By Ron Muzzall

Tragedy struck northern New York state on Jan. 22. But really it struck the United States in 1949 and it is becoming evident now.

On Thursday, Jan. 22, dairyman Dean Pierson finished his morning milking, shot his 51 cows and turned the gun on himself. It is hard to imagine the desperation that would cause this kind of action unless you have lived the life.

As a former dairy farmer, a current farmer and as a current board member of several agricultural cooperatives, I have felt and seen the pain on a daily basis.

In an industry where a one percent deviation in supply swings the market price, we saw export markets dry up. Coupled with domestic usage dropping there was a 10 percent drop in demand.

The inherent problem with milk is that it has to be processed within 48 hours. A perishable commodity whose supply cannot be controlled easily — what an opportunity for everyone but the producer.

For the last 18 months dairy producers have been operating at break-even or a deficit. They have been watching everything they consider dear and maybe belonged to their fathers, grandfathers or great-grandfathers go down the drain.

I can understand how Dean Pierson might have felt when everything he held dear including his cows was slipping away. When your personal identity is linked with a business its success or failure is a direct reflection on you. Maybe this is irrational but we as humans are affected by exterior factors often irrationally.

Whose fault is this? Some people blame factory farms, big corporations and “frankenfood.”

Well, I mentioned 1949. That was the year the first Food Security Act was enacted to ensure a stable food supply. Ever since then our government has, through market manipulation and direct subsidization, controlled the price and supply of our nation’s food.

Who benefited from this program? Well, to some degree, the farmer. With stability came some of the most progressive and profitable times for American agriculture. However, commodity prices for these products have not kept pace; in many cases the prices have not changed since the mid to early ‘70s. With the stagnation of price the only option is to expand efficiency most often by increasing size. This is why the dairy industry has been migrating to arid areas where milking thousands of cows is more efficient.

Really, the Food Security Act accomplished its goal. We as Americans have the cheapest, safest food supply in the world. And yet farmers are struggling.

My goal is to raise the consciousness of the consumer. First is to realize that real desperation and stress exists on the farm today. Dean Pierson is evidence of that and my prayers are with his family. Numerous suicides like this have caused Land O’Lakes to institute a 24-hour helpline to assist in the mental health of our producers. Secondly, be conscious of what you buy and from whom you buy your food. First, buy local when possible. Buy from farmer cooperatives like Darigold and Land O’ Lakes to assure a larger percentage of the food dollar ends up with the producer. In a cooperative the farmers own the farms and they cooperatively own the processing and distribution. The in-store brands are cheaper but they don’t help the dairy farmers as much.

However, the most important thing is to educate yourself. Don’t believe everything the news media tells you. Remember, farmers are price takers not price setters. They respond to market influence and if you really have questions find out the answers from a reputable source.

If we don’t work together the long-term tragedy will be a complete disconnect between the producer and consumer with the big food companies controlling supply, price and quality.

And the next time you put that food into your mouth, remember that someone, somewhere invested their heart and soul into producing it.

Ron Muzzall lives on a farm near Oak Harbor. He and his wife Shelly and three daughters own the 3 Sisters Cattle Company.