Farmin' It -- Dairy Farming in Oneida County, New York

For promotional purposes, and emotional reward, we continue to portray and describe agriculture in only the most effusive and rewarding terms. At the same time, the practice of commercial agriculture lives under a pure and unrelenting economic reality which destroys communities and lives. We, as a people, have the power to enact public policies that look beyond the myopic short term gains a capital centered industrialized agriculture has shackled itself too- it has been done before- and dairy is still the likeliest place for such a change to re-emerge.

An outstanding film. Period.

Thank you for putting this together. Very well done 👏

😊

Industrialization and "efficiency" has destroyed a beautiful peaceful way of life as a small farmer. I hate those giant confinement dairies milking around the clock. There goes another 15 or 20 small farms.

The small family-owned dairy farms are disappearing because the government controls the price for milk and those small farms can't survive on such little money. Commercial dairy farms i.e. grocery chains with their own farms, corporations etc. are the winners here, not the consumer. We pay high prices for milk, and the quality of milk produced by commercial dairies is bad. The focus is quantity not quality. Many dyeing dairy farms have converted to organic crops and thus have come back strong. Realtors are quick to point out land that is certified organic, now. It's the new era of farming in America. Progress? You decide.

i love how the water management guy says ‘we help the farmer’. BS, u control the farmer to government ‘standards’. just like President Reagan said, if the governments says they are here to help, it is a lie!

people hire hispanics because they cheap labor. Americans want to get a LIVING wage for the work they do Hispanics will work for less and have 30 people in one house. the American dream is to work and own your own home, if we took wages the hispanics take, we would never have our own homes.

Well done. My great grandfather was Dr. William Arthur Young. He was a veterinary surgeon; I believe he began his practice with Dr. Hollingsworth. in 1920-'21 he was appointed as the first dairy and meat inspector for Utica, NY. This was one of the first programs of this type in the country. Dr. W Arthur Young also established the Fox Farm in Boonville, NY as Central New York Fur Company.

You.......your family is not doing the work !!!! Its called FAMILIES farm Lets stick to reality ....a " family " farm ! Enough of the warm and fuzzy family farmer ! Today.....my son is a family farmer. He has 30 cows... on 80 acres of land. This is where his income comes from. Not outside income !
Myself......I was a family farmer for 45 years. All the income came from the farm ! No outside income ! Milked up to 50 cows.............on 160 acres. Rotational grazed and only had 15 acres of
" ear" per year. Total equipment cost was less then 60,000 dollars ........and as of today its still the same ! A handsome income of over 12,000 dollars per month....more then cover all costs !
Farmers need to learn its not about size * Trump " its about efficiency ! Get to work !