Michigan Milk Messenger: May 2016

Michigan 2015 Milk

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF MICHIGAN MILK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION

MESSENGER

VOL. 98 | ISSUE 11 | MAY 2016

100 Annual State Delegate Meeting th

mimilk.com

Michigan Milk

MESSENGER Columns 4 MMPA Matters Building Relationships Over One Century

6 Quality Watch Member Merchandise Program – Your Partner in Profitability

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8 News & Views 10 Legislative Watch

May Features 12 MMPA Young Cooperator Conference 14 Adversity Builds Character: The Fair Share Days 16 100th Annual MMPA State Delegate Meeting

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19 MMPA Celebrates 100 Years, Donates 100 Gallons of Milk Per Day

Managing Editor............................................ Sheila Burkhardt Editor......................................................................... Allison Stuby Advertising Manager.................................. Nancy Muszynski Circulation............................................................................... 2,843 An Equal Opportunity Employer – F/M/V/D Michigan Milk Messenger (USPS 345-320) is the official publication of Michigan Milk Producers Association, published monthly since June 1919. Subscriptions: MMPA members, 50¢ per year; non-members, $5 per year.

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

41310 Bridge Street

p: 248-474-6672

P.O. Box 8002

f: 248-474-0924

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w: www.mimilk.com

Periodical postage paid at Novi, MI and at additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Michigan Milk Messenger, PO Box 8002, Novi, MI 48376-8002.

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19 20 MMPA Recognizes 35 and 50+ Year Members 22 General Manager’s

Report to the Delegates

Departments

Cover Story

36 Merchandise

The 100th Annual MMPA State Delegate Meeting was held on March 24 in Lansing. Gov. Rick Snyder presented MMPA President Ken Nobis with a tribute at the meeting. Highlights of the meeting and business conducted by delegates begin on page 16.

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Quality Premiums

38 Freeliners 40

Classifieds

27 Current Resolutions

41 Policies

32 Standing Resolutions

42

Market Report

43 Staff

Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) Michigan Milk Producers Association, established in 1916, is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Board of Directors Officers

Directors-At-Large Ken Nobis, St. Johns............................................. 989-224-6170 or 248-474-6672, ext. 201 Rodney Daniels, Whittemore...............................................................................989-756-4935

Ken Nobis, President

Gertie van den Goor, Marlette.............................................................................989-550-8453

Mark Halbert, Vice President

Mark Halbert, Battle Creek................................................................................... 269-964-0511

Eric Frahm, Treasurer Joe Diglio, General Manager/ Secretary Josep Barenys, Assistant Treasurer Todd Hoppe, General Counsel

James Reid, Jeddo...................................................................................................810-327-6830

District Directors 1. Hank Choate, Cement City...............................................................................517-529-9032 2. Tim Hood, Paw Paw............................................................................................269-657-5771 3. David Pyle, Zeeland............................................................................................616-772-1512 4. Corby Werth, Alpena..........................................................................................989-464-5436 5. Doug Chapin, Remus.........................................................................................231-972-0535 6. Tony Jandernoa, Fowler....................................................................................989-593-2224 7. Eric Frahm, Frankenmuth.................................................................................989-652-3552 8. Scott Lamb, Jeddo..............................................................................................810-327-6135

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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MMPA MATTERS

Building Relationships Over One Century

BY KEN NOBIS, PRESIDENT

In preparation for MMPA’s100th Annual Meeting held at the end of March, I did some research into the attributes of long lasting businesses. There are a variety of reasons companies are successful over the long haul, and MMPA could be the model for the generic description of such a business. One attribute that grabbed me immediately was dedication to great relationships.

Great relationships begin and end with people. We have invested in people over the life of the co-op, recognizing from the beginning that our success depended on a loyal and stable membership base.

In addition, the dairy industry is unique, so retaining a dedicated and long-serving employee base in all areas of operation has been equally important over the life of the co-op.

“We have successfully developed sound relationships with an ever-widening array of individuals to assist us in carrying out our mission in a world that is very different than it was when MMPA started in 1916.”

We recognize our co-op’s many loyal employees, and we have recognized the contributions made by our 35 year owner-members each year at our annual meeting, asking them to share their comments about reaching this milestone. It is always gratifying to hear their kind remarks. The most common and memorable over the years have included, “I’ve never missed receiving a check,” and “MMPA has always been there to help us when we needed it.” In addition, this year we inaugurated the recognition of our 50 year members too. Hearing their comments about what MMPA and the dairy industry have meant to them was gratifying. Our 100 year anniversary seemed like the perfect time to honor these distinguished members.

Relationships with our new and long term customers are very important to us as well. We want to serve our customers’ needs in every way possible. Our goal is to build trust and dependability by delivering outstanding performance. We recognize the importance of integrity and reliability in a business relationship. We can’t be successful if our customer isn’t successful. As consumers have become more and more removed from production agriculture, their interest in where their food comes from has grown. Concerns raised by consumers motivate the dairy industry to have in place a uniform method to confirm that we are responsible caretakers of our animals.

We work with our customers to assure them that our animal care practices follow the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) guidelines developed by the National Milk Producers Federation and that every member of MMPA is FARM certified. Our customers can then, in turn, assure their customers that the animals that produce the milk they purchase are being treated properly. Sustainability is another concern, and we work with our customers in ways that make it possible for MMPA to efficiently report the sustainable practices incorporated on our member farms.

MMPA’s relationships with people and communities exemplify MMPA’ dedication to making the world a better place to live. We have in recent years expanded our manufacturing plants in both Ovid and Constantine. While expansion can sometimes create friction in a community, our expansions were not only welcomed but were actively supported by both communities so that we could quickly overcome hurdles. This is a reflection of our co-op’s integrity and reputation.

We have also supported many initiatives in various communities, including “Breakfast on the Farm.” We support 4-H, FFA and our own MMPA Dairy Communicators who do so much in their local communities to educate the public about dairy consumption and the true nature of farming operations. Included in community relationships would have to be our involvement with the Flint water crisis, and before that our contribution of milk to the Food Bank Council of Michigan in the summer of 2015. We also announced an additional contribution of 100 gallons of milk a day to the Food Bank Council of Michigan for the coming year in celebration of our 100th anniversary.

MMPA was formed 100 years ago with the focus “to market our members’ milk to the greatest advantage possible.” Dairy producer numbers have diminished over the years, and the industry has changed. We have successfully developed sound relationships with an ever-widening array of individuals to assist us in carrying out our mission in a world that is very different than it was when MMPA started in 1916.

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

QUALITY WATCH

The MMPA Member Merchandise Program

Your Partner in Profitability

BY STEVE LEHMAN, TECHNICAL AREA SUPERVISOR

The MMPA Member Merchandise Program has provided access to dairy farm supplies at group buying prices to MMPA members for many years. While most of the products and services offered through the program are familiar to members, there are several that are not as well-known. Profits realized by the Member Merchandise Program are returned to the members that use the program, enhancing the profitability of their dairy operations.

CLEANERS, SANITIZERS, AND TEAT DIPS – MMPA has been a distributor of Ecolab (formerly known as Klenzade) products for over 40 years. The recent installation of the M-1 teat dip mixing system has significantly reduced the price of iodine teat dips available to members. Due to Ecolab’s presence in the food and institutional cleaning markets, MMPA members have access to not only dairy farm chemicals, but also products that can be used for tough equipment cleaning problems and farm laundry use. Ecolab representatives are available to help MMPA member representatives troubleshoot on-farm cleaning problems and provide support services. As a partner in MMPA’s Milking Systems Performance Assurance Program (MSPAP), Ecolab will cover the cost of up to four CIP evaluations per year for those farms enrolled in the program that are on 100 percent Ecolab chemical supplies.

MILKING EQUIPMENT PARTS – MMPA is also a distributor for Milk-Rite, one of the largest manufacturers in the world of rubber parts for milking systems. Milk-Rite manufactures a full line of inflations, air tubes, air and milk hoses, and jetter cups. Personnel from both MMPA and Milk-Rite are available to assist members in determining what inflations are best suited for their herds. The MilkRite cluster and shell exchange program is available to those members using the vented mouthpiece Impulse liners.

“Profits realized by the Member Merchandise Program are returned to the members that use the program, enhancing the profitability of their dairy operations.”

RECORDING THERMOMETERS – Recording thermometers are required on all direct load facilities, on all bulk tanks where partial milk pickups are utilized, and on all bulk tanks manufactured after January 1, 2000. MMPA is a dealer for Anderson instruments, carries a variety of parts, and can facilitate the repair of electronic components of these devices.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENT REPAIR – Many electronic components of milking systems, including liquid level controls, pulsation controllers, and automatic detacher/milk meter boards, may be able to be repaired. One of the vendors with which MMPA does business provides this service, which usually costs a fraction of the price of replacement components.

SPECIAL ORDER ITEMS – The items stocked at the Mt. Pleasant warehouse are a fraction of the items available to MMPA members. MMPA is a dealer for several dairy equipment suppliers, such as E-Zee Milking Equipment, Coburn, Schlueter, Sunset, NASCO, and Nelson-Jameson. These vendors carry many parts for milking equipment, both aftermarket and OEM, along with some items pertaining to animal care. Used and rebuilt parts for most brands of milking equipment are also available. Many of these companies have online catalogs that list and/or illustrate the items that may be ordered on their websites.

To order items from these catalogs, provide the personnel at the merchandise warehouse with the quantity, stock number, and description of the items desired. The member is responsible for shipping and handling charges. Please note that if these items are returned, any restocking or return shipping charges will be the responsibility of the member that ordered the items.

Products are distributed to farms in a variety of ways. Non-chemical items may be shipped via UPS or USPS. Haulers deliver many products to their patrons and farms with a $750.00 or greater order are eligible for direct farm delivery. Deliveries are made on a four-week schedule, and orders must be submitted to the warehouse at least two days prior to the scheduled delivery date. For more information regarding the direct farm delivery program, please contact the warehouse.

Other items, such as softener salt, cloth and paper towels, milk replacer, filters, and floor patching supplies are available through the Member Merchandise Program. An online catalog is in development. Take the opportunity to see how the MMPA can help to make your dairy more profitable. If you have questions regarding the Member Merchandise Program, contact your member representative, or the warehouse at 989-317-8370.

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

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& VIEWS NEWS &NEWS VIEWS

MMPA Board Members Appointed to the Michigan Dairy Marketing Committee Gov. Rick Snyder announced the appointment of Peter Kleiman of Wilson, and the reappointments of Timothy Hood of Paw Paw, Dwight Nash of Elsie, Kenneth Nobis of St. Johns, and James Reid of Jeddo, to the Michigan Dairy Marketing Committee.

Hood, Nobis and Reid all currently serve on the MMPA board of directors.

The 13-member committee oversees the budget and operations of the dairy producer marketing program, which supports the Michigan dairy industry.

Michigan State University Extension Names Jeff Dwyer Director Jeff Dwyer, interim director of Michigan State University Extension since Jan. 1, has been named director of MSU Extension. Previously he was a senior associate dean in the MSU College of Human Medicine, with primary responsibilities related to research and community engagement.

The decision to move Dwyer to the permanent role was made jointly by Buhler, MSU Provost June Youatt and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, in consultation with incoming CANR Dean Ronald L. Hendrick.

“Dr. Dwyer has already forged relationships with stakeholder groups across the state and spread the reach of MSU

Producers Scoring 95 Percent or More on Grade A Surveys and Federal Check Ratings Rodney Imbrock Kevin Meller Scott Norden Rowley Dairy LLC James / Edward / Patrick Bolday* Braid Farms Inc Charles / Janet White Donal Farm LLC Weldon / David Keller Denning Farms LLC Drakeland Farms LLC Howe Farms James Delagrange Crandall Dairy Farm LLC * *100 percent .

Upcoming Events May 23 MMPA Centennial Anniversary Celebration, East Lansing

June 15-16 MMPA 4-H Milk Marketing Tour, Novi

June 28 Advisory Committee Meeting, Novi 8

Extension,” Hendrick said.

“I look forward to having a team of strong

leaders in the college so we can hit the ground running in July. I am pleased that Dr. Dwyer will be among those leaders.”

Before joining MSU, Dwyer was a tenured professor at Wayne State University, where he was the director of the Institute of Gerontology and professor of sociology. He was the founding director of the Institute on Aging and a tenured professor of medicine at the University of Florida from 1999 to 2003. Dwyer received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California Lutheran University in 1982 and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Florida in 1988.

Class III and IV Prices Continue to Decline The USDA reported that March’s Class III milk price is $13.74 per hundredweight, down 6 cents from February's price, and $1.82 below March 2015. The Class IV price was $12.74, down 75 cents from February, and $1.06 less than March of last year.

2016 Breakfast on the Farm Hosts Announced The Breakfast on the Farm program will take place at two farms this summer, one of which is an MMPA member: August 13 Zwerk & Sons Farms Vassar, Michigan August 27 Hartland Farms Clayton, Michigan

For more information or to volunteer at an event, please visit breakfastonthefarm.com.

