My husband and I have a dairy farm. What used to be one of the strongest industries in Maine is now on the verge of extinction. The few farmers left are struggling every day to keep hanging on.

The price of milk is about $3 a gallon so people may think farmers are making out like bandits.

That isn’t so.

Dairy farmers only get about one-third of that price, and out of that we have to pay the expense of running the farm, feeding the animals, upkeep of the equipment, fuel for the tractors, vet calls and pay for trucking our product.

Keep in mind that the price of grain, diesel, gas, oil, and electricity have done nothing but rise while the price farmers receive has consistently fallen.

Where are we all going to be when there are no more dairy farms left?

Will it really be cheaper to have milk shipped here from Florida or California? Worse, New Zealand, Mexico or Canada?

If dairy farms fold, we’ll lose our open spaces. There will be fewer snowmobile trails and places to hunt. Fewer equipment dealers, fewer grain, seed and garden centers. No large animal veterinarians. Businesses will be affected and jobs will be lost.

Retail stores are charging high prices per gallon and paying low prices to farmers.

We need to pull together. Maine must do something now, not after we lose more farms. Once they are gone they are gone forever.

Jill Gage, New Sharon