Dispersal also set for Oregon diary
April 18,2108–
Greg Te Velde Ranch between Tipton and Corcoran will hold a complete dairy dispersal sale of nearly 11,000 cows on May 5, the latest evidence of pain affecting our top local industry. The sale is through AM Livestock Auction to be held at Harris Ranch. The dairy, one of the largest in the area, is just one of the big Greg Te Velde-owned dairies scheduled for liquidation right now.
Te Velde faces a Rabobank imposed auction at his Oregon dairy as well, set for April 27, as the lender seeks to collect debt according to a April 13 story in Capital Press.The dairy has 14,500 cows and heifers.
Called Lost Valley Farms, Te Velde also faces a host of other troubles including the apparent loss of his shipping contract to Tillamook Creameries by the end of April according to a Tillamook newspaper.
Environmental issues have dogged the operation as well at his 7000-acre Oregon ranch. On top of that Te Velde has faced run-ins with the police over drugs and prostitution according to the Statesman Journal newspaper.
Greg Te Velde could not be reached for comment.
Wisconsin dairies feel the pain too
California is not the only place where dairy operators are shutting down. A news report says “Wisconsin’s small dairy farmers are increasingly closing up shop. Wisconsin lost 500 dairy farms last year, and the total number of herds is down 20 percent from five years ago.”