MMPA Hosts FSMA Training New Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations require that key personnel in charge of managing the Food Safety Plan at a company must be a Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI). The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) has partnered with the FDA to develop course curriculum to meet the PCQI requirements. MMPA hosted PCQI training for employees and customers in late March to emphasize the importance of food safety and collaboration across food manufactures. MMPA Director of Quality Amandeep Dhillon, a certified instructor authorized to train individuals to become PCQI, lead the course. « FRONT ROW (L-R): NICK FERGEN OF HOUSE OF FLAVORS, GREG MCGUIRE OF GUERNSEY’S DAIRY, DR. ARVIND PATEL, CF BURGER AND AMANDEEP DHILLON OF MMPA. BACK ROW (L-R): DANIEL MCCREEDY OF MCCLURE’S PICKLES, JOE KINVILLE OF GUERNSEY’S DAIRY, RON STEINHORST OF MMPA, JESSICA WAGNER OF MMPA, KATHRYN PARIKH OF VERNDALE PRODUCTS, JILL FELDPAUSCH OF MMPA AND MARK HOVOREK, AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT.

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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LEGISLATIVE WATCH

USDA Announces Improvements in Dairy Margin Protection Program

S

everal important improvements in the new safety net program for dairy farmers were announced April 12 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, following recommendations made to the agency by the National Milk Producers Federation to enhance the value of the dairy Margin Protection Program (MPP).

“The Margin Protection Program must continue to evolve based on the experiences of NMPF’s members and others in the dairy industry,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “USDA is constrained in what it can do to strengthen MPP, but we very much appreciate these steps to implement administrative changes that will improve the program’s usefulness to dairy farmers.”

Since MPP’s enactment in 2014, NMPF has worked with USDA to make the program a more flexible and effective national safety net for all of America’s dairy farmers.

Mulhern said the program remains a work in progress, given the challenging farm milk price situation facing dairy farmers

in 2015 and this year. “We will continue to work with USDA and the Congress to further improve and strengthen the program’s effectiveness,” he said.

One change announced by USDA will ensure all farms enrolled in the MPP will receive catastrophic coverage at the basic $4 per hundredweight margin level on 90 percent of their production history – with the ability to purchase buy-up coverage at less than 90 percent of their history.

Mulhern anticipates that decoupling the coverage options will increase dairy farmer use of the program by not reducing benefits to farmers who elect to purchase supplemental coverage, and by providing more flexibility in coverage design. For $100 a year, dairy producers receive basic $4 protection that covers 90 percent of their milk production.

At higher premium levels, farmers can protect from 25 to 90 percent of production history with margin coverage levels from $4.50 to $8, in 50 cent increments.

This change is effective for the current 2016 coverage year. While a majority of farmers using the program in 2016 are protected at the $4 level, for those who bought up a higher level of margin, but did not cover 90 percent of their milk production, this change ensures that they are still receiving catastrophic protection on the maximum level of production allowed by the MPP. The USDA also announced a rule change to allow a farm’s production history to be restructured in order to accommodate new family members joining a particular dairy operation. This will accommodate the intergenerational transfer of production history for children, grandchildren, and their spouses to join a dairy operation.

Any dairy operation already enrolled in MPP that had an intergenerational transfer occur will have an opportunity during the 2017 annual coverage election period to increase the operation’s production history up to 4 million pounds per year.

The next enrollment period begins on July 1, 2016, and ends on Sept. 30, 2016. Each participating dairy operation is authorized one intergenerational transfer at any time of its choosing until 2018.

2016 MMPA Advisory Committee

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District 1

District 5

Bruce Lewis, Jonesville........................................ 517-869-2877 Jeff Horning, Manchester..................................... 734-428-8610 Art Riske, Hanover............................................... 517-524-6015 Clark Emmons, Fayette, OH................................ 419-466-4471 Jeff Alexander, Hanover....................................... 517-740-9981

Mike Rasmussen, Edmore................................... 989-304-0233 Lyle Vanderwal, Lake City.................................... 231-328-4926 Tom Jeppesen, Stanton........................................ 989-506-5287 Bruce Benthem, McBain....................................... 231-825-8182 Amy Martin, Leroy................................................ 231-388-0496

District 2

District 6

Michael Oesch, Middlebury, IN............................. 574-825-2454 Mark Crandall, Battle Creek................................. 269-660-2229 Richard Thomas, Middlebury, IN.......................... 574-825-5198 Don Bever, Delton................................................ 269-671-5050 Heather Wing, Bellevue........................................ 269-660-0498

David Reed, Owosso............................................ 989-723-2023 Jamie Meyer, Ionia............................................... 989-640-3372 Kris Wardin, St. Johns.......................................... 989-640-9420 Aaron Gasper, Lowell........................................... 616-897-2747 Steve Thelen, Fowler............................................ 989-682-9064

District 3

District 7

Tim Butler, Sand Lake.......................................... 269-330-5538 Bill Gruppen, Zeeland........................................... 616-875-8162 Burke Larsen, Scottville........................................ 231-425-8988 Bill Stakenas, Freesoil.......................................... 231-425-6913 Gary Nelsen, Grant.............................................. 231-834-7610

John Bennett, Prescott......................................... 989-345-4264 Mark Iciek, Gladwin.............................................. 989-426-5655 Eric Bergdolt, Vassar............................................ 989-652-6500 Steve Foley, Millington.......................................... 989-871-4028 Rodney Fowler, Chesaning.................................. 989-302-2299

District 4

District 8

Marvin Rubingh, Ellsworth.................................... 231-588-6084 Jeremy Werth, Herron.......................................... 989-464-4022 Dave Folkersma, Rudyard.................................... 906-630-1957 Russ Tolan, Ossineke........................................... 989-471-2993 Ron Lucas, Posen................................................ 989-379-4694

Darwin Sneller, Sebewaing.................................. 989-977-3718 Bill Blumerich, Berlin............................................ 810-706-2955 Michael Bender, Croswell..................................... 810-404-2140 Patrick Bolday, Emmett........................................ 810-395-7139 Michael Noll, Croswell.......................................... 810-404-4071

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

2016 MMPA Young Cooperator Conference With fluctuating milk prices, an increasingly visible presence on social media and tough decisions regarding farm succession, the next generation of dairy farmers must navigate through an evolving world.

BELOW: YC CONFERENCE ATTENDEES TOURED VANDERPLOEG HOLSTEINS LLC, A DAIRY WITH A 72-STALL ROTARY PARLOR IN ITHACA, MICHIGAN.

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

The 2016 Young Cooperator (YC) Conference on April 15 in Mt. Pleasant tackled some of these issues at the annual meeting of MMPA’s younger members.

The morning session was led by MMPA President Ken Nobis, MMPA General Manager Joe Diglio and United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) CEO Sharon Toth. The leaders provided updates on the cooperative, the dairy industry and UDIM initiatives to promote dairy.

Also in the afternoon, UDIM Director of Industry Relations Jolene Griffin led a presentation and panel on social media and communication with two MMPA members. As consumer demands continue to shape requirements of onfarm practices, social media may be an avenue to amplify consumer concerns, but also an opportunity for dairy farmers to share their own story. Griffin addressed the 60 YCs in attendance In the afternoon, Michigan State University with an interactive presentation geared toward dairy promotion through social Extension Educator Roger Betz rounded out the presentations with an overview of media. farm succession planning before the YCs “How can you connect with consumers?” headed out on a tour of member farm, Griffin asked. “Tell them about the great Vanderploeg Holsteins. things you’re doing on your farm and

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MMPA MEMBERS KATELYN HORNING (LEFT) AND ASHLEY KENNEDY (RIGHT) SPOKE ON A PANEL ABOUT PROMOTING DAIRY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. FROM LEFT, 2014 OYDC RUNNERS-UP KEN AND KRISTEN SPARKS, 2015 OYDC SHAWN AND BETH VANDRIE, 2014 OYDC CARRIE AND BRIAN PRESTON AND 2015 OYDC RUNNERS-UP REGINA AND DARREN COFFEY FORMED THE 2016 YC PLANNING COMMITTEE. MMPA GENERAL MANAGER JOE DIGLIO (LEFT) DRAWS THE NAMES OF DOOR PRIZE WINNERS WITH 2014 OYDC BRIAN PRESTON (RIGHT).

UDIM DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS JOLENE GRIFFIN GAVE A PRESENTATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION.

your own personal dairy story. Every conversation matters.”

agriculture. It can create a larger group that’s on your side,” she relayed.

Griffin introduced MMPA members Katelyn Horning and Ashley Kennedy who are active in agriculture promotion through social media and blogging.

Horning runs a Facebook page for her family’s farm, Horning Farms, and Kennedy runs a personal blog, Messy Kennedy, with integration on multiple social media channels.

Yet Horning said she has faced negative responses on social media, advising the YCs to use those opportunities to positively address their concerns: “You may not change that person’s mind, but you need to stay positive for other people who may read your conversation online. Stay professional and positive.”

Kennedy promotes agriculture in her blog by focusing on topics consumers relate to. “I aim for an audience. My goal is to reach millennial moms by blogging about more than just agriculture. There’s more to me than just the farm,” she explained. “One third of my posts are about the farm and I hit tough topics like antibiotics and hormones. The other stuff is about things I enjoy, and I use it to draw in that target audience.”

Horning’s page highlights the daily activities on the farm. “Social media is an outlet to promote a positive image of

Griffin rounded out the session noting the importance of positive interactions online and relating on a personal level with consumers. Though she recognized social media is not for everyone, it is important to know the right messages to convey because conversations about agriculture and dairy can start anywhere.

“Every conversation matters. Avoid acronyms, put your terms into words that make sense to consumers.

Storytelling is key,” Griffin said. “Share stories with people and connect on those levels, finding a shared value resonates with consumers.”

The YC Conference is a component of the MMPA Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperator (OYDC) program, established in 1950.

Purpose of the OYDC Program: • Strengthen leadership abilities in young farmers • Broaden young farmer’s knowledge of milk marketing and MMPA • Recognize the abilities and stewardship of young dairy farmers On August 18-19, MMPA will host a two-day conference for the Top 10 OYDCs in Novi to select the 2016 OYDC representative and runners-up.

The Top 10 OYDCs will be notified in May. For more information, contact Jessica Welch at jwelch@mimilk.com or 248-474-6672.

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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POWER of the Past. » VISION for the Future.

IN 1956, FAIR SHARE SUPPORTERS HIJACKED MILK TRUCKS AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE IMLAY CITY PLANT.

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Adversity Builds Character: The Fair Share Days

“I hate it when a farmer says, ‘I’m just a farmer.’ This farmer doesn’t realize what he does for America, what he does for the economy and what he does for his family. Farmers are very important. Where would we be without them?”

By Melissa Hart

Who could call these forward thinkers, ‘just farmers?’

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

—Former Senator Bob Dole

Just a group of farmers in Livingston County formed a milk co-op that would grow and last for 100 years.

Just a handful of farmers have led MMPA through 100 years of victories and defeats.

Just a faction of law-abiding farmers stood up against rioting teamsters and kept the integrity of their cooperative strong.

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he size, shape and impact of farming has evolved over the years but the tenacity and determination of the farmer has not.

The farmer has been labeled, ‘Just a farmer’ by his own humility and faded jeans, but the recognition of their vision is something to be applauded.

The first cooperators of MMPA must have known they were more than just owners of cows and producers of milk. And they must have envisioned themselves as more than farmers but milk marketers and leaders with political savvy. In fact, many of them held off-farm occupations but wanted to make sure their blood, sweat and tears spilled on the farm were not in vain. Thus deciding to ban together and market their product.

MMPA’s leadership in the early years was pivotal not only at the local level to the membership but nationally.

Milo Campbell, one of the original MMPA board of directors was the first president of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). When the NMPF formed in 1916, the Branch County farmer headed to Washington D.C. to lead the group until 1923. And no grass grew under Campbell’s feet as one of the first pieces of legislation proposed by NMPF was to officially grant cooperatives limited exemption from federal antitrust acts. That legislation was passed in 1922.

Ten years after Campbell vacated the NMPF presidency, MMPA’s first president, Nathan Hull took over and led the NMPF until 1941. In 1955, North Branch dairy farmer Glenn Lake took over as president of MMPA and was the third MMPA leader elected president of the NMPF. Lake took office and was initiated into leadership by a group that attempted to undermine the effective work of MMPA in bargaining for members. The Fair

Share Bargaining Association, Inc., was philosophically the direct descendent of the United Dairy Farmers and included many of the same people. The “Fair Share” farmers were aided and prodded into action primarily by the Teamsters Union and other affiliates of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Outside agitators influenced inside MMPA members until they became disgruntled and demanded transparency of the association records in hopes of proving a failure of the cooperative to abide by their constitution.

It was reported in MMPA’s 50th Annual Report that the “Fair Share” group filed a complaint against MMPA with the U.S. Department of Justice and as a result a U.S. Grand Jury investigation was conducted but found nothing. But the “Fair Share” organizers weren’t done yet.

The 50th MMPA Annual Report described the “Fair Share” movement.

“The services of a firebrand former preacher and deposed labor organizer who had been active in the United Auto Workers union during the days of the sit-down strikes in Michigan auto plants were secured. The teamsters announced they would provide money, muscle and guidance to organize the dairy farmers. The “Fair Share” group had infiltrated and become entrenched in the democratic governing system of MMPA and, using “fifth column” tactics, tried to take over.

This effort culminated at the Annual Meeting in 1955 when the “Fair Share” converts moved into the open and attempted a virtual coup.

They were unsuccessful, but the activities of some leaders who supposedly had been loyal members of MMPA for years was alarming.”

