Dear Madame or Sir President,

      My name is Gabriella and I live in Central New York. I have been in the 4-H Dairy program for about 4 years now: so I experience the dairy farmer's average life every single day. Dairy farmers only make up 2% of the country’s population, yet not one average person realizes how special they are. Dairy farmers are working every day from usually 4 in the morning to about 7 at night. They work each day in order to provide food for the families across the country, and yet no one really thanks them. Overall,the dairy farmers are extremely active in the community, “Dairy farmers are hard working men and women that take pride in providing the highest quality dairy products to their family, community and customers. They are members of their communities and they stay involved with community projects.” The farmers in our area though they seem shy or anti-social aren’t that at all, they are just underappreciated and average everyday citizens don’t understand what they do and why they're so important.

      Specifically the DFA or Dairy Farmers of America help the dairy industry a lot with it’s troubles, whether it is milk price or production, organizations like this help farmers in our community , but it isn’t enough. It only takes one spark of imagination and hope to want to do something. I had that spark four years ago. To be a part of the dairy industry you only need an interest in it not cows of your own. Before I got involved in 4-H and the dairy industry I was only a typical girl. I went to county fairs and always wanted to have fun. Until one thing sparked my interest, cows. I was at a county fair and saw the beautiful dairy cows and instantly wanted to be able to take care of them and milk them. The sad part was, I was always a minute too late to the milking demos, but now that I am in 4-H, I have the opportunity to teach the other children what I missed out on when I was little.

     The education and support of the dairy industry is crucial. I go to events in order to educate children about where their milk comes from and who gets it produced for them. Children have no idea where it comes from, and it breaks my heart everyday. Sometimes when I ask kids "do you know where your milk comes from?" The kids always reply, "the store."  Really this generation is completely clueless about what goes on before their milk is on their table. This is a huge opportunity to get the dairy farmers to feel appreciated. After all, the kids are the key to getting the industry and farmers where they used to be. When we educate the children we see a light within their eyes, after they”re educated we just need a messenger. That’s where you come in madame/ sir president, we need you, the dairy farmers are only making less than a dollar a gallon for the milk consumers pay 4- 5 dollars for. You need to stop the monopoly of the processing plants. They are taking advantage of the dairy farmers who pay for the milk to be transported and get no money, and the consumers that spend their money on the milk that’s prices are rising.

If you and I or even the the ADADC work together with proper advertising and adjustments to farmer’s insurance, we can get the industry back into it’s proper place. We can do it, we just need you. No one understands how a little change can make a big difference. It can all start out with a little girl who loved animals her whole life and wanted to benefit the community. That girl is me. Even if I can’t get you to help, I will do this on my own. My goal is to strive, and help the dairy farmers, and continue to educate the children, or start school programs to promote the industry, either way I will succeed. Either way I hope that this sparks an idea for you.

In the end I hope you realize how important this is to me. I am only a freshman and I am taking a government class next semester that is aimed towards seniors. That’s how much my dreams to impact the community and support our country means to me. If this country means to you close to as much as it does to me, you will stand with me on this.

Sincerely,

Gabriella