropriate medicine, which may include an antibiotic.  However, that cow's milk cannot go into the milk supply until the antibiotic is out of her system.  She is milked into a separate container and that milk is tossed.  She is tested until her milk does not contain one trace of antibiotic.  Only then can the dairy farmer put her milk back into the milk supply.  If the farmer accidentally puts her milk in the tank, and that milk contains antibiotic, the WHOLE tank has to be dumped and if the milk accidentally makes it onto the milk truck, the WHOLE truck has to be dumped and the farmer has to pay for all the lost milk. 
Some examples of when our cows are given antibiotics:  If one of our dairy cows develops mastitis, she is given an antibiotic directly into the teat with a special syringe tip.  We give our new moms an antibiotic after calving only if she doesn't get her cleanings out, she gets a twisted stomach and needs surgery, or she develops a fever after calving.  And again, her milk must be dumped until she tests clear of the antibiotic.  Our calves do not receive antibiotics routinely in their feed.  They are only given medication if they are sick.  We often consult our vet before giving antibiotics to any of our cows.  We do not routinely go around and give them injections "just in case"!  So before you believe everything that the news media tells you, for Pete's sake, ask the farmer!  We are happy to answer your questions truthfully.

It takes a village to run a dairy

When my husband and I decided to start a dairy in 2008, we had little to no experience with milk cows. But being the educated people we are, we knew that we could do this with hard work and some expert help. We soon found that it would take a well put together team to assist us in running a successful dairy. We began with the actual project of building the parlor and hoop buildings. It took specialists in construction, concrete, parlor equipment, plumbers and of course my electrician husband and father-in-law. The buildings and parlor went up like a well-oiled machine. As we were building, we had to think about the dairy cows and what their needs were. We researched every article and study we could find that discussed feed, water, bedding, veterinarian care, calf care, hoof trimming, lighting, and even music! (It turns out that the most soothing music for cows is supposed to be classical, but ours seem to like country music!)
We assembled a team of dairy vets and a nutritionist, as well as securing the right kind of sand for bedding. We bought calf huts and built pens for dry moms. We wanted to provide every bit of comfort for our girls. They mean more to us than just work cows and although the current news media is showing the "terrible" things dairy farmers do to their cows, they are not showing the whole truth. We do not dock tails. We do not beat our cows. We do dehorn our calves, but we do it humanely and for their future protection. We give our girls good medical care and never hesitate to call the vet out for a sick cow. We do everything in our power to save a cow and not because she is a worker, but because we care about her. We kiss our little baby calves and talk to them and pet them. My husband, who is the caretaker of the milk cows, talks to them all the time. He told me that if someone walked in while he was milking, they would think he was crazy, because he is in there just talking away to them! I'm proud of the way that we treat our animals. I won't deny that there are dairies and farmers that are inhumane, but you see that in every walk of life, such as human beings being cruel to children, their partners or even strangers. Most dairy farmers know that if you treat the cows mean, they won't produce milk and if they don't produce milk, you don't get paid. We don't treat our cows mean, we don't yell at them, and we do not allow anyone else to do that either, including veterinarians, hoof trimmers or anyone else. You yell or treat our cows mean, and you're out of there! Remember that sensational stories and videos sell more advertising. So before you believe all the hype from the media and the PETA people, ask someone who knows and who is there day in and day out! And if you don't believe me, stop by the farm! We have nothing to hide.

Outrage at the death of a NY dairy farmer

I have sent the following fax, along with a copy of the above article, to all members of Congress, President Obama, Governor Culver and Secretary Vilsack in hopes that the NY dairy farmer did not die in vain.  God bless him, his family and his dairy herd.

Windmill Farm Dairy

Todd & Janice Grimes

21409 138^th Street

Webster, IA  52355-9079

Home:  319-738-2075

Janice’s Cell:  641-660-7020

 

                    Email:  windmillfarmdairy@gmail.com

I am faxing you a tragic story about a dairy farmer in New York.  How many more farmers will take their lives? How many more farmers will go bankrupt?

I am sick and appalled that MY government is allowing the American dairy farmers to suffer to this point of desperation.  How can the government value banks and car companies, but let its own food producers drown into bankruptcy or death?  I am highly disappointed in the attitude of my elected officials and expect more from you.  It is the government’s responsibility to change this situation, since it is the government who sets the monthly federal price for milk. 