This didn’t stop the “Fair Share” movement as they urged dairy farmers to strike in the spring of 1956 and violence erupted when milk trucks belonging to MMPA and to private haulers were

FAIR SHARE RIOTERS TRIED TO INTIMIDATE LOYAL CO-OP MEMBERS

BY ATTACKING MILK TRUCKS ARRIVING AT THE ELSIE PLANT.

hijacked and herded to MMPA’s Imlay City plant. Other MMPA plants and facilities were sometimes blocked by “Fair Share” protestors.

Shortly after these attacks, MMPA members, out of patience and disgusted with the behavior of these renegades, considered responding in kind by physically driving the rioters away from MMPA property and moving milk to market with whatever brute force was necessary.

But they didn’t.

Instead they worked it out legally, but it was the determination of loyal MMPA members and law-abiding farmers that turned the tide and convinced the “Fair Share” fanatics that they could not prod dairy producers into fighting amongst themselves.

Two lessons were learned after that tumultuous time: Member loyalty to the association was paramount and that in any confrontation it is absolutely essential to act legally and morally without resorting to violence.

Just a group of farmers began the cooperative in 1916. Just a group of farmers capitalized on integrity, loyalty and tenacity to stand strong against outside forces so that in 2016, just a group of farmers could celebrate 100 years of marketing their product, stronger together.

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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100th Annual State Delegate Meeting POWER of the Past. » VISION for the Future.

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1 GOV. SNYDER THANKS DAIRY FARMERS - "MICHIGAN’S FOOD AND AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY IS ONE OF OUR STATE’S LARGEST, CONTRIBUTING $101.2 BILLION ANNUALLY TO OUR STATE’S ECONOMY,” SNYDER SAID. “THE DAIRY INDUSTRY PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THIS SUCCESS, AND I THANK ALL OF MICHIGAN’S DEDICATED DAIRY FARMERS AND LEADERS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAKING MICHIGAN GROW STRONGER." 2 BUSINESS PARTNERS RECOGNIZE MMPA’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY - REPRESENTATIVES FROM JPMORGAN, CONSUMERS ENERGY AND COBANK CONGRATULATED MMPA ON THE ANNIVERSARY, PRESENTING COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES AND AWARDS. PICTURED IS JOE DIGLIO AND KEN NOBIS OF MMPA WITH MIKE SCHWEICKERT OF JPMORGAN. 3 OUTSTANDING YOUNG DAIRY COOPERATORS RECOGNIZED - MMPA BOARD MEMBER HANK CHOATE (CENTER, LEFT) AND MMPA PRESIDENT KEN NOBIS (CENTER, RIGHT) INTRODUCED THE 2015 TOP 10 OUTSTANDING YOUNG DAIRY COOPERATORS (OYDC) AT THE MEETING, INCLUDING THE 2015 OYDC SHAWN AND BETH VANDRIE (RIGHT) AND RUNNERS-UP DARREN AND REGINA COFFEY (LEFT).

4 DELEGATES ADOPT RESOLUTIONS, ELECT BOARD MEMBERS - BUSINESS CONDUCTED BY THE DELEGATES INCLUDED THE ADOPTION OF THE 2016 MMPA RESOLUTIONS AND REELECTION OF KEN NOBIS OF ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN A THREE-YEAR, AT-LARGE POSITION. DELEGATES ALSO ELECTED GERTIE VAN DEN GOOR OF MARLETTE, MICHIGAN TO HER FIRST THREE-YEAR TERM IN AN AT-LARGE POSITION.

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

At the 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting of the Michigan Milk Producers Association, the cooperative recognized one century of service to members.

As MMPA builds upon its vision for the future, the cooperative reflects upon the defining moments of it collective history, recognizing the power of the past.

The meeting was held on March 24 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan.

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5 MMPA PRESIDENT KEN NOBIS NOTES LONGEVITY OF MMPA - “WE HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 100 YEARS BUT IT DOESN’T REALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE, AND MAYBE THAT’S BECAUSE WE KEEP EVOLVING. AS MARKETS CHANGE, WE ADAPT. IN 1916, OUR MARKETS WERE CLOSE BY AND BY COMPARISON QUITE SIMPLE. TODAY WE STILL DEAL LOCALLY BUT WE ARE ALSO COGNIZANT OF THE GLOBAL MARKET PLACE, AND WHEN APPROPRIATE WE MARKET GLOBALLY,” NOBIS STATED. “WE ARE ADAPTING TO THE CHANGING PLAYING FIELD AND DEVELOPING MARKETS AND MEMBERSHIP ACROSS THE STATE LINE.” 6 MMPA TOP QUALITY AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED - DEAN LETTER (RIGHT), DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES, AND FRANK BRAZEAU (LEFT), MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE, PRESENTED JACOB AND ELAINE JAHFETSON (CENTER) OF BARAGA, MICHIGAN WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY MILK PRODUCTION AWARD. THE JAHFETSONS ACHIEVED THE

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BEST QUALITY RECORDS IN 2015, 2014 AND 2013 AMONG MMPA’S 1,200 FARMS. 7 MMPA TREASURER ERIC FRAHM REPORTS FINANCIAL STATUS - “AS A RESULT OF OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AND AFTER MONTHLY PREMIUMS PAID TO MEMBERS, THE NET SAVINGS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR WAS $6 MILLION,” FRAHM SAID. “ACHIEVING CONSISTENT NET SAVINGS ALONG WITH MANAGING AN APPROPRIATE WORKING CAPITAL POSITION ALLOWS THE ASSOCIATION TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE VOLATILE MARKET CONDITIONS AS THEY SURFACE.”

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POWER of the Past. » VISION for the Future.

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MARIA BLOUGH, REGION V STATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE MICHIGAN FFA ASSOCIATION LED THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THE START OF THE MEETING.

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AMERICAN LEGION MICHIGAN POST 148 BEGAN THE MEETING WITH THE PRESENTATION OF COLORS.

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CARRIE AND BRIAN PRESTON, 2014 OYDC, HIGHLIGHTED THEIR PAST YEAR OF SERVICE TO MMPA AND EXPLAINED THE PROGRAM BEFORE WELCOMING IN THE 2015 CLASS OF TOP 10 OYDCS.

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TOM HALVERSON OF COBANK CONGRATULATED MMPA ON THE COOPERATIVE’S ANNIVERSARY AND ANNOUNCED A DONATION TO THE FOOD BANK COUNCIL OF MICHIGAN TO ASSIST WITH PROCESSING AND PACKAGING OF MMPA’S DONATED MILK.

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

MMPA 100 Years, DonatesDonates 100 Gallons of Milk per Day to MMPACelebrates Celebrates 100 Years, 100 Gallons Food Bank Council of Michigan

of Milk per Day to Food Bank Council of Michigan

MMPA is donating 100 gallons of milk per day for an entire year to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. The donation—totaling 36,500 gallons— was announced at the MMPA Annual State Delegate Meeting on March 24 and is a component of MMPA’s recognition of its 100th anniversary.

“We know that these days hunger doesn’t stop and neither does MMPA’s concern for community. In recognition of MMPA’s 100th anniversary, MMPA will be donating 100 gallons of milk per day for an entire year to the Food Bank Council of Michigan,” Ken Nobis, dairy farmer and president of MMPA said. “We are tremendously grateful for all the work the Food Bank does every day to provide families in need with wholesome, nutritious meals and we want to do our part to help in their efforts.”

“The tremendous generosity of the Michigan Milk Producers Association will help nourish thousands of children across Michigan,” said Dr. Phillip Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan. “This is another significant step toward our goal to solve hunger.”

Representatives from Consumers Energy and CoBank joined MMPA at the meeting, congratulating the cooperative on its anniversary and announcing monetary donations to the Food Bank Council of Michigan to assist with processing and packaging of the milk.

“We would like to congratulate MMPA for achieving their 100th anniversary, and extend our compliments for the exemplary way they’ve chosen to celebrate their milestone,” said Christopher Laird, director of business customer experience at Consumers Energy.

“Their program aligns with our promise of caring for the Michigan communities we serve. We are excited to support their efforts to deliver milk to families in need across the state.”

Over the past year, MMPA has made three separate donations to the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, combating the shortage of milk at food banks and assisting with hunger-relief efforts. Two donations equaling 24,000 gallons of milk were made to directly assist those impacted by the Flint water crisis.

TOP: DR. PHILLIP KNIGHT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOOD BANK COUNCIL OF MICHIGAN. ABOVE: SANJU GUINN, BUSINESS ACCOUNT MANAGER, CONSUMERS ENERGY

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MMPA Recognizes 35-year Members, Creates New Award to Honor 50-year Members

MMPA’s 50+ Year Members ADRIAN LOCAL Fred Freight ALMA LOCAL Leonard W Koutz

Fifty-three MMPA members were recognized with 35 or 50 year member awards at the MMPA 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting on March 24.

MMPA has traditionally recognized 35-year members and this year added the new MMPA Milestone award to honor those holding membership for 50 years or more.

MMPA President Ken Nobis congratulated and praised the 35-year members for their dedication to the cooperative: “We commend you for your dedication and loyalty to MMPA and the dairy industry over the last 35 years.”

After the 35-year members were recognized, Nobis welcomed the inaugural group of MMPA Milestone award winners who joined MMPA in 1966 or earlier. In 2017 and years to come, MMPA will continue to honor those who reach the 50 year membership mark.

“Across the 1,200 member farms, there are a select few who have remained loyal to our cooperative for half of MMPA’s existence or more,” Nobis explained before presenting the awards. “Twenty-six members have achieved 50 or more years of membership including one member who signed his contract 62 years ago in 1954.”

A video presentation showcased the vast changes the Michigan dairy industry has undergone the past several years and since these members began dairy farming.

The presentation highlighted information from 1981 and 1966, when these members joined MMPA.

CHIPPEWA COUNTY LOCAL John Kronemeyer CLARE-MT PLEASANT LOCAL William D Stough EVART LOCAL Robert C Anderson Leon Hamming Harry E Martin FLINT LOCAL A Verne Juengel HILLSDALE-LITCHFIELD LOCAL David Evans John Kiessling INGHAM COUNTY LOCAL Carl Minnis JACKSON COUNTY PLUS LOCAL Rodger Hisler Gerald Surbrook MID-MICHIGAN LOCAL C Velmar Green

8,539 MMPA members pounds of 2.97 billion milk marketed

MID-SANILAC LOCAL Dale A McCarty MID-THUMB LOCAL Richard Noake Alfred C Stuever MUSKEGON LOCAL

6,225 MMPA members pounds of 3.36 billion milk marketed

Corliss T Gulembo III Eward Stakenas SALINE-ANN ARBOR LOCAL Robert E Breuninger Earl Horning SUNRISE LOCAL

1,200 MMPA members pounds of 4.63 billion milk marketed

Robert Kartes UPSTATE LOCAL David P Brown Donald Budzinski Edward Reimann

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MMPA’s 35-Year Members CLARE-MT PLEASANT LOCAL Thomas Fox CONSTANTINE LOCAL Ernest O'Connor James Ogden EVART LOCAL Douglas Benthem Bruce Benthem Dennis Kamphouse Kenneth Zuiderveen FLINT LOCAL Daniel Weil FRANKENMUTH LOCAL Mildred Keinath HILMAN LOCAL Irving Christensen HILLSDALE-LITCHFIELD LOCAL Dale Baker HURON LOCAL Dennis Schoeder Dian Volmering JACKSON COUNTY PLUS LOCAL Lawrance & Emeline Riske Arthur Riske Bruce Riske KALAMAZOO LOCAL Victor Puschel Melvin Puschel LIVINGSTON CHARTER LOCAL Charles White MID-MICHIGAN LOCAL Steven Roth Jeffry Thelen MID-SANILAC LOCAL Stephen Innes Edward Joe Lawler MID-THUMB LOCAL Tracy Sohn Richard Zacharias MUSKEGON LOCAL Richard Papes SUNRISE LOCAL William Weber Allen Weber

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MMPA General Manager’s Report to the Delegates

BY JOE DIGLIO

EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS ARTICLE IS A VERSION OF THE SPEECH PRESENTED TO MMPA DELEGATES AT THE 100TH ANNUAL STATE DELEGATE MEETING BY MMPA GENERAL MANAGER JOE DIGLIO.

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ot many organizations can claim the honor of reaching 100 years and many of you should be proud and appreciate your contribution in making MMPA what it is today. From our current to retired memberowners, customers and business partners, employees and all of those who have contributed to the strong foundation established now a century ago, a heartfelt thank you!

I feel fortunate to be the one standing before you, considering the legacy and rich history behind MMPA. I have spent nearly a quarter of a century working for our member-owners and quite frankly never imagined that my career would be so rewarding working in the dairy industry.

Now I’m not saying every day has been rosy and wonderful; however, I can say it has been very gratifying to be a part of a team that has seen so much transition since my first day.

This organization has been through a lot, and when you think about it, many significant events have taken place during our tenure. When MMPA was founded in 1916, the U.S. was in the midst of World War I. Other events like the invention of penicillin, World War II, Pearl Harbor, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the first man on the moon, 9-11 and the invention of social media would unfold as we progressed.

Over 100 years, many events have shaped the world around us, yet MMPA has remained steadfast. We as an organization should be proud of what we have accomplished and build off of the many success we have garnered over the years.

Even through the difficult times, the core of MMPA has survived and thrived. 2015 was a challenging year, and it appears there are more challenging times ahead, but a quick look back over the last century proves we have weathered times like these and came out of it alive—and together.

