News stories tagged with "milk"

(12/26/11) This week, we're listening again to a series we produced this summer titled, "Farmers Under 40", a look at the new generation of young farmers in the North Country. The series also celebrates locally grown food: vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy. So, what can you do with raw milk, besides drinking it? Think cheese.

Inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Todd Moe found it's pretty easy to make delicious soft cheese, with no special equipment and just a few key ingredients. He starts with a gallon of raw milk. Forty-five minutes later, he's got a softball sized piece of home made mozzarella. It begins on the farm...

(03/02/11) Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says New York's dairy farmers can't wait for next year's Farm Bill negotiations to start fixing the milk price. In a telephone press conference with reporters, the Democrat said dairy farmers face "an urgent crisis". Todd Moe reports. more

(06/08/10) New restrictions on raw milk sales in Wisconsin and Massachusetts are returning one of America's fiercest food debates to the headlines. More people are seeking out unpasteurized milk. They cite a broad range of health benefits and support for local dairies. But health officials and many scientists insist drinking raw milk is too risky. Even Locavore-in-Chief Michael Pollan cautions raw milk drinkers "not to turn a blind eye to the food safety concerns." In New York, about 30 dairies are licensed to sell direct from the farm, including five in the North Country. The law requires consumers to bring their own containers and actually watch as the milk is poured from the bulk tank. David Sommerstein got an up-close look at the raw milk debate at a farm in St. Lawrence County and has our story.

(06/08/10) So, what can you do with raw milk...besides drinking it? Think...cheese. Inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," Todd Moe found it's pretty easy to make delicious soft cheese, with no special equipment and just a few key ingredients. He starts with a gallon of raw milk. Forty-five minutes later, he's got a softball sized piece of home made mozzarella... It begins on the farm...

(03/16/10) The New York State Senate is considering a controversial measure that would give more legal rights to New York farm workers. The bill would allow farm laborers to unionize more easily. It would also guarantee workers at least one day of rest each week and provide for overtime pay.

The bill has strong backing from a variety of labor, immigrant and religious groups, including New York's State Catholic Conference. But the bill is broadly panned in upstate agricultural areas. It's vehemently opposed by the New York Farm Bureau, which says it would quote --cripple -- New York agriculture. Upstate lawmakers from both parties are against it.

Opposition in the state Senate is led by Darrel Aubertine, a Democrat from a long line of Jefferson County dairy farmers. He made his case yesterday on The Capitol Pressroom, a daily program produced by public radio station WCNY. Martha Foley has more.

(08/17/09) Today we give you another installment in our "Story 2.0" series, where we revisit a story from the NCPR news archives. This time, we check in with Ray and Stephanie Hill and their small dairy farm in West Potsdam. Here's an excerpt from a May 2008 story by reporter Kinna Ohmann.

(07/22/09) A Congressional panel overseeing the federal financial bailout says the recession is plunging many farmers deeper into debt and parts of the agricultural economy are in crisis. The panel singles out dairy farmers as among the hardest hit. Milk prices remain at 30-year lows. North Country lawmakers are pushing legislation in Congress to help. David Sommerstein reports.

(06/24/09) New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says the way dairy farmers are paid for their milk is broken and needs to change. Farmers don't set their own price for their product. An arcane 1930s pricing system does it for them. And this year, that price has plummeted. As North Country farmers struggle to stay afloat, Gillibrand announced a plan yesterday to provide relief. David Sommerstein reports.

(05/28/09) North County Congressman John McHugh fielded a range of issues at town hall meetings yesterday in Ogdensburg and Canton. He listened to border concerns and worries over a wind project in Hammond. There was also some talk of new economic potential in Massena and Newton Falls. A group of farmers came for help with near-record low milk prices. David Sommerstein reports.

(01/28/09) Dairy farmers will tell you milk prices are a roller coaster of highs and lows. Well, right now, the price farmers are paid for their milk is plummeting down a stomach-turning slope. The price of fluid milk tumbled 5 dollars per hundredweight in a month. It's down 50% from this time last year. The drop is trickling down to consumers, too. Stewart's Shops is dropping the price of 1% milk 30 cents to $2.49 a gallon. To understand why the price of milk has fallen so far so quickly, we turn to Andy Novakovic. He's a professor of agricultural economics at Cornell University. He told David Sommerstein the basic problem is there are too many cows in the United States. He says that's causing a bottoming out of milk prices not seen in 30 years.