Frederick Simon is a dairy farmer with Simon Brothers Dairy, one of the 34 remaining Grade “A” dairies in Arkansas. “Dairy farming requires a large investment and an intense level of management. You have to consider it a career rather than a shortterm job to be able to capture the highs so you can weather the inevitable lows,” said Simon. Simon serves as chair of the Arkansas Milk Stabilization Board, an entity created by the Arkansas General Assembly in 2007 to develop a Dairy Stabilization Program to assist Arkansas dairy farmers while being equitable to all parties in the state’s dairy industry. The Milk Stabilization Board consists of five members appointed by the Governor, including two actively engaged in dairy farming, a milk processor, a retailer, and a consumer. The board implemented a Dairy Stabilization Program that was administered by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture from 2007 until the one-time funding for the program was exhausted in 2013. The Milk Stabilization Board has again been instructed by the Arkansas legislature to implement a program to reverse the decline of dairy farms in the state. Act 521, enacted during the 2021 session of the Arkansas General Assembly, gives the Milk Stabilization Board jurisdiction over Arkansas milk prices and requires that milk producers receive Class I fluid prices for milk produced and sold within Arkansas. Simon said, “Act 521 creates a potential path towards profit margins for the state’s dairy farms. With optimism, legislative support, and a realistic formula for profits, the next generation of Arkansas family dairy farms will hopefully find sustainability
and growth for what is currently an almost exhausted industry in our state.” Dairy is a nutritious and affordable part of a healthy diet. Consuming dairy, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, helps meet recommendations for important shortfall nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. Milk is an economical source of 13 essential nutrients and is an integral component of school breakfast and lunch programs across the country. The dairy industry is focused on being good environmental stewards through innovation and conservation. According to Midwest Dairy, an association that works to build dairy demand on behalf of the 5,800 dairy farm families it represents, the dairy industry has become more sustainable with advances in cow care, nutrition, genetics, and technology. Milk production in the U.S. has nearly doubled between the 1960s and today despite fewer cows. Today, each gallon of milk produced requires 90 percent less land and 65 percent less water than it did 70 years ago. The U.S. dairy industry has set voluntary environmental stewardship goals for 2050 that include achieving greenhouse gas emission neutrality, optimizing water use while maximizing recycling, and improving water quality through the optimization of nutrients and manure. “Dairy holds its place as a staple food item across our state and throughout the nation. No other product or beverage can or ever will replace the natural content of real milk. The phrase 'milk does a body good' still rings true,” said Simon.
ARKANSAS GROWN 24