During the Great Depression, farmers were ready to undo the organization, but with President Nathan Hull’s strong leadership, MMPA emerged from the Depression stronger than before. In the 1950s, Fair Share rioters tried to divide MMPA and threw stones at loyal co-op members.

We have gone from operating in a localized environment to a state, then regional and now global world. This transition has been taxing to the system, yet extremely instrumental in remaining relevant in today’s climate.

Reflecting on our successes, a few core values have been our guiding principles that have helped shape the organization

throughout the years and has positioned us well for future growth and the opportunities that will surface. MMPA is officially adopting these core values to guide us into the next century: quality, integrity, progressive, community and leadership.

Quality Quality is our first core value. Year after year, the results of the milk coming off of the farm improve and have made our products more recognizable in the market. Examples of this recognition is the percentage of national quality award winners over the last four years. MMPA has had the distinct honor of receiving 56 percent of the national awards, impressive and certainly eye opening.

The strong farm practices and a commitment to delivering a fresh wholesome product allows MMPA to do our part in feeding the world safely. Quality isn’t taken lightly by anyone within the organization and has become an integral part of our business today. As an example of our commitment, MMPA offers programs and services like milker training and mastitis management in order to provide assistance when needed.

Beyond the quality delivered from the farm level is the attention to detail at our manufacturing plants. By attaining SQF Level 3 Certification at both of our facilities demonstrates our efforts and pledge in producing a superior milk ingredient.

It is very easy to talk a good game about quality. Yet to make it work requires a fairly substantial commitment in attitudes and practices, both of which our team has embraced. While quality is expected, it would be a mistake in believing you have mastered all there is to the process. Consistency, dedication and pride must reside with each of us in order to achieve our desired goal of producing the highest quality milk and milk products, including our award-winning butter.

Integrity The second core value is integrity. As a grass roots organization where member-owners play an instrumental role in governance, trust and reputation become critical to our DNA. Continuing to operate in a manner that our founding members have established 100 years ago is important and relevant in maintaining relationships and strong leadership during a changing environment. (continued on page 24) MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT - CONTINUED

Membership has its privileges including electing those who project and carry themselves as honorably as those they follow. I cannot possibly name all of those who have played such a key role in achieving this core value. What I can say is that it is recognizable with our Board of Directors, employees and business partners that we work with today.

Now more than ever, it is important to have those who exuded and demonstrate high integrity as part of the team especially as we navigate through the turbulent environment.

In the words of President Eisenhower, “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionable integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a football field, in an army, or in an office”.

MMPA has been that trustyworthy organization that has operated ethically and supportive to the industry as a whole.

People often define integrity as doing the right thing even when no one else is around. However, I believe it is the ability to act honestly and ethically no matter what the circumstances are. In order to survive the many events that have taken place over our years of our existence, integrity has and will continue to play a critical role in our survival.

From those who represent the membership to those who work for you, each and every one must commit to the notion that integrity is important.

Progressive Another key core value is progressive. When we look back over the years to see the transformation of the world and where it is today versus a few years ago, it is amazing.

Just think for a minute, back in the 1960s we were talking about Cuba and how tenuis the relationship with the United States was. Now we are talking about the opportunities to expand our global footprint in business relationships with the country.

“Now more than ever, it is important to have those who exuded and demonstrate high integrity as part of the team especially as we navigate through the turbulent environment. ”

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“The way milk is produced is a great story on how environmentally friendly operations are in helping preserve and accomplish our mission of feeding the world.”

MMPA has seen its fair share of progressiveness starting with our members. Today the exceptional quality and farm production continues to achieve record level results.

New farm techniques, strong practices and technology all help MMPA members produce the quality milk that it does today. The way milk is produced is a great story on how environmentally friendly operations are in helping preserve and accomplish our mission of feeding the world.

Working with the consumer by identifying the benefits behind dairy and how we farm today is another example of progressiveness and cooperation.

Operational efficiencies at our plants continue to improve while adhering to the strong quality practices that is so important for our customers. These assets have provided many outlets that were not available in the past and give MMPA the opportunity to capture new markets for future growth.

A new form of business is alliances and partnerships. As the industry continues to grow in the region, collaboration and cooperation will be instrumental in moving the business forward. While it has been and continues to be important to have ownership in assets, working with others in a way where cost could be reduced is one way that the industry wins as a whole. Progressive thinking on how to align resources within the area will be an opportunity in the future to secure additional value without disrupting the system negatively.

Community A forth core value is community. MMPA places great value in sharing the industries story with those who have little knowledge or experience with dairy. From state and county fairs to the youth within the 4-H clubs, telling our story helps promote visibility and assurance on the importance of nutrition and what role we play with it.

The networks established by our dairy communicators and events such as Breakfast on the Farm help us educate the non-farming communities. Opening our operations and sharing our practices as well as demonstrating our stewardship of the land helps provide clarity on any misconceptions. Dairy farmers have a valuable story to tell, and it’s important we work to get the message out.

Supporting these types of programs are and will continue to be an important part of what MMPA stands for.

“Thinking about the past and how we used

In addition to communicating the message about dairy, MMPA takes pride in providing assistance for those in need. Recent donations to the food bank and the community of Flint with industry partners like Kroger and Prairie Farms is just a few examples of how MMPA helped others in a time of need. While at a time where it could be easy to turn your back, MMPA chose to act and assist a community in need. Responding this way was a great example of how we believe in our communities and the importance of participating when we can help.

past and certainly will experience more

to do things is nice, yet thinking about what we can accomplish together is exciting and forward thinking. We are proud of our past, but also have a strong vision for our future. We have had challenges in the but staying together through it will help us become more relevant in this industry. Our foundation has been set by those we have followed, it is now where we will establish our legacy for those who follow us.”

Leadership The last but certainly not least important core value is leadership. People like Glenn Lake, Elwood Kirkpatrick, Jack Barnes, Walt Wosje and John Dilland, all of whom have made their own mark on the association in the era they operated in. MMPA has never been short on leaders especially when it comes to national issues.

More important today is staying connected at the State and National level and one should not underestimate the importance of having a reliable source that can carry the message on behalf of the membership. We have been very fortunate to have strength in this area and with Ken Nobis serving as our President, that trend has not stopped. While we might not like everything that is placed in front of us, we must understand that without a voice or a seat at the table, things could be much different.

MMPA has been a respected organization from the initial years of existence. Leadership helped navigate the Association through the good and trying times. We will continue to have challenges in front of us but with unity, collaboration and support among industry participants, we can and will continue to make a difference.

Times have changed and we must be willing to adapt our thinking to be more global. With leadership from your elected Board members and the team that works diligently on your behalf, we can and will move MMPA into the next century of existence.

Thinking about the past and how we used to do things is nice, yet thinking about what we can accomplish together is exciting and forward thinking. We are proud of our past, but also have a strong vision for our future. We have had challenges in the past and certainly will experience more but staying together through it will help us become more relevant in this industry. Our foundation has been set by those we have followed, it is now where we will establish our legacy for those who follow us.

I couldn’t be prouder of working for an industry that impacts so many people in the world. As we continue to educate those who buy our products, work with those who have a need for our production and find ways to help those who need assistance, we can and will succeed.

Thank you for playing a role in our past, present and future!

I look forward to the continuation of making MMPA more than what we were. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that cares in making a difference in the world.

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Current Resolutions APPROVED AT MMPA STATE ANNUAL DELEGATE MEETING MARCH 24, 2016

Milk Pricing and Market Regulation C-1. U.S. DAIRY POLICY We applaud the changes made in the 2014 Farm Bill that replaces outdated dairy policy meeting the needs of the 21st century and the global economy. It helps address milk price volatility and contains a new risk management tool providing dairy farmers the opportunity to insure against catastrophic economic conditions.

We encourage all dairy farmers to become familiar with the program and evaluate what level of coverage is best for their operation.

C-2. OVER-ORDER PRICING We continue our firm commitment to maximizing returns to dairy farmers and ensuring stability of the milk market.

We believe in the pooling concept of over-order pricing and acknowledge its effectiveness when accompanied with equitable sharing of proceeds among all dairy farmers.

We urge MMPA to promote the concept of over-order pricing and equitable sharing of over-order proceeds among all dairy farmers in the region.

We urge cooperatives and all others involved in the dairy industry across the country to work together in a manner that promotes market stability. We encourage our leaders, when possible, to work with dairy organizations to solve problems to the benefit of all dairy farmers.

C-3. COOPERATIVES WORKING TOGETHER We support the industry-led Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) program developed to help strengthen farm milk prices. The CWT program demonstrates the ability of farmers to work together to enhance their industry. We commend the program’s success and we support CWT’s current efforts to focus exclusively on an Export Assistance Program. CWT’s Export Assistance Program has demonstrated its effectiveness in enhancing dairy farmer revenue by expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products. We urge all dairy farmers across the U.S. to participate in the CWT program.

Furthermore, we urge NMPF to renew and utilize the program to its fullest potential to help provide long-term stability for the dairy industry. We are in favor of the possibility of increasing

our financial support to the CWT program.

Advertising, Research, Education and Public Relations C-4. DAIRY PRODUCT PROMOTION PROGRAMS We support the continuation of joint programs between Dairy Management Incorporated (DMI) and the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board designed to promote the consumption of fluid milk. We urge further collaboration to identify and break through barriers to fluid milk marketing. We further urge DMI to focus on its primary mission: to increase sales and demand for dairy products and maximize value returned to dairy farmers.

MSU Extension effective and viable. We further urge county governments to continue their support for MSU Extension.

C-7. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY We continue our support for Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Veterinary Medicine and programs of Extension and Research. We support continued legislative funding for these two colleges and their facilities at appropriate levels.

We urge the MSU Administration and Board of Trustees to continue the focus on improving agricultural education, research and extension programs. We support the continuation and strengthening of the Agricultural Technology program at MSU.

We are pleased with the recent increased consumer demand for milkfat. With medical journals touting the health benefits of milkfat, sales of whole milk have grown on a year over year basis in 2015 and demand for butter has been steadily increasing. We urge continued focus and outreach in this area.

We acknowledge the importance of a working partnership

We further support the promotional and nutrition education efforts of United Dairy Industry of Michigan and its work within the state to promote the consumption of dairy products.

conduct research programs that support the mainstay of the

C-5. CUSTOMER SUPPORTED DAIRY PROMOTIONS

Advisory Committee to provide input and future direction to

We applaud the efforts of MMPA fluid milk and dairy ingredient customers promoting dairy products and our family farms in their advertising and marketing efforts. It is beneficial to the industry as a whole when more companies promote the consumption of dairy products.

between the dairy industry and the university. We expect to achieve cooperative efforts from the college faculty, providing partnership and collaboration between the university and the agriculture industry. We further encourage the university to agriculture industry.

We applaud the establishment of the Agriculture Stakeholder academic and research programs affecting the agriculture industry.

C-8. MSU COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE NATURAL RESOURCES

AND

We urge the CANR and University leadership to maintain the

C-6. MSU EXTENSION

agricultural focus that has been so vital to the university, the

We urge MSU Extension to be mindful of the important role production agriculture plays in our state’s economy when making any changes to the structure and focus of MSU Extension. We urge the leadership within MSU Extension to carefully examine ways to best meet the needs of the agriculture community and to bolster the industry’s growth as a vital contributor to our state’s economy.

State of Michigan and its citizens. We urge continued emphasis

We urge state lawmakers to provide adequate funding to keep

to make their research findings available to not only those

on the Land Grant mission of the University.

We strongly support having the Directors of Ag BioResearch and MSU Extension be under the direction of the Dean of the CANR. Furthermore, we urge the college to engage in the dialogue surrounding the use of safe, approved and scientifically-sound technology used in production of food. We rely on the university involved in agriculture, but to the general public when modern farming practices are challenged.

We further support reviving the ability for students to earn a degree in Agricultural and Natural Resources Communications and Agriculture Education. With the increasing need to enhance

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the public understanding of the agriculture industry and to communicate to a variety of audiences, having students properly educated in this area is a key component to the continued growth of the agriculture industry.

C-9. FOOD ANIMAL PRODUCTION MEDICINE We are concerned about the shortage of veterinarians in the area of food animal production medicine. It is important for the

Be it resolved that through working with local community schools that an agricultural component be recommended as part of the K-12 curriculum. This includes teaching about agriculture, both plant and animal, from farm to plate with as much as possible taught in a hands-on method.

We further urge all MMPA members to support and become involved with current agriculture education initiatives.

Legislative and Regulatory Issues

animal agriculture industry to have qualified and experienced animal health professionals to protect the state’s livestock

C-12. INTERNATIONAL TRADE

industry.

We direct the MMPA board of directors to closely monitor international trade discussions to ensure the interests of U.S. dairy farmers are preserved and advanced. MMPA encourages the pursuit of carefully-negotiated trade agreements offering the prospect of net benefits to U.S. dairy producers.

We support the Production Animal Scholars Program developed jointly by the Department of Animal Science and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. The program encourages interested students to pursue food-animal medicine careers and provides them with a broader understanding of the entire food production system.

We encourage the MMPA Board of Directors, management and members to work with the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine to assist in efforts to increase the number and level of experience of food animal practitioners.

C-10. SUSTAINABILITY ON DAIRY FARMS We recognize the tremendous efforts dairy farmers have made over the years to protect and preserve our environment. We also know that our members work diligently to provide the best possible care for their animals. These factors illustrate the sustainable practices that take place on today’s dairy farms.

