*Edit: Unfortunately while on the tour the Schuurmans were involved in an accident in Saskatchewan on July 9. Tragically Bettina passed away and Henk was badly injured but is expected to make a full recovery. A link to there Go-Fund Me page *
Somewhere along the way I came across these words and they seem to resonate with me. “The only thing in life that is constant is change.”
As I travel around the province talking to existing and potentially new customers it seems that at present there is lots of uncertainty and change in the dairy industry.
The topic that everyone seems to be discussing is the supply management system; or the quota system in Canada. The quota system monitors consumer consumption and ensures that dairy farmers of any size get fair market value for the milk they produce.
The quota system is currently being challenged in the political landscape with the possibility of taking away the supply management system. This would have a crippling effect on the dairy industry across the country and many smaller dairy farmers simply could not produce enough milk to survive moving forward.
Dairy farmers from Floradale, ON, Henk and Bettina Schuurman’s are driving their tractor across the county to Vancouver promoting supply management and the value it has to the Canadian Dairy Industry . You can follow them at @cdnmilktour to track their progress. As I write this they are currently in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Henk and Bettina for doing their part to bring awareness to this issue and do what they can.
Canadian Dairy farmers produce the highest quality of milk and milk products in the world. Canadian producers are constantly at the forefront for quality control, sustainability and animal welfare.
If you have any questions about how milk gets from the cow to your table, than check out www.milk.org
You can also give me a call at 1-877-941-2266, I always enjoy talking about dairy farming.
