Nearly all the milk consumed in New England and New York, the area that would comprise the compact, is produced in the region. That means the compact's effect should be spread evenly among distributors, said Stephen Lincoln, executive vice president for Garelick Farms of Franklin. If farmers continue to go out of business, milk prices could increase 30 or 40 cents a gallon to pay shipping charges from other regions, he said. If farmers need this to make a profit, then we need the compact. It beats the alternative, which is having a situation developing in the Southeast.
Local farmers call their situation desperate.
If they could get that compact in, we would be guaranteed money year-round. Since the USDA wants public input, he and other area farmers think the proposal is doomed. We've tried a lot of stuff. We don't base any hope on that because we never get it. Mrs. Lopes runs her farm with her husband, John.