Waterville, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- Farmers across the country, including those in Central New York, dumped hundreds of gallons of milk down the drain Sunday.
It's their way of saying federal regulations need to change before more dairy farmers go out of business. Right now, milk prices are going up for consumers, but farmers say they aren't seeing any of that profit because most of the money ends up going to processors, instead of making it back to the farm.
"There are some of us who are willing to put our necks out on the chopping block and watch it go," said Gretchen Maine, who dumped more than 100 gallons of milk down the drain Sunday. The lost milk is worth half of her farm's August paycheck.
The Maine's income dropped by $60,000 in 2009, or nearly $80 a cow each month. But that's a price they're willing to pay to avoid becoming another statistic.
"I know of two local dairies that just sold out in the past month--one with 100 cows and one with 70--and you just get to the point where you can't take it anymore," said Maine. "Then it's gone. Your farm is gone. Your home is gone. Your business is gone. Everything is."
The federal government is considering new changes in milk price regulation but no action is expected until 2012 at the earliest.
