Wisconsin’s Ag Secretary says not all of the dairy producers being cut from Grassland Dairy in Greenwood (Wisconsin) at the end of the month are in Wisconsin.
Ben Brancel says, “Just recently it was clarified to us that some of the letters went to Minnesota and some of the letters went to the State of Wisconsin, and the number of letters in Wisconsin was 58.”
Brownfield learned from the Minnesota Milk Producers that’s 19 Minnesota producers, bringing the total of affected dairy farms to 77. Grassland sent an unsigned letter to the producers early this month saying lost ultra-filtered milk sales to Canada, valued at about 100-Million dollars a year, is why it cannot continue taking their milk.
Brancel says three Wisconsin dairies will be sending milk to Grassland, even though they received a termination letters. “There were a couple of farmers who had forward contracts with Grassland, and I know that Grassland reviewed their original proposal and decided that they would honor those contracts.”
And, he says a couple of producers have found milk handlers to purchase their product in addition to the eight that recently signed up with Mullins Cheese in Mosinee and Marshfield, Wisconsin. “We don’t know exactly how many each handler has taken on, but we presume that we have still about 40 farms to continue to strive to find a home for.”
Brancel says there might be more new buyers, but he can only go by what the producers tell the state ag department.
Source: Brownfield
