Year of Plenty

Thu., March 25, 2010

WSJ Article Gives New Meaning to Dairy Bubble

A dairy farmer spent $150,000 to line his open manure pit with plastic only to have it detach and form huge bubbles of gas from the 21 million gallons of decomposing cow manure. The article at WSJournal that describes his predicament offers a telling window into the current plight of many large scale dairy farmers. It also offers these astounding statistics:

How Much Manure Does a Dairy Cow Produce?

148 lbs. per day
1,036 lbs. per week
4,440 lbs. per month
54,020 lbs. per year

In light of the complexity of the situation facing dairy farmers it seems weird to me that many think the answer for the industry is for more farmers to use rBST. It sounds too much like someone saying the answer for the current mortgage mess is to further leverage the market.

Posted March 25, 2010, 4:41 p.m.

The Year of Plenty blog was created by Craig Goodwin in the winter of 2008 to chronicle the experiences of his family as they sought to consume everything local, used, homegrown or homemade. That journey was a wonderful introduction to people and movements in the Spokane area who are seeking the welfare of the community through local foods, farmers markets, community gardens, sustainable transportation, and more fulfilling and just patterns of consumption. In 2009 and beyond the blog will continue to report on these relationships and practices, all through the eyes of a family with young children. Craig manages the Millwood Farmers' Market, is a Master Food Preserver and Pastor at Millwood Presbyterian Church. Craig can be reached at goody2230@gmail.com