We also recognize the growing consumer quest for information concerning food production in our country. We understand the need to fill the information gap with correct information concerning the sustainability efforts on today’s dairy farms.

Therefore, we encourage our members to share their stories and let neighbors know of the sustainability efforts taking place on their farms every day. We also encourage the MMPA board of directors and management to monitor the sustainability studies underway through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to ensure reliable sustainability indicators for the areas of energy, environment and animal care are developed.

C-11. K-12 AGRICULTURE EDUCATION Knowledge is the key to understanding and the vast majority of our formative knowledge comes through the educational process at a school. Today, the majority of consumers are more than a generation removed from the farming sector of society.

We applaud Congress for reauthorizing the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) which helps facilitate the negotiation and implementation of U.S. trade agreements. We encourage the administration to maintain fair trade policies when negotiating with any country to ensure the preservation of the U.S. dairy industry.

We urge the MMPA board of directors and management to closely monitor significant multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and the effect the negotiations have on U.S. dairy policy. It is important that international trade agreements do not hinder the ability to provide an effective safety net for the U.S. dairy industry.

We urge the careful review and assessment of the dairy provisions contained in the recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement to ensure it is a reasonable and balanced market access agreement for U.S. dairy producers.

We are concerned with the potential impact on the U.S. dairy industry if the U.S. does not get comparable access into the Japanese and Canadian markets for exports of our key dairy products compared to what the U.S. grants to the world’s biggest exporter, New Zealand.

We endorse the dairy industry’s challenges to countries we believe to be in violation of WTO policies and urge continual monitoring of those areas. We support the Consortium for Common Food Names in their efforts associated with specialized foods from regions throughout the world.

In addition, because various countries within the WTO are working to increase access to world markets, we ask the FDA and USDA to inspect all dairy imports to ensure they meet U.S. health and quality standards. We further support enforcement action which ensures that imported dairy foods meet the same compositional requirements as domestically-produced standardized dairy foods.

C-13. FARMLAND AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION ACT

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We reaffirm our support of the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Act, 1974 PA 116, (now Part 361 of the Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act) as an effective, voluntary method to preserve essential farmland and open space while providing farmers needed tax relief. We further urge the Treasury Department to process PA 116 refunds in a timely manner.

C-14. RIGHT TO FARM Knowing the importance of protecting our environmental resources, we strongly encourage dairy farmers to maintain high standards of environmental practices. We acknowledge and support the Michigan Commission of Agriculture’s role in developing and reviewing Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs). Practices dealing with livestock manure management and utilization, nutrient utilization, pesticide utilization and pest control, care of farm animals, irrigation water use and site selection and odor control for new and expanding animal livestock facilities are reviewed and approved by the commission on an annual basis. We encourage the continued development of other GAAMPs that will provide protection for other segments of agriculture. We urge awareness among the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan State University and others involved in developing the guidelines that there is an opportunity to preserve the quality of our environment while maintaining an efficient agriculture community.

We are opposed to any efforts to define the production of wind energy as a farming practice under Michigan’s Right-to-Farm Act.

C-15. NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT We acknowledge that it is the responsibility of all livestock producers to follow proper nutrient management guidelines to prevent any contamination of our environment. We strongly encourage producers to follow the Michigan Right to Farm Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) for Manure Management and Utilization and Site Selection.

We endorse the efforts of the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) to help producers assess and reduce environmental risks on farms. We encourage all producers, regardless of farm size, to seek environmental assurance through MAEAP verification in Michigan or similar

programs in other states.

C-18. CAFO REGULATIONS

We encourage all producers to develop a comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) as outlined under the MAEAP for their farming operation. A CNMP addresses manure handling and storage, land application of manure, farm specific conservation practices, feed management, record keeping and other aspects of waste and nutrient management.

We urge the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to not adopt any rules or regulations

C-16. MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSURANCE PROGRAM The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) was developed several years ago as a way for producers to exhibit sound environmental practices on their farms. We encourage the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to keep the integrity of the MAEAP program as an environmental assurance program and to carefully monitor and divert any efforts to evolve the program into one of market access. As one of the founding partners of the MAEAP program we urge the board of directors and management staff to work to ensure the focus of the program remains on environmental assurance and not a marketing tool.

We applaud efforts in 2015 to pass legislation that extended the MAEAP program through 2021, expanded its funding base and broadened the certifications for MAEAP from three years to five years. We strongly support a key component of the legislation that created a tiered recognition program to highlight a farmer’s efforts as they implement environmental practices, but have not yet achieved MAEAP verification.

C-17. METHANE DIGESTERS ON DAIRY FARMS The growing interest for renewable energy in this country has created an increased emphasis on the use of methane digesters on dairy farms. While we acknowledge the role digesters can play on some farms, we are concerned that Dairy Management Incorporated (DMI) and outside interests such as power companies and equipment dealers may present unrealistic expectations of the role digesters can have on dairy farms. These unrealistic expectations are embraced by our customers, which in turn, leads them to expect our farms to use digesters to meet sustainability indicators. We encourage the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to carefully monitor these expectations and more accurately gauge the role digesters can play on dairy farms.

that exceed those established by the EPA. Furthermore, we urge the MMPA Board of Directors and management to closely monitor actions of the EPA, MDEQ and all other agencies in an effort to protect the interests of livestock producers.

C-19. WATER USE We understand that water used in agricultural production is in the public interest and represents an essential and necessary use of water for the production of food and fiber.

We urge the MMPA Board of Directors and management to closely monitor the implementation of any water use legislation or regulation that would create additional water quantity related fees or rules.

Furthermore, we are aware that since 1972, the Clean Water Act has regulated “navigable waters” to improve the quality of the nation’s waters. We oppose any legislative or regulatory efforts to expand the authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) by granting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unlimited regulatory authority over all “intrastate waters,” rather than specifically “navigable” waters. We are deeply concerned that expanding the CWA beyond protecting wetlands and waterways would transform it into a vehicle for regulating virtually every wet area in the nation, including ditches, gutters and possibly even groundwater. Expanded federal jurisdiction would preempt traditional state and local government authority over land and water use decisions and alter the balance of federal and state authority. Dairy farmers are committed to conserving and restoring the nation’s water resources and believe this can be achieved without a dramatic expansion of the CWA.

C-20. AIR QUALITY We understand that data from the National Air Emissions Study has been released and will be utilized by the Environmental Protection Agency to develop emission standards for different types and sizes of feeding operations. Lawsuits driven by environmental groups continue to force the development of regulation and law in the absence of sound science. We strongly urge that any government air quality standards be based on sound science and take into consideration the economic impact in our agricultural industry.

C-21. TAX RELIEF MEASURES We applaud Congress for permanently extending the Section 179 tax credit which allows farms and other small businesses to write off capital purchases immediately, instead of over time.

• the elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax. • that any Michigan tax change be broad based and that business to business transactions be exempt from tax, including sales tax.

• eliminating the estate tax or maintaining the permanent extension of the estate tax exemption for the first $5 million of a person’s estate indexed for inflation. The estate tax exemption assists farm families in passing the farm from one generation to the next.

We oppose: • any effort to increase the state estate tax.

• any new or increased permits or fees imposed by the state, which result in an inequitable burden on the agricultural community.

• any increase in the state income tax rate and any changes to the current property tax system that would adversely affect farmers without a vote of the affected property owners.

• a tax or fee that negatively affects agriculture such as a tax on gross receipts, personal property or assets.

C-22. MICHIGAN DAIRY INDUSTRY RESEARCH FUND We support efforts to explore the development of a Michigan dairy industry checkoff program to address environmental, animal research and animal welfare issues and help fund other applied dairy research programs.

C-23. APPLIED RESEARCH FUNDING In 2007, MMPA delegates initiated an applied research fund in an amount equal to $.01/cwt. on MMPA members’ September milk production. In 2011, delegates approved increasing the amount to $.02/cwt. We fully understand that applied research is important to the advancement of the dairy industry, and traditional research funding sources have become limited. We therefore support the continuation of funding for the applied research fund in the amount equal to $.02/cwt. produced

by MMPA members for the month of September. This fund is to be managed by the MMPA board of directors or delegated committee.

We also encourage MMPA to work with other cooperatives and dairy industry groups to get all milk in the state participating in a similar manner.

C-24. MICHIGAN ALLIANCE FOR ANIMAL AGRICULTURE We support the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M-AAA) and their efforts developing a proposal to establish a state-funded animal ag research program modeled after the successful Project GREEEN that addresses plant-based

We further support: • the reduction of the capital gains tax and urge the U.S. Congress to include this provision in future legislation.

• keeping the stepped up tax basis now in effect on the assets heirs receive from estates.

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research programs. The M-AAA consists of representatives from various animal agriculture stakeholder organizations, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, MSU Extension, MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, MSU Department of Animal Science, MSU AgBio Research and MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The group has developed the Michigan Animal Agriculture Innovation and Workforce Development Initiative, which focuses on ensuring the sustainability of the state’s animal agriculture sector through a targeted annual investment in research, extension and workforce development. We encourage state legislators to support funding of the proposed program.

C-25. IMMIGRATION REFORM

We strongly oppose the use of the label “milk” on products made from plants or juice. The use of “milk” on these types of products confuses the consumer. We urge National Milk Producers Federation, United Dairy Industry Association, and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board to defend and promote the integrity of the milk label and limit its use as defined in the Federal Standards of Identity.

C-28. TERM LIMITS FOR STATE LEGISLATORS In 1992 Michigan voters approved term limits for members of the Michigan House of Representatives, and Michigan Senate.

We recommend that the term limits be changed to six, twoyear terms for the Michigan House of Representatives and three,

We urge Congress to carefully consider immigration reform proposals and the impact they may have on the agriculture and dairy industry.

Due to the importance of immigrant labor to the dairy industry, we believe that any final piece of legislation concerning immigration reform must contain the following components:

four-year terms for the Michigan Senate.

• An affordable and efficient guest worker program that ensures continued availability of immigrant labor for all of agriculture, understanding that dairy farming requires year-round skilled workers.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

• A provision that allows those currently employed, or with recent history in the U.S., to earn the right to work here legally.

• A provision that specifies that responsibility for ultimate verification of the legal status of a worker lies with the government, not with the employer.

C-29. MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MDARD) provides beneficial services to all people in the state of Michigan. MDARD plays a key role in ensuring the safety of our food supply and protects the well-being of the plant and animal industries to make sure our state is a reputable and reliable supplier of products to food processors and international markets.

The continued growth of the agriculture industry has a significant positive effect on the state’s economy. It is important that the funding for MDARD continue at a level that will protect our state’s food supply and protect animal health. Having a properly funded Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural

We support Public Act 51’s distribution formula for allocating state restricted transportation revenue between MDOT and local road agencies. We further support routing additional revenue designated for roads and bridges through the PA 51 formula to ensure proper distribution and prioritization of fund usage. We support adequate funding of local road agencies to assist in the necessary maintenance and construction of rural infrastructure.

C- 33. BEEF PRODUCTION RESEARCH We support efforts to initiate funding for beef production research through the reinstatement of the Michigan Beef Industry Commission Act 291. The MBIC Act 291 of 1972 was suspended in 1986 due to the passage of the 1985 Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Act (National Beef Checkoff). The MBIC Act 291 allows for the collection of funds to support beef production research.

C-34. FEDERAL TRUCK WEIGHT LEGISLATION We support federal truck weight legislation that would allow for an increase to 97,000 pounds on interstates, provided that trucks which utilize the higher weight limit add an additional sixth axle in order to maintain the same stopping distance and weight distribution as trucks currently operating on interstate highways. The legislation will increase transportation efficiencies by reducing the number of trucks needed for interstate shipment therefore decreasing fuel costs and helping to make the U.S. dairy industry more competitive worldwide.

C-26. MILK LABELING REQUIREMENTS

Development will enable the agriculture and dairy industry to

We urge the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural

allow our industry to continue to grow and remain competitive

Development, Indiana Board of Animal Health, Ohio Department

on the national level.

of Agriculture and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade

We further support the continued existence of the MDARD as a

and Consumer Protection to continue to strictly enforce label

distinct Department within state government. We oppose any

claims on packages of all milk and dairy products. We further

attempt to dilute the effectiveness of the MDARD by merging it

urge these agencies to take action to prevent misleading and

with any other government agency or department.

We applaud Congress for passing bipartisan legislation in 2015 that gives states the option to issue permits allowing milk haulers to increase their truck weights beyond Interstate Highway System limits. This will allow milk trucks in some states to carry more product without being forced to offload portions of it at other state borders, reducing transportation costs and creating greater efficiencies.

C-30. REGULATORY FEES

C-35. ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Because the function of state regulatory agencies benefits all

The modern dairy industry is electricity intensive. Consider:

false in-store promotions of milk and dairy products.

C-27. INTEGRITY OF MILK LABELING

continue to play a vital role in our state’s economy and will

citizens, we believe that any costs imposed on dairy farmers by state regulatory agencies should come from a state’s General Fund, understanding that significant funding currently is provided by the industry.

C-31. STATE FUNDING FOR AGRICULTURE We support efforts to discuss state funding opportunities that will help continue to grow Michigan’s agriculture and dairy industry.

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C-32. LOCAL ROAD FUNDING AND MAINTENANCE

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

“…electricity itself accounts for 2 to 5% of a dairy farm’s production costs… which is equivalent to 700-900 kWh per cow or 3.5-4.5 kWh per hundredweight (cwt) of milk produced, annually…”

—Farm Energy Management Handbook, DATCP Whether on the farm or in our production facilities, the dairy industry is wholly dependent on a reliable source of electricity.

