The State's Dairy 'Boarders' Problem
Agricultural Commissioner H. T. Graves warns that one-third of Washington's dairy cows are failing to pay their keep.
The story, cleaned up
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Olympia, Oct. 20—One-third of the 175,000 dairy cows in Washington eat food of more value than the milk they produce, according to Agricultural Commissioner H. T. Graves. Dr. Graves is urging dairymen to pool their stock to participate in cow-testing associations under the Smith-Lever bill. By conducting annual production tests at a cost of $1.50 per cow, he believes farmers can identify and eliminate these 'non-paying boarders' to improve the industry's efficiency.
“One-third of the 175,000 dairy cows in Washington eat food of more value than the milk they produce.”
This 1915 struggle to maximize agricultural output through data-driven 'efficiency' echoes current tensions in Washington's agricultural sector, where farmers balance the pressure of thin margins with rising costs of production and climate adaptation.
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