Local Dairy Farmer Dumps Milk in Protest

By Nicole Agee, Anchor/Reporter

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Jun 28, 2009 at 10:04 PM CST

Story Updated: Jun 29, 2009 at 11:17 AM CST

LINN COUNTY - As milk prices continue to rise, local dairy farmers say their share is shrinking. Linn County farmer Bill Kettlekamp is pouring out large amounts of milk to protest what he calls an unfair payback for what we pay at the store.

Kettlekamp hopes other farmers will join his efforts to raise awareness about a struggling industry.

23 years ago, Bill Kettlekamp says dairy farming was a good way to raise a family. "Over the course of time, it's become a risky endeavor and you just feel like you're under a lot of stress."

Stress that comes from a sharp drop in income. In the last year alone, Kettlekamp says his income plummeted 46%.

Dave Knipper is part of an effort to get lawmakers to realize what's happening in the dairy farming industry. He's hoping they'll re-examine the Farm Bill to help Iowa's dairy farmers. "We have a vital interest here in our economy of our dairy farmers to produce a high quality product. Right now they're doing it at a loss."

"Think of it this way. If a gallon of milk costs $2.79. Out of the gallon, farmers like Bill will get $0.49."

So Kettlekamp is pouring out milk - lots of milk to protest the impact feed costs, imports and retailers have on his share. And he's asking other farmers to join his protest. "Maybe we all want to dump milk together. What else can we do?"

He says if 70-percent of U.S. farmers participate, everyone from the agriculture industry to the consumer in the grocery store will feel the impact - and create change. Change that would keep gallons of milk and Kettlekamp's way of life from seeping down the drain.

Sunday's demonstration is only a fraction of Kettlekamp's protest. On Saturday, he dumped 700 gallons of milk. Kettlekamp is asking farmers across the country to join him in dumping more milk in protest from August 1st through the 5th.

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