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Alabama dairy farmer promotes industry onlineSULLIGENT, Ala. (AP)--Will Gilmer stood on the side of a dusty road in central Lamar County recently, watching as nearly 200 Holstein cows made a slow trek toward their afternoon milking. It's a familiar sight in this slice of western Alabama, where the Gilmer family has been dairy farming since the early 1950s. But it's also a scene that's growing less common across the state, as many farmers close up shop. While Gilmer surveyed the cows, he talked about the pressures of higher feed costs and falling milk prices, as well as new measures aimed at improving the farm's operations. But his efforts aren't limited to the farm itself. The 30-year-old Gilmer has turned to the Web as a way to promote the business, with a blog and an active presence on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. The Dairyman's Blog, launched more than two years ago, features commentary, photos and video that cover everything from the funny quirks of farm life to the health benefits of drinking milk. Similarly, Gilmer's updates on Facebook and Twitter, which he joined last spring, are aimed at spreading a message that will boost the entire industry's bottom line: Eat more dairy. "It's important for us to talk about what we do--people should know how their food is made,'' he said. "Using stuff like Facebook and Twitter lets you reach a real wide audience, and I can talk to people on the farm while I'm working.'' Gilmer works on the farm alongside his father, David, who said his son's Web presence is an example of how the family business has had to adapt over the years to be successful. "This farm continues to evolve. We do something different every year. We have to,'' he said. Currently, the Gilmers are looking at implementing a grazing system for their cows, a method that would give them a break on high feed costs. Plenty of change After more than 30 years of running the farm, David Gilmer, 54, said he's seen a lot of changes in the state industry, particularly fewer people involved in it. From 2002 to 2007, the number of Alabama dairy farms declined 30 percent, according to U.S. Census data. The bureau counted all dairy farming operations in the state, all the way down to one cow, showing that Alabama was left with just 157 such farms in 2007. Meanwhile, the Alabama Farmers Federation said the state had 67 dairy farms with 50-plus cows as of February 2008. The state industry is dominated by small family dairies, and many times, farmers facing retirement don't have anyone to carry on the business. "Dairy is probably one of the most demanding agricultural jobs,'' said Guy Hall, director of dairy, pork and poultry commodities for ALFA. "Our producers do an excellent job of looking out for the animals, but it's 365 days a year, 7 days a week that you're on call.'' From harvesting crops for feed to feeding and tending cattle, dairy farmers create the product from start to finish, he said. "A lot of the ag industry has become very specialized, whereas dairy, you have to be able to drive a tractor, feed and milk cows, deliver a calf, the whole operation. You have to be able to manage it properly,'' he said. Other pressures include feed costs that have doubled over the past 10 years and electrical costs that have risen 25 to 35 percent in the last five years, Hall added.
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