A $4/cwt co-op deduction cost one Washington dairy nearly $5 million in two years. The producer didn't pick the contractor, didn't approve the overruns, and had no realistic alternative buyer for his milk. This episode maps exactly where that kind of leverage gap exists across every major U.S. dairy region — and what it's costing you even if your situation isn't that extreme.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why USDA handler counts dropped 28% (from 306 to 220) in two decades — and what fewer buyers actually means for your basis
• How the 2025 make-allowance increase quietly moved $337 million from producer pools to processor margins in just 90 days
• The Idaho vs. Washington paradox: how two states in the same time zone ended up with completely different farmer leverage
• Why $11 billion in new U.S. processing capacity is conc ...