I know there is a dairy caucus and a dairy committee to look at the situation and I know that the government handed out 250 million dollars to help the farmers.  However, that payment did not even begin to help towards digging ourselves out of the hole that we are in.   Secretary Vilsack has the legal authority to set the price of milk to the cost of production per U.S. Code TITLE 7 Chapter 26 SUBCHAPTER III 608c 18 (18). I know he is aware of this as Farm Aid, on June 18, 2009, delivered 13,000 petitions signed by dairy farmers asking him to do so. The National Family Farm Coalition sent a letter to him on March 2, 2009 requesting the same thing. Why isn’t he being held accountable to his job?  He could save the American dairy farms if he would  set the price of milk to production until the government committees and dairy caucus have the time to fix the pricing situation and the Department of Justice can assess and prosecute those companies who are violating the anti-trust laws.  

Not only are we getting shafted by the low price of milk, but now the US wants to open up trade with New Zealand, the number one dairy exporter.  This is a slap in our face.  The USDA has the nerve to create the “Know your farmer – know your food” initiative and then encourage and support the importation of milk and MPCs from other countries.  It is impossible to know your food if it comes from another country and it will soon be impossible to know your farmer as they go bankrupt – one by one.  The initiative sounds good for the USDA but is really  just a scam to make the American people feel more comfortable about their food supply. 

Winter will be over soon and it will be time for the dairy farmer to plant his crops to feed his cows. The banks are backing off of lending money and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get an operator’s loan. 

The dairy farmer gets up early every morning, day after day, no matter the weather or the circumstances and milks his cows.  There is no vacation or holiday from milking.  Perhaps as you eat and drink your dairy products you should consider the work that went into just obtaining the milk from the cow. 

As an elected official, I suggest you take a long hard look at what is really going on in rural America and think about that poor man shooting 51 cows in the head and then taking his own life.  It’s an ugly picture isn’t it?  If you agree with that statement, then do something about it before it happens again.

Janice Grimes

Carnation milk: now a product of Mexico

Dairy farmers needed to go to DC

Invitation for "Dairy Does D.C. in December"


When: Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

Where: Washington, D.C.

Who: All Dairy Crisis Interested Parties (farmers, Holstein Association USA, FoodDemocracy Now, Food and Water Watch, Food Declaration, National Family Farm Coalition, Chambers of Commerce, Land Trusts, National Farmers Union, Pro-Ag, Family Farm Defenders, Moms Rising, FFA, agribusiness, financing sectors, students, consumers, Slow Food USA)

Why: To have a coast-to-coast, coordinated effort and steadfast presence to gain national attention and meet with our state representatives. Washington D.C. does not understand that the dairy economy is hovering on the brink of collapse. There has never been a better time to send someone from your farm or family to D.C. to deliver a firm message calling for action to secure a future in dairy farming instead of a financial collapse.
Why Background:

Dairy farmers know their dues-taking organizations are not acting with conviction for them – the dues-paying members.

Who is coming with us? RSVP Sun., Nov. 8 Want to learn more? Please email us.

RSVP or learn more by contacting, Bryan Gotham, blcgotham@yahoo.com. Find him on Facebook too.

Background:

A conference call of over 40 dairy crisis interested individuals from coast to coast occurred on Monday, Nov. 2 to discuss Dairy Does D.C. in December. This invitation is to find out who wants to go. After we have gauged the interest at end of day Sunday, Nov. 8, we will have another planning conference call on Nov. 9. Below is the draft framework of tasks.

Steps with Tasks and Goals

1. Measure participation interest in Dairy does D.C. in December to occur Wed., December 2nd. Planning will halt if response is weak.

2. Establish state leaders to organize buses and fundraising for bus expense. New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia organizers will provide guidance as they did this back in July.

3. Goal: 1 bus from each of the 23 major dairy states. This would be over 1000 farmers. Consumers are also encourage to go.

4. Set-up appointments with representatives for Wed., December 2, 2009

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Tammy Graves

gravesarborgraphics@yahoo.com

315-858-0163

Our babies

There's nothing better than a baby calf.  They are so sweet and playful.  They are our future.  We keep the girls and sell the boys.  That is the hard part of dairying.  If we could keep everything, we would!  Here are some of our new calves.  They're a bunch of cuties and I love taking care of them!

Skippy

This is Skippy.

I love to see her standing there so proudly.

