Farmer headed to D.C. to lobby

EDWARDS — Bryan R. Gotham is heading to Washington, D.C., next month to join hundreds of other dairy farmers from throughout the country as they lobby federal lawmakers to overhaul a milk industry they claim is bankrupting American farms.

Mr. Gotham, Edwards,an outspoken dairy activist, wants to get the word out so that more dairy farmers and agribusiness people from Northern New York join him on the Dec. 1 bus trip to the nation's capital.

A bus for upstate farmers and their allies is scheduled to leave Utica at 11 p.m. Dec. 1 and arrive in D.C. at 7 a.m. the next day.

"I'd like to recruit some more from this area," Mr. Gotham said, noting that about five farmers from the north country plan to attend.

"We're looking for dairy farmers or anyone involved in the agribusiness," he said. "We need to balance the influence in Washington with regular voices and build relationships with political people."

Mr. Gotham has been a staunch critic of the milk-pricing system and a leading organizer of a national group called United States Dairy Farmers. Members communicate online and meet for rallies and other events.

The itinerary for Dec. 2 includes appointments with lawmakers who serve on the House and Senate agriculture committees. Events also include a symposium on trends in animal agriculture.

Mr. Gotham said his group will push for revising the milk pricing formula so that it is based partly on the cost of milk production, retail prices and supply management.

Lawmakers will be urged to impose high tariffs on milk protein concentrates and set a temporary floor price of at least $17 per hundredweight. The group will lobby for mandatory audits of food companies' dairy product inventory to help farmers better control supply management.

Mr. Gotham said national politicians have been overly influenced by various dairy cooperatives and manufacturers of milk products.

"We need to send a message to the federal government. The $280 million they are talking about distributing is not going to be enough to stem the tide of farm foreclosures," he said. "We're trying to put out balanced information."

Those interested in the bus trip can contact Mr. Gotham at blcgotham@yahoo.com or on Facebook or call him at 405-6456.