Posted: 09.06.2011

Wisconsin dairy farmer, John Pagel, has decided to use the internet as a platform to provide resources for dairy farmers trying to decide on dairy policy for the future.

The website, www.StopSupplyManagement.com, explains Pagel's and others' opposition to the supply management portion of Foundation for the Future (FFTF), a proposal from the National Milk Producers Federation. The website calls dairy farmers to action by encouraging visitors to sign an online petition and prompting them to contact their legislators and voice their opinion.

Pagel and his family own and operate Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, with a milking herd of more than 4,000 cows. The proposed legislation will be damaging to his dairy and dairies of all sizes throughout the nation, he says.

"While I applaud NMPF for starting the much-needed conversation about dairy policy reform, I am strongly opposed to the supply management portion of the FFTF proposal. Penalizing farmers for producing too much milk when the milk price declines takes money out of our milk checks when we need it the most," said Pagel. "My website gives farmers, legislators and the public a resource to learn more about this proposed legislation and the harmful impact it could have on our nation's dairy industry."

The Dairy Business Association, a Wisconsin group representing all sizes of dairy farms and allied businesses, announced its support of the website.

"We are happy to see dairy farmers being proactive and getting their voices heard," said Laurie Fischer, Executive Director of DBA. "We encourage all producers to visit the website for more information and to use the wonderful resources there, such as contact information for legislators, an online petition and a wealth of background information on the proposal, to form an educated opinion on the subject."

For more information, visit Pagel's website at www.stopsupplymanagement.com.

« back to news articles