Today's Dairy Fields

Today's Dairy Fields

Fields

Today, dairy brings in more than 80 percent of Vermont's agricultural income. Still, there are fewer than 1,000 dairy farms in the state, and farmers struggle to make a profit with dairy prices standardized nationally. In 2009, dairy prices dipped to levels not seen since the early 1980s, sending many out of business. Farmers also struggle to find labor — Approximately 60 percent of Vermont dairy farm workers are migrants from Mexico or other parts of Latin America.

Hay photo: Will Ameden
Farmworker photo: Migrant Justice
Farm photo: Andrea Suozzo

2010-2014