Congressman Peter Welch Coming to Fairfax

[Chris Santee]

Welch to unveil dairy growth management plan in Fairfax Friday morning

FAIRFAX, VT – Rep. Peter Welch on Friday will unveil legislation to create a growth management program for the U.S. dairy industry.

At Ralph McNall’s farm in Fairfax, Welch and a group of Vermont dairy leaders will discuss how the bill will address chronic price volatility in the dairy market. The bill is the product of a national effort to address long-term challenges in the industry and to ensure dairy farmers receive fair prices.

Welch will be joined by Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Albee, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery Board of Directors President Ralph McNall, Amanda St. Pierre of Dairy Farmers Working Together and representatives of Vermont’s major dairy cooperatives.

WHAT: Dairy growth management press conference

WHO: Rep. Peter Welch
Roger Albee – Vermont Secretary of Agriculture
Ralph McNall – President of the Board of Directors, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery
Amanda St. Pierre – Dairy Farmers Working Together
Representatives of Vermont’s major dairy cooperatives

WHEN: Friday, April 16, 2010 – 1:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)

WHERE: 151 McNall Farm, McNall Road, Fairfax

[Chris Santee]

At this time, the U.S. Congress may stay late for a vote tonight.
The time of tommorow's visit may be pushed back.
I will post any changes asap.
As always, anyone is welcome to call me on my cell at 782-0406.

[special ED]

how can we make him  feel unwelcome

[Chris Santee]

No partisanship when it comes to helping dairy farmers, my friend.
I will make sure he is very welcome.

I appreciate him coming to Fairfax and I appreciate the communication The Fairfax News shares with him.

Do we have different opinions on some issues ?
Yup !
But he's always willing to discuss those differences with me.

[Chris Santee]

NEW TIME 1:00pm and new guest Bill Rowell added

FAIRFAX, VT – Rep. Peter Welch on Friday will unveil legislation to create a growth management program for the U.S. dairy industry.

At Ralph McNall’s farm in Fairfax, Welch and a group of Vermont dairy leaders will discuss how the bill will address chronic price volatility in the dairy market. The bill is the product of a national effort to address long-term challenges in the industry and to ensure dairy farmers receive fair prices.

Welch will be joined by Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Albee, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery Board of Directors President Ralph McNall, Amanda St. Pierre and Bill Rowell of Dairy Farmers Working Together and representatives of Vermont’s major dairy cooperatives.

WHAT: Dairy growth management press conference

WHO: Rep. Peter Welch
Roger Albee – Vermont Secretary of Agriculture
Ralph McNall – President of the Board of Directors, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery
Amanda St. Pierre – Dairy Farmers Working Together
Bill Rowell – Dairy Farmers Working Together
Representatives of Vermont’s major dairy cooperatives

WHEN: Friday, April 16, 2010 – 1 p.m.
WHERE: 151 McNall Farm, McNall Road, Fairfax

[Mike Raburn]

Is he bringing grape juice???

yuk yuk yuk.....(Three Stooges comment for ED.)

[special ED]

I`m sorry you feel that way Chris ,the dairy industry has been milking the government for too long now, they must be treated like any other business. if they can`t make it then they must fall.this touting to the dairy farmers is just welfare,let the market place decide who stays and who goes,THAT MY FRIEND IS AMERICA the pursuit of happiness not guarantee

[Kathleen]

I agree the dairy farmers should be treated like any other business, so the issue shouldn't really be about helping the dairy farmers to survive.  The issue should be about helping SMALL BUSINESSES survive the corporate giants that can afford to spend the money to upgrade their business and grow even larger.  It's all about whoever has the money survives.  The same goes for politics -- the canidate with the most money and can afford to get his name out to the public, is the one who usually will win.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

[Chris Santee]

I hear what you're saying, Ed, but I can't categorize as "welfare" people like Ralph McNall, Bill Rowell and the other good Vermont farmers who work 16 hour days. These gentlemen are leading authorities in the industry, nationally.

