Posted at: 08/21/2009 7:06 PM
By: Dietrich Nissen

Walz Meets with Dairy Farmers

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- More than a hundred local dairy farmers are meeting with Congressman Tim Walz, asking what lawmakers can do to help farmers out.

Despite the recent increase to dairy supports, farmers say they are still worried it won't be enough and so they're turning to lawmakers for help.

Dairy farmer Shelley DePastel, of Lewiston, Minnesota, says she's been worried since the dairy industry started to sink last fall.

"I�m afraid for- for some of us in the dairy industry, you know uh it's our livelihood, it's our business, it's our job," says DePastel.

Even with increased support from the government, DePastel says the resulting price increase isn't enough to save farmers.

"It raised slightly very slightly still well under break even dollar amount," says DePastel.

"We're getting paid less than half of what we were at this time last year," DePastel says.

Now she hopes Congressman Tim Walz can help find a solution.

"As costs have gone by about half over the last year, the end product at the store, a gallon of milk has not changed in price," Walz says.

Walz says he wants to investigate why that is but says he's certain, if dairy prices stay the same, the consequences will be dire.

"I think what the challenge here is if places like the Daley Farm go under or whatever, you will see prices skyrocket," says Walz.

Minnesota Milk Producers' Director bob Lefebvre says the way to prevent that from happening is for people to buy more dairy products.

"Eat more low-fat cheese, yogurt, drink more milk that's the best thing you can do to help a dairy producer right now," says Lefebvre.

"I don't want to see anybody taking advantage of the dairy farmer these days and if prices would decrease at- in the grocery store then I do believe demand would go up."

But until those prices drop, DePastel expects dairy farmers to keep sinking this fall.

Walz is a co-chair of the congressional dairy farmer's caucus.

He says the dairy industry accounts for nearly three billion jobs in Minnesota.