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the slaughter price as meat would be only 20 percent of the
herd's value as dairy cows.
Gomes frantically looked for another place to sell his milk,
going to daily meetings of dairymen's associations and
cooperatives, but all to no avail, because everyone was in the
same boat. In September 1986, after Knudsen sold its plant in
Hughson, California, Gomes began shipping his milk to the new
owners there.
Despite their stress, petitioners did not seek professional
mental health assistance. Their reasons were varied. Some were
cultural. Gomes was brought up in a small Portuguese community
of about 2,000 people. He had been taught that an emotional
problem was a sign of personal inadequacy, and to seek
professional help was a thing to be shunned. Knevelbaard's
reasons for not seeking professional help were religious. In
times of stress he seeks consolation and encouragement through
prayer and Bible reading.
Within 2 months after Knudsen defaulted on payments to the
milk producers it filed a chapter 11 petition in the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. The
milk producers were unsecured creditors. All filed proofs of
claim.
On January 12, 1989, petitioners were among nearly 1,000
milk producers, individually or through their cooperatives, who
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