I understand very well the competition of 40,000 head dairy farms in Florida and California with their "Happy Cows" million dollar advertising campaign.
I understand very well that some "farmers" who live in NYC are receiving million dollar subsidies from our federal government not to farm.

However, I also understand the hard working farmers locally who are losing money to milk, borrowing to survive another month.
As Kathleen states, this is about small business (farms) and if Peter Welch is coming here to meet with Ralph and Bill, I'll be there.

Will Welch's announcement help ? I don't know yet, but I'm willing to discuss options with Republicans and Democrats.

Red barns, with black and white cows on green pastures lure urban tourists with money to Vermont.
We all benefit from that !

Now, I'll leave you all with one question:
"Got Milk ?"

[gkmcnall]

Don't forget about those white barns with black/white holsteins too!

[special ED]

chris ,with all due respect.you are starting to sound like peter {rat face} shumloin ,answering one question with another one ,you have been paying attention in his class room havent you ?LOL ...farmers know what they are getting into whether it is 16 hr days or barrowing to feed the cows ,they should not get special treatment regauardless ,it seems that whenever there is an election coming up that people cowtow too them ,why is it like that?kinda like kissin the baby for pictures,I`m sure those people are outstanding people and leaders ,but to be a true conservative you must not deal out corprate welfare to them or any other business.I would like to be able to borrow some money for bigger and better tools for my business so I could expand and even hire someone but until I get some more work I cant do it ,a low interest loan would be nice but I would not be able to repay it right now ,could my business fail ? maybe ,should the government bail me out?





]

[Chris Santee]

At Fairfax farm, Welch outlines plan to address dairy price volatility                                   

FAIRFAX, VT – During a Friday afternoon press conference with Vermont dairy leaders in Fairfax, Rep. Peter Welch outlined new legislation to prevent volatility in the dairy industry and help Vermont farmers.

At the McNall family farm in Fairfax, Welch announced he will introduce the Dairy Price Stabilization Act next week with Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.). The bill seeks to stabilize the milk market by creating a disincentive for farmers to rapidly increase their herd size when prices increase.

“Following last year’s devastating dairy price crisis, the need for a plan to match supply with demand is clear. To delay in addressing the enduring challenges of price volatility is to leave Vermont farmers vulnerable to a system that simply is not working,” Welch said. “Introducing this bill is just a first step, but it is an important step. Working together, we will refine it to ensure that it works for dairy farmers – in Vermont and throughout the country.”

The legislation calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine on a quarterly basis the capacity for growth in the dairy market. Producers who exceed the percentage increase allowed by the USDA would pay a market access fee, which would be distributed to all farmers.

The bill empowers farmers by allowing them to vote on whether to enact the program and, three years after it commences, to vote on whether to continue it. Farmers would sit on a 30-member board that would advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the implementation of the program.

Welch was joined at the announcement by statewide dairy leaders, including Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee, Amanda St. Pierre and Bill Rowell of Dairy Farmers Working together, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery board president Ralph McNall, Agri-Mark director Robert Foster and representatives of Dairylea/Dairy Farmers of America.

Allbee said, “I am pleased to join Congressman Welch today as he indicates his support for the Growth Management bill. This is an important first stage in the debate. This is critically needed to reform national dairy policy. In the Northeast, and increasingly across the country, it is well recognized that the current federal pricing system is broken, and that growth management is needed to reduce the extreme price volatility that exists that is bringing economic havoc to farmers, their families, and our rural landscape. I applaud Rep. Welch for taking action today in supporting this legislation.”

[Chris Santee]

I'll be back, Ed, but I've got to fly to Morrisville to get the papers.

Slam, ouch, Shumlin, I'll be back.

[Henry]

Well, it was on both Channel 3 and Channel 44.  Channel 3 mentioned that they were in Fairfax and both showed some photos of the barn, but I was hoping they would show someone from Fairfax, but no such luck.

[7F24]

Ed,
I couldn't think of anything nice to say.....