The Kendall County milk dumping strike or commonly referred to as the Kendall County milk strike, was a coordinated protest by dairy farmers in the county during the 1930s Great Depression that occurred throughout early January 1934, in Kendall County, Illinois. Dairy farmers deliberately dumped their milk to pressure for better prices and market fairness.
Overview
Leading up to the strike During the 1930s, American farmers were facing a crisis. The Great Depression had destroyed commodity prices, and dairy farmers all across the nation were hit hard, especially those in rural communities. Operating costs for feed, equipment, and transportation had reached record highs while the price of milk fell drastically. In response to the situation, many dairy farmers joined the Pure Milk Association (PMA), which aimed to stabilize prices through collective bargaining with processors. However, not all farmers joined the collective, and consistently undercut participating farmers by selling directly to Chicago at reduced prices. Weather also played a part in the lead up to the strikes. A brutal drought in 1933 and a dry winter compounded distress. By 1934, dairy farmers were facing few options for survival.
Outbreak of the strike In early January 1934, the PMA and allied farmers began a widespread strike across northern Illinois, with Kendall County becoming a central point of protests. PMA members acted to stop shipments of milk from non-collaborating farmers. The protests quickly escalated into direct confrontation. Farmers set up roadblocks and checkpoints, forcibly removing milk from its transport and dumping it. A notable incident occurred between Oswego, Illinois and Naperville, Illinois when an estimated US$275 (1934) worth of milk was dumped into a ditch. These milk dumps were highly visible and symbolic acts of defiance, showing the farmer's severe desperation.
As the protests intensified, so did the milk dumping. Confiscated milk was often poured directly into fields, creeks, and roadside ditches. The goal was to destroy the product, while also showing the message publicly. Some trains carrying milk in the area were blocked entirely. Trucks were overturn of driven off of the road. Strikers often carried weapons with them, including knives and clubs. There were few repercussions for violence against non-compliant farmers, and there were few trials for intimidation, reflecting the public sympathy toward the farmers.
Aftermath There was no clear victor at the end of the strike, but it did force dialogue. Processors ultimately agreed to pay a higher price and officials implemented stabilization programs. In the following years, state and federal regulators would begin to regulate milk prices, culminating in the Supreme Court Case Nebbia v. New York, which upheld the states' rights to set a price floor. The milk dumping would have a lasting impact on Kendall County, while the PMA serves as an example of successful collective action.
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