Unlike other industries in the state, ours is not concentrated in industrial zones. Our farms are scattered throughout the state, many at the very ends of the electric grid.

Dairy farmers’ demand for electricity is relentless and persists throughout the 24-hour day. Like all industry, Michigan dairy farmers need access to low cost electricity that can give local producers a regionally competitive advantage.

We therefore urge the MPSC, the state Legislature and the Office of the Governor to promote energy policy that favors the lowest cost sources of dispatchable generation with the highest capacity value.

Animal Health and Milk Quality C-36. ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM We applaud Michigan’s efforts to require mandatory cattle identification. The mandatory requirement is important to help Michigan achieve Bovine Tuberculosis (TB)-free status for all Michigan counties while helping to maintain the TB-Free status for the 79 counties and Upper Peninsula that have been designated as Bovine TB-free. We urge strict enforcement of the mandatory cattle identification requirement and strong penalties for those who violate the requirement.

We urge the USDA to implement a mandatory RFID animal identification program. We also urge that the identification database system be maintained under the control of USDA to expedite the traceback of animals. The system should protect farmers’ privacy, while also allowing for immediate access of relevant information by government authorities in the event of an animal disease crisis. We therefore urge that the information in the animal identification database be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Furthermore, we urge slaughter houses to utilize electronic ID readers in conjunction with back tags to identify all animals.

C-37. BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS We commend Michigan dairy and livestock producers, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and its partners for their efforts over the years to restore the Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Free status to seventy-nine Michigan counties. This designation allows for more effective use of limited resources to help eradicate Bovine TB from the state completely. We urge that efforts be undertaken to restore

Michigan’s TB-Free status and reduce bTB to the point of nondetection in both the wild and domesticated animal populations in northern Michigan.

We recognize the stringent management practices many of our members have put in place in order to minimize the transmission of this disease. We believe their efforts, including the adoption of Wildlife Risk Mitigation Plans, helped expedite our TB-Free status in other areas of the state and that Wildlife Risk Mitigation practices should be implemented by all cattle producers in northern Michigan. Furthermore, we encourage farmers in the four county area around DMU-452 to adopt the new Enhanced Wildlife Risk Mitigation Plans to further reduce the chance of disease transference from the wild animal population to the domestic animal population.

We also encourage all landowners in northern Michigan be active in the legal control of the deer population. We strongly urge MDARD to only create, implement, or enforce rules or regulations that are required by USDA’s published rules regarding Bovine TB except for electronic identification (EID) for livestock. We commend our MMPA field staff, management and others that have helped educate producers and others about controlling this disease.

We urge the MDNR to increase their efforts in managing deer and wildlife, to help further eliminate Bovine TB. We urge the MDNR to make disease control permits available to any livestock producer that shows evidence of deer to cattle or deer to feed interaction and to farmers where TB has been detected in the deer herd in the past.

We also believe that the changes necessary to reduce Bovine TB to the point of non-detection in the wild and domestic animal populations must be permanent changes in order to prevent resurgence of the disease.

We encourage USDA to seek additional funding so that eradication goals can be achieved. We also support: • Payment of fair market value for animals that need to be destroyed.

• State funding of all required identification and testing.

• An appeals process as part of the federal indemnity program that includes specifics of what constitutes a valid appeal, defined timeframes for filing and responding to an appeal and opportunity for an onsite appraisal.

• A limit on maximum federal indemnity allowable by animal and by herd, but also a provision that allows the state to provide additional payment to reach the full appraised value of an animal without penalty.

• Increased research toward the control and prevention of Bovine TB.

• Collaborative efforts between state and federal regulatory agencies, educational institutions and agriculture industry organizations in working toward the eradication of Bovine TB. • A voluntary herd buyout plan as a tool of achieving Bovine TB-Free status.

C-38. ANTLER POINT RESTRICTIONS We strongly oppose the use of mandatory antler point restrictions (APR) that would only allow you to shoot anterlered deer if it has the minimum number of points on one side.

We are very concerned with the adverse effects of an APR by allowing deer numbers to increase, which could negatively impact the agriculture industry.

C-39. DOE PERMITS In an effort to control the deer population it is imperative to allow a larger number of doe permits to be issued at a reduced rate, especially in higher population areas of the state. We encourage the DNR to reduce the costs of deer licenses by half of current levels.

C-40. ANIMAL CARE We believe in and support the humane treatment of animals.

We recognize the importance of maintaining a sound animal care program on our farms.

We support the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management developed to bolster consumer trust and confidence in the U.S. dairy industry and demonstrate the industry’s commitment to the highest levels of animal care and quality assurance. The National Dairy FARM program demonstrates the dairy industry’s awareness of the need to communicate its commitment to animal well-being to customers and consumers.

Association Issues C-41. POLITICAL ACTION We reaffirm our belief in the need to actively support the Michigan Milk Political Action Committee (MMPAC) as a legitimate means for organized involvement in areas of government legislation and regulation that affect dairy farmers and agriculture. To ensure that the dairy industry’s needs are addressed in state and national lawmaking and policymaking circles, we strongly recommend a voluntary milk check deduction by each member at the rate of $1 per cow per year.

C-42. MILK DONATION We applaud MMPA’s involvement in milk donation activities over the last year, especially the initiative to donate milk to those families impacted by the Flint water crisis after becoming aware of the critical role that proper nutrition and calcium play

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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in helping to minimize the harmful effects of lead poisoning.

Standing Resolutions

We know milk plays an important role in providing much needed nutrients in our diets and also understand that milk is one of the most requested food bank items.

APPROVED AT MMPA STATE ANNUAL DELEGATE MEETING MARCH 24, 2016

We encourage the MMPA Board of Directors to continue looking for ways to assist local food banks in need.

S-1.

FARMER COOPERATIVES

We believe that the concept of farmer cooperatives and family farms, upon which this nation relies for providing high-quality agricultural products at reasonable prices, is of immeasurable value. We urge the administration to be guided by that fact as it formulates and carries out policies and programs pertaining to farming.

We will continue to strongly resist efforts in private or government sectors to weaken or destroy farmer cooperatives.

We are determined that present tax regulations, which result in a single taxing of farmer cooperatives’ overages allocated to members, must be maintained.

S-2. DAIRY PRODUCT IDENTITY We pledge continued support for the work of the National Milk Producers Federation, United Dairy Industry Association, National Dairy Promotion & Research Board, and other responsible groups that defend and promote the integrity of “Real” dairy products.

S-3. AGRICULTURAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS — DAIRY COMMUNICATORS We commend the corps of the MMPA Dairy Communicators for their efforts to improve the position of dairy farmers. We recognize the growing need for regular communication with legislators, and news media; for local promotion and consumer education activities geared to the milk consuming public. We re-emphasize our continuing belief that all news media must be made aware of, and have access to, up-to-date information regarding our views on a wide range of agriculture-related issues. We encourage the participation of all designated Dairy Communicators and local officers in events that allow communication about dairying and other agricultural issues to the general public.

S-4. ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS We acknowledge the increased importance of marketing services and programs of such dairy farmer cooperatives as MMPA in our complex marketplace. We, therefore, pledge continued support to the activities of the following organizations, allies working to extend the effectiveness of MMPA members and all other dairy farmers: National Milk Producers Federation in representing dairy farmers and their cooperatives in Washington, D.C.; National Council of Farmer Cooperatives in conveying the farmer cooperative story to elected officials and federal agencies.

S-5. MMPA LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL We recognize the importance of programs that help ensure MMPA’s future strength and effectiveness, and we continue our endorsement of programs that identify and build future leadership for this cooperative. We urge young cooperators to attend association meetings, share ideas and concerns, discuss solutions to common problems, and become involved in activities which lead to development of abilities needed to provide sound, foresighted operation of agricultural cooperatives.

S-6. IMAGE ENHANCEMENT We direct the MMPA board of directors to work with leaders of other farm groups to enhance the image that farmers and agriculture project to the general public.

S-7. QUALITY PREMIUM PROGRAM We commend the MMPA board of directors and management for their continuing vigil over the quality of milk produced on our farms. We commend them for developing and implementing the Quality Premium Program, which provides to MMPA members financial incentive to produce superior quality milk. We direct the MMPA board and management to monitor the progress of this important program and to make adjustments, as needed, to ensure its effective continuation.

S-8. MICHIGAN DAIRY MARKET PROGRAM We continue our solid endorsement of the Michigan Dairy Market Program, which funds dairy product promotion and marketbuilding activities of the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) and United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) at a rate of $.10/cwt. through dairy farmer investment.

S-9. EXPANDING MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES We direct MMPA management to continue to aggressively seek new customers for milk-derived products made at the MMPA manufacturing plants. We support MMPA’s expansion of its marketing activities into that segment of the food industry, in addition to the broad range of traditional products. We endorse continuation of that practice, as a way to capitalize upon milk marketing opportunities that enable MMPA to market its members’ milk to their best advantage.

S-10. INVOLVEMENT: THE COMMUNITY OF AGRICULTURE We urge each MMPA member to seek and/or accept the responsibility for involvement in local government. We urge each member to enter into this continuing vigil in the spirit of responsible citizens as his or her livelihood and way of living 32

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

depends on it. We suggest strongly that the areas to be closely monitored — with an eye to potential impact on the agriculture community — include issues related to: livestock management, environmental integrity, equitable taxation, planning commission and zoning ordinance board.

S-11. MICHIGAN BEEF INDUSTRY COMMISSION We support the Michigan Beef Industry Commission and the National Beef Check-off Program of which over 40 percent of the Michigan funds come from dairy beef and veal in Michigan.

Therefore, we support the Michigan Beef Industry Commission in directing dairy farmers’ check-off dollars to promote beef through its consumer education, industry information, and a more aggressive beef promotion program.

S-12. INDUSTRY RELATIONS With the declining number of producers in the agricultural community, it behooves all producers to stand together when confronting agricultural issues. We are encouraged by recent movement to work toward common goals and encourage further cooperation and unity in dealing with future beef and dairy legislation.

S-13. MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE COMMISSION We recognize the value of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development having its operating policy determined by the Michigan Agriculture Commission. We urge the Governor to ensure that animal agriculture interests are adequately represented and to seek input from the agriculture industry when opportunities arise to fill vacancies on the Michigan Agriculture Commission. Recognizing that the dairy industry represents 25 percent of Michigan’s agricultural income, and is a major user of Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development services, we encourage the appointment of an individual directly involved in the dairy industry. Further, we strongly urge that steps be taken to allow the Commission to approve the rules and regulations promulgated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).

S-14. NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION We encourage the Governor to maintain a person with an agricultural background on the Natural Resources Commission.

S-15. SPONSORING OF EVENTS Many times MMPA is asked to sponsor many events such as dinners, special events, etc. We support such sponsorship, however, when MMPA sponsors these events, one stipulation must be made to the group that wants our sponsorship. The group that wants our sponsorship must agree to serve “Real” dairy products at the event.

S-16. RESIDUE PREVENTION QUALITY ASSURANCE/ HAACP PROGRAMS Recognizing the importance of producing a safe, residue-free product, we encourage participation in the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program or a similar HAACP-based program by every MMPA member. These programs enable producers to carefully evaluate their production and management practices to enhance production of residue-free milk and meat.

S-17. PUBLIC NUTRITION PROGRAMS We recognize the importance of public nutrition programs that help maintain the nation’s health and provide stable markets for agricultural commodities. We urge Congress to take the necessary steps to maintain child feeding, school breakfast and lunch programs, and other public nutrition programs that include REAL dairy products. We further urge Congress to ensure these programs are adequately funded, regulated, and administered.

In addition, we urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that adequate funds are made available to states for distribution of dairy products to needy families.

S-18. GREEEN We support the partnership efforts of Michigan State University, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Michigan State University Extension, state government, the state’s commodity groups and food processors and consumers in structuring the GREEEN program (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs). The GREEEN proposal seeks to boost the state’s economy by expanding Michigan’s plantbased agriculture and processing systems through research and educational programs while protecting and preserving the quality of the environment and the safety of our food supply.

S-19. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS We believe that property owners have the constitutional right to be duly compensated for any use by the government that in any way diminishes the property owners use of the property.

Any action taken by the government that lessens an owner's right to use his property constitutes a taking of that owner's property and should be appropriately compensated to the owner.

Compensation should be paid from the budget of the agency responsible for the action and must be of fair market value.

S-20. FOOD SAFETY We acknowledge that the public perception of food safety may have adverse public policy and market-related impacts upon dairy farmers. MMPA and NMPF have taken and will continue to take proactive positions to protect the nation’s milk and dairy beef supply from violative animal drug residues and other potential contaminates.

S-21. FEDERAL ORDERS We strongly endorse the continuation of the Federal Milk Marketing Order system, established by the Agriculture Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. The Federal Order system has a long history and time-tested record of changing individual order rules and

regulations to meet changing market conditions and consumers’ needs. The formal hearing process used to amend Federal Orders has served the industry well. We endorse the use of the recently revised hearing and decision making process.

S-22. NATIONAL DAIRY PROMOTION/ MARKET-BUILDING PROGRAMS We reaffirm our support for market-building programs financed by producer investment. We endorse funding of these programs which include the National Dairy Board (NDB) and United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA), at levels that ensure continued effectiveness.

