In Järvamaa, the owners of Põllema-Saare farm, Anne and Ennu Nurk, have not received any income from their milk sales since October, leading them to question the viability of their farm. With their loyal cattle herd, they continue to pay their employees and live off stored resources, but the ongoing financial strain is making their situation increasingly desperate. Each day, meat buyers contact them, willing to take their animals for slaughter or resale, but the emotionally charged decision is difficult for farmers who have raised their cows from calves.

Anne Nurk expressed the emotional conflict of potentially sending her cows to slaughter, stating that it is challenging for her to tell the animals that they will be slaughtered to settle debts. Although the meat market appears lucrative with rising prices per kilogram, she acknowledges that her cows were not raised to become sausages but for dairy production. This sentiment resonates with many dairy farmers facing similar hard choices in a challenging market.

The ongoing dairy crisis has forced farmers to confront their future, with many also indicating they feel compelled to consider selling their cattle as the situation devolves. The plight of the Nurks and similar farms underscores the broader struggles within the dairy industry, highlighting the tension between maintaining animal husbandry and addressing financial pressures, raising questions about the sustainability of dairy farming in the region.