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Dairy farms dwindling
Industry examined as June Dairy Month begins
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Pictured are cows from Vickers Dairy Farm, which ceased operation in November. It leaves Warren County without a major dairy producer.
June Dairy Month begins with an emphasis on dairy farmers, or rather the lack of dairy farmers operating in Warren County.“Warren County no longer has a major dairy producer,” said 4-H Extension agent Alison Hopper. “When it comes to family dairy farm operations, it’s a dying industry.”Ken Vickers operated Warren County’s largest dairy farm for years in the Centertown community. He milked over 400 cows three times a day before deciding to sell his dairy cows in November and concentrate on other aspects of farming.“The costs kept going up and the margins kept getting smaller,” said Vickers on his reasons for getting out of the dairy business. “With such tight margins, I really needed to expand and I didn’t feel like expanding at my age. So we sold the cows and they are now all over the Southeast.”Vickers said it would be extremely difficult for someone to start a dairy farm from scratch.