Under present conditions, I would understand their decision not to pursue dairy farming as a career. Federal milk marketing orders are designed to protect minimum prices for producers that will provide for a reliable and fresh supply of milk for the consumer. If the current pricing system and trends continue into the future, we can not count on a reliable fresh supply of milk in all areas of the United States. The dairymen in the Northeast and upper Midwest are slowly losing their ability to compete. This chart shows that the percentage of milk produced in the Southwest, West and California has more than doubled from 1970 to 1997.
Southwestern dairymen have lower costs due to their ability to store feed and house animals outside.
Many areas of the Southwest use taxpayer subsidized water supplies for irrigating animal feed crops and watering cattle. Traditional dairy areas need more expensive buildings for feed and cows. This shift to the West will eventually deplete our dairy industry in Pennsylvania to a level where it can not adequately supply fresh milk to consumers in the North and Northeast. There will still be plenty of milk but not in the right location. The trends of westward and larger dairies would be all well and good, if your only need is cheap milk.