Governor Tim Walz and Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen visited the Heldberg Dairy Farm, owned and operated by Karl Heldberg, south of Le Sueur the afternoon of July 6 to talk dairy and agriculture. The governor and commissioner spent a great length of time speaking with Heldberg and exchanging thoughts about farmers, their struggles and the state of the dairy industry in Minnesota. The Heldberg Dairy Farm is a smaller operation, with about 75 head of cattle, that has not modernized or expanded simply because the price paid to farmers hasn't gone up but costs for farmers has significantly over the years, according to Heldberg. Governor Walz asked what the break-even point was for him as a farmer now, to which Heldberg said,"It is about $18 a hundredweight."
Heldberg sells his milk as class III, which is used for making butter, to Bongards. The latest United States Department of Agriculture report from June 28 shows class III milk at a hundredweight price of $14.91, which is down from $19.43 in January. A hundredweight is equal to roughly 11.6 gallons which yields $1.29 per gallon of milk the farmer produces. "It's the cheapest liquid commodity out there," says Heldberg. Heldberg says this is the reason why dairy farmers are struggling.
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Governor Walz and Ag Commissioner Petersen visit farm in Le Sueur County to talk dairy
