Date of Award

Spring 6-2-2025

Document Type

Thesis (Undergraduate)

Department

Environmental Studies

First Advisor

Richard Howarth

Abstract

Until late in the 20th century, the dairyman was an influential actor in the fabric of the Upper Valley consisting of Grafton, Orange, Sullivan and Windsor counties (Rozwenc, 1981 & Weld, 1905). Dairy farmers were critical to both the economic growth of the region and the construction of a local identity centered around distinctive high quality dairy products. However, the dairy farmers responsible for the bucolic feel and scrappy independence unique to the Upper Valley are being traded in for massive operations lacking both quality of milk and the cultural intricacy specific to local dairies. In 1905 there were 4,173 dairy farms in Grafton county and 1,833 in Sullivan county (Weld, 1905). In 2022, there were 19 and 11 respectively. In addition to the decline in the quantity of farms, the mental health of farmers has significantly deteriorated. Suicide rates across the country have increased by 40% since the turn of the century, and farmers represent one of the five industries with suicide rates accelerating significantly faster than the national average (CDC, 2020). In 2018, Agri-Mark, the region’s largest milk cooperative, announced a milk price so low they pre-empted the letter with a list of suicide hotlines (Wellington, 2018). My thesis works to 1) identify the economic and political conditions that allowed for this collapse and 2) build an oral history based on semi-structured interviews regarding the importance of dairy farming to the Upper Valley and the mental health struggles these farmers face. Through literature research and interviews, the unique conditions of the dairy farmer are primarily 1) the constant flow of perishable product inherent to cow biology, 2) the leverage of processors due to the complex handling/distribution schemes, and 3) the misalignment between governmental regulation and small farmers' needs. The oral histories revealed dairy farmers are expressing 1) burnout from responsibility, 2) anxiety of uncertain market conditions and 3) the pressure of maintaining a farm inherited by generations.

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