Hawaii's Milk Industry

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii milk production continues to fall

In this morning's Honolulu Advertiser is another story about the Foremost closure. Now the former owners as well as the labor union are questioning the rationale for shutting down the company. The new owners claim they want to maintain the name Foremost in some form, but it just won't be the same to the people who remember Foremost as a "local" dairy. Yes, Scarlett, methinks something is fishy in Denmark!

Here's the whole story: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../bz/bz01a.html

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Re: Hawaii milk production continues to fall

The Star-Bulletin picked up the "funny business" rumblings three days ago (including that it might just be a scheme to strip off the union), though this article adds some good detail... particularly the "we told them about the problems and sold the plant at a discount" assertions from the previous owners, and more on the DOH report and how the storage tanks involved were only a tiny part of the operation and would not, alone, have constituted grounds for a shut down.

Two businesses suddenly becoming one, with questions raised about the shutdown and implications of a monopoly? I don't suppose Gannett's gotten into the milk business?

Foremost can obviously run as "just a label," since that's what they're doing now, essentially borrowing Meadow Gold's infrastructure. If all this gets much sketchier, though, I don't know how many folks would keep buying it.

[Konaguy]

Good News: No Meadow Gold Strike

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacif...7/daily81.html

[kimo55]

Re: Hawaii milk production continues to fall

I do know that $4.19 for a half-gallon of Foremost at Safeway seems outrageous, when my friends on the mainland pay about that much for a full gallon.

i pay from 2 to 2 50 at foodland...
(price fluctuates)

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii milk production continues to fall

i pay from 2 to 2 50 at foodland...
(price fluctuates)

That is kinda interesting. What's also interesting is that both Foodland and Safeway are mainland companies: Safeway's corporate is in Pleasanton, CA and Foodland's is in Woodbine, IA.

The reason why milk prices can fluctuate all over the map in one area at any time is because the markets know that milk is a basic commodity and they sometimes use the price of milk as a loss leader. They figure if you are buying milk, you'll probably also be buying bread, eggs, cereal, whatever.

Even after the news earlier this year that the price of milk was going up 50 cents per gallon up here, we still see weekly specials like buy 2 half gallons for $3.00 v. $4.19 for a whole gallon of milk. The average price of a gallon of milk up here right now (at least in the 3 supermarkets that I have a tendency to shop at...and one is locally owned and the other 2 are chains) is about $3.59 a gallon.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

So what I want to know is how come nobody said anything about the conflict of interest that Sadeghi guy had when Foremost and MeadowGold were both going operations? He apparently also has some financial interest in MeadowGold as well as being owner of the assets for Foremost. And now he's talking about buying up the assets of Foremost for MeadowGold???? The article below says he can get away with that because Foremost stay make die dead already.
I think your State Attorney General should look into this whole sad deal.

Miulang

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../bz/bz02p.html

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

So the Foremost name is not dying after all. Meadow Gold has purchased the name and the trucks from the former producer. Unfortunately, all the "local" milk will be provided by Meadow Gold. Which makes it laughable that Randy Kamiya, the dairy specialist for the DoA in Hawai'i says it's good to have multiple brands for consumers to choose from. Um, da milk all coming from da same cows, yeah? What kine choice dat going give consumers? If you like how da Foremost carton looks better den da Meadow Gold one, das da choice you going get???

As if Meadow Gold going slit its own wrists by having a price war between their Foremost and Meadow Gold brands! I don't tink so. And maybe if one brand's milk costs less, maybe da milk is inferior in some way???

Miulang

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../bz/bz01p.html

[kimo55]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

So the Foremost name is not dying after all. Meadow Gold has purchased the name and the trucks from the former producer.

Hey. did you hear?!
The fibreglass full size b&w cow mascot in front of the Foremost dairy has been stolen!

and now on milk cartons, we see da peechah of dat cow with da caption;
"have you seen me?"

[Albert]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

What I want to know is why milk is more expensive than beer?!

[kimo55]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

What I want to know is why milk is more expensive than beer?!

Don't complain too loudly; I like it that way.

I need beer...
I don't need milk.

[kimo55]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

What I want to know is why milk is more expensive than beer?!

waydaminnnittt. that IS a valid question!
leads me to thinkin'
why are Dodge Ram trucks more expensive than Volkswagens?
Why are tomatoes cheaper than avocadoes!?
Unjust!
Unfair!
Imbalanced aspects of life... we must all protest and rail and rant against!
please join me!
(after another six pack...)

[Miulang]

Re: State's largest local dairy may close

Rather alarming news in this morning's Advertiser about the good possibility that the state's largest local dairy, Pacific Dairy in Wai'anae, may have to close due to the rising costs of production.

If this dairy closes, the State will be left almost exclusively with importing milk from the Mainland. Maybe it doesn't matter to you because the majority of people are price sensitive when it comes to things like milk (which already costs lots of money), but consider that that carton of MeadowGold that you buy today left the cow at least a week ago, compared to the fresh milk you get from Pacific Dairy. According to the article, the price of local v. imported milk is generally about the same.

Look for that little yellow daisy and the words "Island Fresh" on the carton/label and buy that milk, because that tells you you are supporting your local economy and not some Mainland fatcat corporations.

Miulang

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

Something to think about next time you're out grocery shopping.

A recent study commissioned by the state Department of Agriculture estimated that by the time milk left a cow and arrived in Honolulu it was between 25 days to a month old ... The study also found that Oahu milk it tested exceeded federal regulatory limits in bacterial counts five days prior to expiration.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Hawaii's Milk Industry

So, can we get KTA's "Mountain Apple" brand milk (from the Big island) on Oahu?
I personally don't get much milk, but don't think I've noticed that brand.

[Random]

Re: Hawaii milk production continues to fall

Do you know hard it is to retrieve milk from rice cows & soy cows?

I'm guessing the udders are small on them rice grains and soy beans. You need tiny fingers.