CT dairy farmers getting $22.5 million in emergency help amid skyrocketing costs
The money comes out of a fund to offset cuts from the federal government. Gov. Ned Lamont also plans to tap the fund for the University of Connecticut and health care needs.
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Connecticut’s struggling dairy farmers will get a $22.5 million emergency cash infusion to stay afloat through the end of this year, Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Wednesday.
Farmers said the money is a good start, but it won’t be enough to offset skyrocketing fuel, animal feed and labor costs – as well as low milk prices.
DIARY FARMS STRUGGLING
Connecticut only has 79 dairy farms left. That’s a dramatic 63% decline from two decades ago.
Brittany Conover is one of them.
“Shaggy Coos Farm is a small micro-dairy located in Easton, Connecticut,” she said. “We milk eight cows, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. We also raise beef, pork, and pigs.”
Living off the land isn’t easy – and it’s getting harder.
“No, definitely not,” she said. “Low milk prices, struggles with low milk prices. The rising cost of feed, fuel, and labor.”
The war in Iran is hitting farmers especially hard; fuel and fertilizer prices are rising dramatically. Plus, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are making it more expensive to repair equipment.
At the same time, milk prices remain low.
“A significant number of dairy farmers expressed concern that they would not be here next year, that there’s no opportunity for them to bridge the gap until the prices could rebound,” said Connecticut agriculture commissioner Bryan Hurlburt. “If we lost those dairy farms, we lose those jobs. We lose all the small businesses that are connected to dairy farms.”
“HUGE DIFFERENCE”
Farmers and state lawmakers from both parties urged Lamont to throw fairy farmers a lifeline.
“It’s going to make a huge difference,” said Seth Baylor, owner of Oak Ridge Dairy in Ellington. “This is going to get directly put into businesses and be used right away.”
The money comes from a $500 million Federal Cuts Response Fund created during last November’s government shutdown.
“We’re taking a look at all the industries that have been hardest hit by those Trump cuts,” Lamont told reporters. “Tomorrow, I think I’ll be at the University of Connecticut because a lot of their research grants were suddenly cut off.”
The fund has about $300 million remaining, plus an additional $50 million that lawmakers added in the new state budget, according to Lamont. He said some of that money may be needed to address federal health care cuts.
MORE HELP COMING
More help is coming next year. Dairy producers will qualify for new tax breaks and grants.
“Bring back some funds for all the milk that they sold, all of the job supplies that they had to purchase,” Conover said. “All of our feed products have gone up. I’m here in Easton; we have to bring a lot of our products from outside of our county, so across the state, we're bringing in a lot of items.”
Farmers will be eligible for grants to modernize their equipment and increase milk processing capacity, and a new Dairy Sustainability Task Force will look at longer-term strategies for the industry.
“This is a comprehensive effort,” said Hurlburt.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Dairy farmers will get emergency assistance based on how much they produced. The Department of Agriculture will spread the $22.5 million out over two years.
Before the money can be spent, a bipartisan panel of six legislative leaders has 24 hours to review the spending. Top Republicans, who pushed for the aid, joined the Democratic governor for Wednesday’s announcement.