S-23. TRUCK WEIGHTS We oppose any efforts by the state legislature to reduce Michigan’s gross vehicle weight limits. Lowering truck weights would result in higher energy, environmental and transportation costs, negatively affecting the income of dairy farmers and ultimately impacting the prices consumers pay for dairy products. Studies have shown that individual axle loads and speed are more important than total gross vehicle weight when determining factors that affect road damage.

S-24. MICHIGAN DAIRY EXPO We applaud the efforts of the Michigan State University 4-H program at the Michigan Dairy Expo. The development of this event has revitalized the Dairy 4-H program in Michigan. We support the educational and promotional activities associated with the Michigan Dairy Expo and encourage participation in this event.

Furthermore, we extend our appreciation to the numerous 4-H volunteers and leaders and MMPA members who had the vision to make the Michigan Dairy Expo a reality. Without their continuing commitment to our youth, the programs and activities at Michigan Dairy Expo would not be possible.

S-25. 4-H, FFA AND AGRISCIENCE EDUCATION We reaffirm our belief in the value of youth-directed programs and activities of the Michigan 4-H Clubs, FFA, and Agriscience Education — all of which are vital to the future of America. We recognize that most MMPA members benefited from taking part in these programs and we recommend that each dairy farm family accept the challenge of personal involvement to help perpetuate these valuable programs and activities.

We support the establishment of standards for ethical behavior in exhibiting livestock at fairs and expositions. Furthermore, we support youth livestock ethics education and awareness.

Further, in view of the vital investment that vocational agriscience programs represent in the future well-being of the state’s economy, we urge that these programs be fully funded, on a continuing basis, at levels to ensure their effectiveness and state accreditation. That is particularly important in small rural school districts located in areas that often must compete for funds with

large urban school districts.

S-26. UNITED STATES DAIRY EXPORT COUNCIL We support and encourage further development of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) to increase net exports of U.S. dairy products. With the continued productivity of U.S. dairy farms, we will have an even greater reliance on world markets for our products. We therefore need to continue to effectively work to develop international markets through the USDEC.

S-27. LOW VOLTAGE (BROWN OUTS) We urge all electrical utility companies maintain and improve their delivery systems to ensure that the expensive problem of low voltage (brown outs) ceases to exist.

S-28. CLONED ANIMAL PRODUCTS We are reassured that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review finds no health or safety issues with food from cloned animals. We endorse the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s request that cloning technology providers, and the owners of existing cloned livestock continue to observe the moratorium on the commercial marketing of cloned animal products. This will allow a further review of the economic and trade issues regarding the new technology. We further oppose labeling which would differentiate between milk and meat from cloned and conventionally bred animals.

S-29. STRAY VOLTAGE Stray voltage, sometimes known as neutral to earth voltage, is an electrical problem that can affect livestock operations. Stray voltage can be attributed to a number of potential sources.

We applaud the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for the adoption of stray voltage rules formally known as “Rules and Regulations Governing Animal Contact Current Mitigation.” The rules outline realistic stray voltage standards and the process for investigations when necessary by neutral third parties to resolve disputes between utilities and producers.

By following the steps outlined in the rules, producers have the opportunity to address stray voltage concerns in a consistent, fair and systematic manner.

We also encourage the MPSC to routinely evaluate the rules and procedures of stray voltage standards and the best management practices that coincide with them. We encourage the commission to also review research conducted on the impact stray voltage has on livestock.

We will continue to work with electric suppliers and the Public Service Commission to resolve problems with stray voltage on farms to ensure that problems are resolved in a fair and equitable manner for all involved.

We further encourage and support research on the effects of stray voltage on livestock.

Furthermore, we encourage the MMPA board of directors and management to monitor individual farm situations to determine if the current standards and regulations are still applicable to onfarm situations.

We strongly urge utility companies to fully fund their Agricultural MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

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Service Departments so there are enough personnel to routinely visit dairy farms and identify and solve stray voltage problems.

S-30. APPROVED TECHNOLOGY We urge the MMPA board of directors and management to continue monitoring the existing and potential impact of advances in technologies on our farming operations. We are concerned about the growing scrutiny surrounding approved technology and management practices used in production agriculture. We believe it is the responsibility of the entire agriculture community, including government agencies and universities, to protect our industry by informing consumers of the safety and efficacy of modern farming practices in producing an abundant, safe and affordable food for the consumer. Without proper education we will continue to lose our ability to use FDA approved technologies on our farms due to consumers' lack of understanding of our industry.

S-31. DIAGNOSTIC CENTER FOR POPULATION AND ANIMAL HEALTH The Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health in East Lansing, Mich. plays a critical role in protecting the health and safety of humans and animals throughout our state and nation.

With new and improved technology and increased bio-security including threats of bio-terrorism, we support full funding for the effective operation of the lab.

S-32. LIVESTOCK SEIZURE We understand that in any group of livestock, condition may exist where some animals will appear to be in better health and body condition than others due to weather and other external factors.

We believe that people not familiar with standard livestock animal care do not have the right—because they think the animal is being abused—to confiscate or have confiscated another person’s livestock from the owner’s property without a judicial review and determination, including notification of the owner, prior to the seizure of animals.

Law enforcement agencies (including animal control authorities) should obtain the opinion of two unbiased local livestock professionals and a large animal veterinarian prior to the seizure of a person’s livestock. The accuser should pay for costs associated with the resulting investigation if no abuse is found.

S-33. ANIMAL DISEASES Animal diseases continue to reduce profitability for dairy producers and may impede exports and international market development.

Diseases such as Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, and Johne’s Disease and others can significantly increase costs to dairy producers in terms of decreased milk production, loss of animals, and replacement of animals. In an effort to protect the entire livestock industry in the United States from possible occurrence of animal diseases, we recommend a very aggressive enforcement of regulations to limit all imports of livestock and animal by-products. We encourage the continued and increased financial support of research to determine the causative agent, life cycle and possible control of these diseases.

We urge MSU, MDARD and USDA to provide sufficient funding and

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MESSENGER | MAY 2016

programs for animal health education, disease monitoring, border inspections and disease eradication that protect the United States livestock industry and ensure continued market access.

We further oppose importation of livestock that does not meet import testing requirements as deemed appropriate by the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, have appropriate quarantine protocols in place, and have an animal I.D. system to track the movement of livestock to prevent the possible spread of disease.

S-34. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal brain disease that attacks the nervous systems of deer and elk, causing chronic weight loss that eventually leads to death. It is not known to be contagious to humans, livestock or other animals. We encourage Federal and State agencies to study, monitor, control and eventually eradicate CWD from the nation’s deer and elk population.

S-35. RAW MILK CONSUMPTION We know that according to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control, consumption of raw milk poses a health risk to humans. We therefore support Michigan’s legal requirement that prohibits the sale of unpasteurized (raw) milk to consumers. All milk intended for direct consumption should be pasteurized as a matter of food safety. Since its introduction over a century ago, pasteurization has been recognized around the world as an essential tool for ensuring that milk and dairy products are safe.

S-36. MICHIGAN AG COUNCIL We support the collective efforts of the Michigan Ag Council as a way to bring awareness and education to the role of animal agriculture in Michigan. The collaborative efforts of the Ag Council partners serve as an effective tool in bringing unity among agricultural organizations to promote a positive image for the agriculture industry. The Michigan Ag Council takes an assertive, proactive approach in telling the story of modern agriculture practices and advancements.

S-37. CAPPER-VOLSTEAD PROTECTIONS We strongly support the protections provided by the CapperVolstead Act’s limited antitrust immunity for farmers and their cooperatives. The Capper-Volstead Act gives agricultural producer organizations limited antitrust immunity “in collectively processing, preparing for market, handling and marketing” their products. We urge Congress to support and maintain the protections provided by the Capper-Volstead Act. These protections are as important to farmers and cooperatives today as they were when originally passed in 1922.

S-38. FERAL ANIMALS Many farmers and rural residents are very concerned about

the increasing population of feral hogs and other destructive wild animals. We need to have every tool or means available to help control these animals. We strongly support the state order that went into effect on October 8, 2011 that declares wild hogs an invasive and prohibited species. The state order is essential to protect Michigan’s agriculture industry from the destructive animals.

S-39. STARLING CONTROL MEASURES Starling populations continue to pose a threat to livestock health and production in dairy herds. Their droppings in feed and bedding areas have known negative effects on livestock health. Starlings glean the expensive, high protein components of dairy feed, reducing herd protein intake and adversely affect milk production. Since birds can travel easily from farm to farm, there is also the potential for disease transmission. We approve USDA’s program for starling control and urge the continuation and expansion of the program. We encourage producers to participate in the program.

S-40. REAL SEAL We applaud National Milk Producers Federation for taking over the management of the REAL Seal program. The revitalization of the REAL Seal places a renewed emphasis on highlighting the importance and value of American-made dairy foods. The program will help educate new generations of dairy consumers about the significance of the REAL Seal and promote the good taste, nutritional value and wholesomeness associated with dairy foods and dairy food ingredients made from milk produced in the United States.

S-41. NEW INTERNATIONAL TRADE CROSSING We support the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) project that will construct a second bridge crossing between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. Being able to connect more efficiently to the East Coast through the NITC will help increase the market options available to Michigan’s dairy and agriculture industry.

S-42. JOHNE’S DISEASE We are concerned about the significant animal health problems and economic impact on dairy farms from Johne’s disease.

We encourage the Michigan State University (MSU) Animal Science Department, MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, MSU Extension, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work cooperatively to develop control and prevention guidelines to assist producers in managing Johne’s disease.

We oppose the classification of Johne’s disease as a reportable disease.

In addition, we urge that all imported cattle be tested negative for Johne’s.

C-43. LAND USE POLICIES We support positive land use policies, including urban redevelopment and higher density suburban growth.

C-44. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS CONCERNS We understand there are conflicting arguments within the scientific and political community surrounding the existence and causation of global warming and climate change. There is some belief

YOUR DAIRY PROMOTION AT WORK

Celebrating June Dairy Month, Celebrating YOU!

F

or nearly 80 years, we take time each June to reflect on the contributions dairy farm families provide to our health and communities. From the nutrition in the milk, cheese and yogurt to the jobs provided throughout the community, June is time to reflect on your accomplishments.

At the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM), we work every day to connect consumers, health professionals, students and others to your dairy families, dairy farming practices and the products you produce. June Dairy Month gives us another exciting opportunity to make those connections.

In June, at UDIM we’re planning to promote to consumers and celebrate your families and your products by: • HIGHLIGHTING FARM FAMILIES THROUGH A CAMPAIGN ON ALL OF OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS: “MEET #MIFARMFAMILIES”

We know consumers want to hear directly from and see the farm families who work hard every day, in fact when we post farm pictures or stories on our social channels, they receive a lot of interaction. In June we will introduce families from across the state and take it one step further by asking each family to share a fun fact about them or their family to help consumers see dairy farmers are like them.

• DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY PHOTO AND WANT TO BE FEATURED? Send the photo and a fun fact about your family to jolene@milkmeansmore.org. The fun fact can be anything from meeting your spouse at a local fair, a hidden talent of fire eating or a family member is also an accomplished athlete.

• ASKING OUR INFLUENTIAL BLOGGERS TO INTERVIEW A DAIRY FARMER, WRITE A POST ABOUT THAT FARM AND DEVELOP A RECIPE BASED OFF THEIR CONVERSATION.

These dairy stories and dairy-filled recipes will be shared with the hundreds and thousands of followers of each blogger.

• HOSTING A POST-CONFERENCE FARM TOUR FOR MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SCHOOL NUTRITION

The meeting gathers nutritionfocused professionals, mainly foodservice directors, and also includes community partners, teachers, nutrition educators, and school business managers. We will introduce them to a dairy farm family, show them modern dairy farming practices and talk about how milk gets from the farms to schools.

PROGRAM CONFERENCE.

• SUPPORTING THE MICHIGAN DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL DAIRY FOODS AWARENESS DAY AT THE CAPITOL ON JUNE 15. This

event, hosted by Michigan dairy processors, expands awareness of and knowledge about the state’s dairy processing industry and dairy farming while promoting the health benefits of incorporating three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products into daily diets.

If your farm or family is planning to host or participate in events in June, the Dairy Promotion Grant Program is available to provide funding for Michigan dairy producers, dairy farm employees or dairy cooperative employees to conduct promotional events in support of the dairy industry.

Applications can be found at: www.milkmeansmore.org/dairyproducers/grant-program.

If you apply for and receive a grant, we encourage you to look through the promotional items UDIM has available to pass out at your event, these are listed at: www.milkmeansmore. org/dairy-producers/promotional-materials. The inventory includes activity books and crayons for kids, nutrition information handouts for parents, pens, pencils, posters, banners, etc. we have a dairy item for every event!

As June Dairy Month approaches, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to share why you love being a dairy farmer with your family, friends, and if you’re active on social media, your online followers.

Tell us how YOU are celebrating June Dairy Month!

If you’re hosting an event, participating in a community event or promoting the month on your social channels, we want to see! If you send a quick overview and pictures to Jolene@milkmeansmore.org, you will be entered in a drawing to win Milk Means More apparel to help you promote milk, cheese and yogurt all year!

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

35

MERCHANDISE

New! Floor Repair Product “Repair as soon as weather and temperature allows”, most members have at some time encountered this statement on an inspection sheet either from the state inspector or their MMPA member representative. The weather and temperature may allow floor repairs very soon. Often times when a crack or pitted floor has been repaired you can count on having to do the job again in the near future. Finding a durable cement patch that hardens quickly and that can be applied to damp surfaces can be a real challenge.

