A maverick dairyman named Hein Hettinga started bottling his own milk and selling it for as much as 20 cents less than the competition, exercising his right to work outside the rigid system that has controlled US milk production for almost 70 years. Soon the effects were rippling through the state, helping to hold down retail prices at supermarkets and warehouse stores. That was when a coalition of giant milk companies and dairies, along with their congressional allies, decided to crush Hettinga’s initiative. For 4 years, the milk lobby spent millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions and made deals with lawmakers. Last March, Congress passed a law reshaping the Western milk market and essentially ending Hettinga’s experiment — all without a single congressional hearing.

the account of the dairy industry cartel

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