Last April, dairy farmers here in Western Washington and across the country were pushed to the brink by plummeting dairy prices.
One year later, many are out of the dairy business, and those who remain continue to face an uncertain future. KING-5 decided to re-visit one family who wasn't sure they'd still be around today.
This month marks the 39th anniversary of Tim and Cathy Thomasson's foray into dairy farming.
"We really celebrated this year. The fact that we're still here," said Cathy. "You know, no one wants to be forced out of their business."
Owning a dairy farm had been a life-long dream of her husband, Tim.
"I love it. My family loves it," he said simply. "My wife and I have been able to go to every ball game they've (their children) ever been involved in. We've had breakfast, lunch and dinner with our children, we got to play with them. I enjoy that. That's my life."
Last year, historically low milk prices set on the national level brought dairy farmers to their knees, and nearly ended ended the lifestyle the Thomasson's hold so dear. They say they were losing nearly $40,000 each month just maintaining their herd, and they watched as several of their neighbors were forced out of the dairy industry.
"Selling out meant selling our cows, having them slaughtered," said Cathy. "You know you run a farm like this, you get attached to your animals. It was just the worst case scenario that we could find."
They were among the lucky ones. Their bank was willing to work with them, and this month, Cathy notes an important milestone.
"This month, for the first time in probably 16 months, I was able to pay the bills that generated to keep this farm running," she says. Last year at its worst, dairy farmers earned just $11.33 per 100 pounds of milk. That has now increased more than 32% to $16.74 per 100 pounds this month. It is certainly an improvement, although the "break even" point for most dairy farmers in our region is $17-$18.
The Thomasson's say since feed prices are dropping right now, they are hopeful they've survived the worst. But they are worried the terrible year will have a long-lasting impact.
"I'm 57 years old," said Tim. "How many more years do I got to pay back the money that I got? You know, it's a hard place to be."
Meanwhile, Cathy Thomasson says she's concerned that significant changes have not been made in the national pricing structure for dairy farmers. She says she has to be cautious moving forward, since she's not convinced another "farm-gate" price crash won't happen again.
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