About 2 months after the arrival of our herd, Skippy was somehow injured.  We believe that she had an injury to her tibial nerve in both back legs.  She could barely stand and when she was standing she shook and quivered.   Both her back hock joints were overflexed.  It was terrible.  We had three different vets who came and looked at her and they all agreed that the prognosis was not good.  Skippy was a young cow.  I just couldn't bear the thought that we would have to put her down. So Todd and I dried her off and moved her to the dry cow lot.  For weeks on end, I would put her food and water directly in front of her so she could eat without having to walk.  I would stand guard over her so the other dry cows couldn't get her food.  Gradually, Skippy began to stand longer and although her two back hock joints remained overflexed, she seemed to be less stressed as she stood.  Eventually Skippy could walk over to the bunk and eat on her own.  Eight months after her injury, Skippy could stand normally and could even run and jump around.    Today, her back legs are perfectly normal and she is now bred.  It was worth the time it took me to hand feed her every morning and night.  I never gave up on her and I am so glad!  This is the kind of love and caring that dairy farmers have for their cows.  We treat them humanely and with tender loving care and sometimes in the end, it pays off. 

Making apple cider

One of the joys of having grandchildren, is seeing the world through their eyes. Yesterday, we went to Grandma and Granddad's house to make apple cider with "Sherpa".  She had so much fun and seeing how "apple juice" was made was magical!

All politicians should get involved: Hear that Iowa Reps???

Bill Owens Milks It »


By Elizabeth Benjamin

NY-23 Democratic nominee Bill Owens is out with his third ad of the special election campaign, which focuses on concerns of upstate dairy farmers and ominously declares that "somebody's price fixing" when it comes to the cost of milk.

Along with the ad, Owens released a statement announcing he is joining Sen. Chuck Schumer's call for an investigation into why dairy farmers are getting paid less and less for their milk as consumers are paying more and more.

The spot employs some sure-fire crowd pleasers - cute cow close-ups, a plain-spoken farmer named "Sam," a catchy twist to the well-known "Got Milk?" campaign - to address an issue that is a top priority for rural New Yorkers.

It also features Owens, a businessman, in jeans and a plaid shirt, walking around a farm and looking like an ordinary guy.

Interesting to note: The Democrats' preferred candidate, Sen. Darrel Aubertine, is a former dairy farmer (seventh generation) who made his rural roots the focus of his 2008 campaign for the 48th SD, which created a stark contrast with the GOP candidate, Assemblyman Will Barclay, who comes from a well-to-do family.

The 49th SD special election had overtones of class warfare. It would be hard to see that happening here, since both Owens and the Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman are pretty well off - especially by NY-23 standards - although Hoffman is considerably more so.

The Republican nominee, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, who filed her financial disclosure form well before her opponents, isn't exactly hurting, either, although she perhaps hasn't had the best of luck with investments.


http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/10/bill-owens-milks-it.html

McDonald's and imported beef

There's a "rumor" going around the internet that McDonald's imports beef.  I have emailed them and this is their response:

Hello Janice:


"Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald's. We appreciate this opportunity to share the following information with you.
McDonald's is one of the world's largest purchasers of U.S. beef, and where possible, our preference is to always purchase locally and domestically. Each year, McDonald's purchases nearly one billion pounds of beef from U.S. producers. Our commitment to the U.S. agriculture industry stands stronger than ever.
Due to a well-documented shortage of lean beef in the U.S., and to meet the needs of our customers, we currently only purchase a relatively small percentage of high quality imported lean beef from New Zealand and Australia. We do this to supplement our domestic beef purchases.
Additionally, this beef is subject to our stringent guidelines and USDA inspection. The beef is inspected both as it leaves Australia and New Zealand and again when it enters the U.S. The amount of beef from Australia and New Zealand that enters the U.S. is governed by a strict quota system. McDonald's opposes any change in the current quota.McDonald's has the highest standards for food quality and food safety (including feed certification) in the business, and uses only those products that meet or exceed our highest standards. We have been and will continue to play a leadership role in setting food safety and quality guidelines for the entire industry to follow. It's what McDonald's is known for around the world, and we will never compromise these standards. Suppliers in Australia and New Zealand are subject to the same standards we have in place here in the U.S.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us for the facts. Your trust and satisfaction is very important to us. We value you as a customer and hope that you will give us another opportunity to serve you soon under the Golden Arches.
Lisa
McDonald's Customer Response Center
ref#:6370757"

My reply back:

I'm sorry, but the price of beef in the US is on the low side, as there is not a shortage of beef in the US. I (and many others) would like to know where you get your information that there is a shortage of beef. As you know, there are many rumors going around the internet about McDonald's and I think you better address this quickly. I am a dairy farmer and the Cooperatives Working Together has been slaughtering perfectly good dairy cows by the hundreds of thousands. I know that McDonald's has purchased Holsteins in the past. Therefore, I do not see where there would be a shortage. I will contact my legislators and the USDA to see if there is an issue about the shortage of beef in the US. The USDA and the Federal Government just launched a program called "know your food, know your farmer" and I do not believe that the American people want their food imported from other countries.


I guess if anyone has an issue with this, they should email McDonald's also.