The Tale of the Milk-Minded Moose

Mooseford the Moose loves his fresh, local milk — but trouble stirs when outsiders demand more at cheaper prices. In a swirl of clanging coins and sloshing pails, the forest learns that protecting fair trade sometimes means standing tall. A heartfelt fable about fairness, patience, and valuing what’s grown close to home.

By Ross Boulton (c)2025

In Maplebranch Bluff, where tall pines hold sway,

Mooseford the Moose milked five pails every day—

Creamy and rich, he longed to export more,

Yet quotas and tolls barred his barn’s open door.

At the red-and-blue Quota Gate stood Beaverton,

His trusty hammer lost… he tapped logs in the morn.

“Clack-clack!” went his tail as he searched every nook,

(He’d left it on last week’s butter-cask book!)

Beside that gate, a toll booth was made—

A stack of acorn-coins for each pail conveyed.

“Forest-nut Duty,” read the sign in bright script,

A tariff on imports that left many equipped.

Beaverton fretted, “My quota cost gold—

These tolls and these limits protect what I hold.

An avalanche of outside milk could undo

The lifetime of savings I poured into you.”

Mooseford bowed his head, doubts in his heart:

“What if quotas and tolls keep us apart?”

He paced by the stream, imagining loss—

And felt that trade might come at too steep a cost.

Finchlet’s Fair-Trade Trial

Then Finchlet the Curious, perched on a butter drum,

Chirped, “Let’s test a trial—no need to be glum:

Five in, five out, with the toll paid in kind—

If both flocks flourish, no one’s left behind.”

The forest roared praise, then squeaked a small cry:

“Who fears fair-trade tonight?” the chipmunks did vie.

They opened the gate for the five-pail trial,

Milk flowed in, cheese came home—no guile.

The toll-booth clerk counted acorns with glee,

And both flocks prospered—new trust for all to see.

📜 The Seasonal Council at Snowcap Summit

When spring winds returned, the Marketing Board met—

At Snowcap Summit, with quotas to set.

Here, Floormus the Mouse, with spectacles small,

Ensured a Price Floor so farmers would stand tall.

“No sale below cost,” Floormus declared,

“Or our dairy folk’s dreams will go unfairly impaired.”

Beaverton nodded, adjusting his scroll—

Quotas rose gently to five plus the toll.

Mooseford rejoiced, “Now our pails may outgrow

The toll and the limits, with room still to sow!”

🌟 Moral of the Meadow:

“Quotas and tolls guard what we sow—

But wise councils ensure all may grow.”

Did you know:

Canada’s dairy farmers follow something called a supply management system!That means they can only make a set amount of milk, cheese, or cream—kind of like Mooseford’s five pails. 🪣🪣🪣🪣🪣

Why?Because farmers in Canada buy special quota rights—just like Beaverton did—to protect how much they produce. This keeps prices steady and makes sure local farms don’t get flooded by cheap imports.

But here’s the twist:The USA can still sell milk, cheese, and butter to Canada!.They just need to go through the tariff gate—like paying a toll to the Forest-Nut Booth. 🧾🥜That’s because Canada limits how much dairy comes in without extra fees, to keep things fair for its own farmers who’ve invested in quotas. There is a large tariff if the quota has been exceeded. (But this rarely happens.)

So while the gate may be narrow, it’s not locked—fair trade still flows, one well-measured pail at a time.