Dairy farm saved by donations pays it forward, prays for better milk prices

A year ago, Dale and Karen Cihlar faced a bleak Christmas. Their 145-year-old dairy farm was failing and bankruptcy loomed in their future. Fast forward to December, 2018, and the picture is much different  — thanks to the generosity of family, community and people across the nation.The couple's dairy farm dilemma echoes the plight of farmers across the state: Years of stagnant milk prices, growing piles of bills and depleted savings accounts are forcing the demise of dairy farms, small and large. Wisconsin is on track to lose more dairy farms this year than in any year since at least 2003, according to state Agriculture Department figures for dairy producer licenses reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.As of Nov. 1, the dairy state had lost 660 cow herds from a year earlier, and the number of herds was down nearly 49 percent from 15 years ago