Went to walmart for milk and.....

[ChickensAreSweet]

I used to buy organic milk but since the prices went up now we buy the twin packs of milk at Costco. We drink easily six gallons a week. We were paying double for the organic.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

There is a minimum state-allowed price on milk in PA. We are somewhere around $4gallon right now. I don't even look at the price because I need my calcium and I love milk. DH and I go through at least 2 gallons a week.
Milk prices are fixed by a complex formula based on the price of cheese on the Chicago Merkentile Board ( or some such named board) that does commodity trading in Chicago. It's an insanely complex formula that IMHO is created to make someone lotsa $$ but not the farmers. Here in PA, milk at the farm level is bringing somewhere around $16/100 lbs. I don't think it's up to 18 and has been as low as 13 in the past year or so. Milk is 8.6 lbs/gallon so even at the very highest price, the farmer is getting $18 for 11 gallons of milk. Think about who's making the money. We have found that when the price to the farmer goes down by dollars, the price in the store goes down by cents. Someone is keeping the profits.
The smallest surviving family farm dairies in the Northeast here are 60 cows but many are going to 200+ because the money flow/banks require it.The midwest dairies can reach into the 1000s and those famous contented california cow farms can contain 5000 milking animals with onsite veterinarians and round-the-clock milking. True factory farming with cows wearing out in 2-3 years just like the chickens. Cows must be kept in top health though or production seriously suffers. ( jUst ask any breastfeeding woman what lactation requires!)

In PA you can sell raw milk with a state license but not many farmers do, for insurance purposes. Also, most of their contracts with the dairies forbid selling to any other.
When I retire, I hope again to have a Jersey milk cow. There will always be a market for extra milk.
Disclaimer re: my previous life: dairy farmer's daughter /dairy 4H leader/dairy princess committeemember
Sorry, milk prices and the state of dairying in this country is a sore spot with me.