We think we may have finally found a product that will last and be relatively easy to use. This product is called “Flowpatch” by Watco Industrial Flooring. Flowpatch is an easy to mix, pourable material for quick repairs to level concrete surfaces. It is fiber reinforced, very strong and hardens quickly. It may be used for both interior and exterior applications. Flowpatch is quite easy to prepare, you simply mix three parts Flowpatch powder with one part water according to the directions. Once a smooth consistency has been produced, you can pour the product into the damaged area. When mixed properly, it will self-level and need minimal troweling. It will set at temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit and can be used for repairs up to 4 inches deep. This is an easy to use product but like all floor patch products does require some surface preparation. The area to be repaired should be clean and free from oil and contaminants. Loose debris should be removed and the surface wire brushed. While the concrete to be repaired can be damp, it should not be wet.

Flowpatch cures rather quickly and can withstand foot traffic after 30 minutes and forklifts after two hours (as long as the temperature is 60 to 70 degrees). This product is available in a 50 pound kit that will cover a five square foot area at one inch thick.

Typical compression strength at 70 degrees Fahrenheit is as follows:

Chemical, Sanitizer and Teat Dip Contact Information These are service personnel only.

Order your Member Merchandise supplies through your hauler.

ECOLAB 24 -Hour Medical Emergency Hotline: 1-800-328-0026 For Service, call the Ecolab Service Message Center 1-800-392-3392 or one of the following service representatives: Ben Johnson 4461 Cambridge Dr. Port Huron, MI 48060 810-824-0636

1 day.................................................................................................................... 2901 psi 7 days................................................................................................................... 5076 psi 28 days................................................................................................................. 6526 psi

Pat Mitchell 7273 N. Rollin Hwy. Addison, MI 49220 517-403-0928

If you have any questions on this product or our other floor patch products, please call the warehouse.

Product

Stock #

Member price

Flowpatch 5522 $158.88

Three Ways to Order your MMPA Merchandise 1. Place order through your milk hauler 2. Call in your order: Duane Farmer, Supervisor........................................................... 989-317-8370 Toll Free..............................................................................................877-367-6455 Orders (Novi).......................................................... 800-572-5824 then dial 2 3. Fax in your order: MMPA Merchandise fax.................................................................989-317-8372

36

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

PREMIUMS MERCHANDISE

MMPA Quality Premium Program

MMPA Member Testing Fees

Somatic Cell Count premiums and deductions (in addition to Federal Order SCC Adjustments computed in the producer pay price) will be paid at the following levels:

Payment for testing will be made through an automatic milk check deduction. All costs are listed per individual sample.

50,000 or below..........+55¢/cwt.

201,000-225,000..........+20¢/cwt.

51,000-75,000.............. +50¢/cwt.

226,000-250,000..........+15¢/cwt.

76,000-100,000.......... +45¢/cwt.

251,000-300,000......... +00¢/cwt.

101,000-125,000..........+40¢/cwt.

301,000-400,000........ - 30¢/cwt.

126,000-150,000..........+35¢/cwt.

401,000-500,000...... -$1.00/cwt.

151,000-175,000........... +30¢/cwt.

501,000-600,000.......-$1.50/cwt.

176,000-200,000........+25¢/cwt.

601,000 and greater.-$2.00/cwt.

Cow Tests: $1 Cow samples may be tested for: Culture for Streptococcus agalactiae, Strep non ag, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative staph, gram negative and/or SCC. Additional testing can be coordinated through your MMPA member representative to include:

A payment of 5¢/cwt. will be added for each of the following, if the count is equal to or below: • 10,000 Raw Bacteria Count • 20,000 Pre-Incubated (PI) Count

Raw bacteria count and components.

There will be a deduction of 10¢/cwt. for: • Greater than 100,000 Raw Bacteria Count A high raw count deduction will be waived if the producer has received the quality premium the previous three months for raw bacteria count.

All costs are listed per individual sample.

To qualify for Raw and PI Bacteria Count premiums there must not be any of the following during the month: • Positive drug residue • Abnormal freeze points • High load count shipment or rejected load shipment • #3 or #4 sediment • Raw Bacteria count over 100,000 The count levels for raw and PI will be determined on one test run per month.

To qualify for MMPA SCC premiums there must be: • No abnormal freeze points during the month To qualify for MMPA volume premiums there must be: • No abnormal freeze points during the month • An average somatic cell count of 750,000 or less

All herd tests must be scheduled with the laboratory through your MMPA member representative.

Additional Tests Available: • Mycoplasma Cultures...........................................................................$13 • Bacteriology Cultures...........................................................................$15 – Includes identification of bacteria and drug susceptibility.

• Bovine Viral Diarrhea - PCR.........................................................................................................$40 - ELISA........................................................................................................$6 • Johne’s Milk Test - PCR.........................................................................................................$40 - ELISA – cows.........................................................................................$6 - ELISA – tank......................................................................................... $10 • Bovine Leukosis Test - ELISA – cows.........................................................................................$6 - ELISA – tank......................................................................................... $10 • Milk Pregnancy ELISA.................................................................... $4.50 Lab test results by mail: $2/month All tests must be scheduled through your MMPA member representative or the laboratory for proper sample submission protocol.

ANTEL-BIO TESTING Loc/Hlr/Producer # _________________________________ Sample Date______________________________ Member name_______________________________________________________________________________ Sample ID__________________________________________________________________________________ BLV ELISA_________ Johne’s ELISA____________ Johne’s PCR____________ Pregnancy_____________

Refer to above for current pricing. The cost of testing is the responsibility of the producer.

This card MUST be filled out completely when sending in samples to be tested by Antel-Bio to avoid potential service charges.

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

37

FREELINERS To place your freeliner ad please call 1-800-572-5824, ext. 202, or fax 248-426-3412, or email your ad to: Muszynski@mimilk.com.

Bulls Registered Holstein Bulls: We now have a nice selection of service age bulls, sired by top AI sires. Green Meadow Farms, Elsie, MI. 989-862-4291 or visit www. greenmeadowfarms.com.

Service age Holstein bulls. Call Steve Alexander, 810-622-8548 evenings or 810-404-8548.

Registered Holstein breeding bulls, all AI sired from top bulls, b&w, red, red carrier and some polled, high production, low SCC herd. Bulls are priced to sell. Ver Hage Holsteins, 269-673-4886 or 269-217-6076, ask for Tim. www.verhageholsteins.com.

Cows & Heifers Milk cows. Herd averaging 89 lbs, 110 SCC, located in Huron Co. 734-776-0285.

Equipment 716 New Holland Forage Wagon, 10 ton Kilbros, running gear, three beater, roof telescopic tongue. All in good condition, $2,000 firm. 989-574-7229.

Weaver 18-ft. crowd gate, $6,000.

Double 7 free standing parallel parlor with air gates. 3-in. Surge low line with receiver. 14 Delaval SST2 automatic takeoff. Sutorbilt oil less 4mp vacuum pump. Navigator pipeline washer. Mueller 51 plate cooler, $10,000. Newer bulk tank model OE 1,500-gal. with a 5-hp.

compressor and tank washer, $10,000.

Delaval 1,000 gal. milk tank with newer agitator, a 5-hp. compressor, 3 years old, $2,500. Bradford White 80 gal. electric hot water tank, $100. AO Smith electric hot water tank, $100. Calf Hutches – Calf Tel hutches, Agra Plastic Calf hutches, Poly Dome Calf hutches, Safeguard Calf hutches, several to pick from. $200 each or best offer. 989-205-0963 or 989-205-0962.

1550 Klaus hay rake. 989-436-3910.

Case IH 5100 Grain Drill with Seeder, very good condition, $2,750. Also, J.D. 924 flex-head with full finger auger, $3,500. 517-231-5098 or 517-231-5099.

1416 Oxbo Hay Merger, 2008, good condition, new main pump in 2015, $25,000. Also available, 1416 Miller Pro Hay Merger, 2000, fair condition $13,500.

Will text or email pictures if interested.

616-836-6587.

2008 New Holland BR7060 Round Baler, 4x5, crop cutter, X-tra sweep pickup, Command Plus monitor, net/ twine, preservative applicator, Trelleborg flotation tires, 5500 bales, needs nothing, excellent condition, always housed. $24,900. 989-305-2659.

Dairy Tech Pasteurizer model DT30G 4 years old, good condition, 30 gallon, $4,500. Mensch side shooter for saw dust or sand 3pt or skid loader mount $1,500. MSU style freestalls 100+or$5.00ea some pipes and clamps.

Call or text Mike, 734 368-7366.

Dairy Equipment 16 Schlueter milker take off boxes, boards, sensors, control box and valve.

Any reasonable offer accepted.

989-574-7229.

Bou-Matic variable speed vacuum pump 7.5 hp, $3000. 10 flo-star claws, $20 each. Plate cooler, $200. 3” low line with receiver and milk pump, $600. Free heater, $200. Houle 3” 12 ft. electric pump for milk house waste water $800. Bradford White 75 gal commercial LP Gas water heater, $600.

Call 517-331-4475.

Delaval plate cooler model MP3DE-81 SS stainless steel, 81 plates, $2,100.

Call 231-920-8025.

Universal Bulk Tank 2,000 gal.

231-826-3641.

1,000 gal. Mueller bulk tank complete, excellent condition. Call 574-370-2667.

Double four herringbone surge milking parlor. All the stalls, rail. Complete 2" stainless milk and wash lines, pvc vacuum system including balance tank, receiver jar, milk pump, claws and lines, pulsators and control, pipeline wash system. Two vacuum pumps, one oilless 10hp, one 5hp oil bath. 10 hp new in last 4 years. Everything complete and still using today. Includes everything but the tank and sink. $15,000. 517-420-0414.

Misc.

Dairy Farm, Cheboygan, Michigan.

367+ acres, set up for dairy with double 14 parallel parlor, 2000 gal. bulk tank, 400+ freestall barn, many other out buildings. Could also be a place to raise heifers, beef, crops, etc. Can be a turnkey operation that would include farm, equipment, cows, package deal just set up. Or will sell farm, equipment, cattle separately. 7 bedroom brick home, on one floor. 600 acres of rental land available. Call for new prices & packet on farm. 517-202-9421 Cheboygan, Mich.

5 Calftel Calf Hutches. 10 Vic fiberglass hutches. Several of other brands.

989-871-2915.

Haylage, Corn Silage, Snaplage, and Dry Cow Round Bales. Delivery Available. 231-250-8592.

STRAW: Large square 3x4x8 roto cut bales. Pick up or delivery available.

989-640-3607.

Wanted Registered Holsteins.

Call Brent at 989-551-0681.

Used freestall mats and used head locks for feeding area. Harley Schrock 260-463-3275 ext. 3.

38

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

Large photos (l to r): Kings-Ransom Bob Rasher-ET (VG-86), Kings-Ransom Farm LLC, Schuylerville, NY, Fisher and PR Rials News 2804, Rials Farm, Kokomo, MS, Robinson. Small photos (l to r): Dairyman Phonze 2053 (VG-84), Hoards Dairyman Farm, Fort Atkinson, WI; Hilltop Acres Bose Dixiland ET “VG88 EX90MS”, Dennis Mashek, Calmar, IA and Cedarcut Burdette Clove Colata (EX-90), grand champion, WDE, 2015, Erin CurtisSzalach, Cazenovia, NY.

GJPI™ Total Performance Leaders GTPI +214 • 7JE1184 NEWS JH1F JH2F • 7HO11351 SUPERSIRE +2697 • 7JE1149 DIMENSION JH1F JH2F +195 • 7HO11585 STERLING +2584 +154 • 7JE1221 PHAROAH JH1F JH2F 7HO11752 BOB New +2557 • 7JE1219 OLIVER-P JH1F JH2F New +147 • 7HO11419 HEADLINER +2552 • 7HO11314 MOGUL +2523 • 7HO11383 MORGAN +2516 • 7HO11839 MONOCEROTIS New +2515 • 7HO11621 MAYFLOWER New +2513 When you are looking for the best genetics to add to your breeding program look no further than Select Sires. Leading sires for total performance indexes in every color call Select Sires home. Place your order today!

• 7BS852 BOSEPHUS BH2 • 7BS854 BUSH

GPPR +154 +113

• 7AY84 BURDETTE • 7AY90 LOCHINVAR

GPTI +486 +477

• 7GU447 PHONZE • 7GU398 ALSTAR

GPTI +86 +85

®

04/16 CDCB Genomic Evaluation. •Eligible for semen export to Canada. ® TPI is a registered trademark of Holstein Association USA. ™JPI is a trademark of AJCA.

CLASSIFIED ADS

Cost for classifieds is $20 per ad, up to six lines. All ads must be received by the 10th of the month before the month of desired publication. Send check or money order for $20 for up to 6 lines with your order. MMPA neither sponsors nor endorses products or services advertised in the Messenger. You may submit your ads by: MAIL:

Classified Ads | Michigan Milk Messenger

P.O. BOX 8002, Novi, MI 48376-8002

EMAIL: Muszynski@mimilk.com FAX: 248-426-3412

OPPERMAN GROOVING: We can fix your scabbled floors. Diamond sawed grooves, no hammering or cracking of concrete. No hoof damage. Call Opperman Grooving Inc., Portland.

517-647-7381.

DAVIDSON CEMENT GROOVING, INC: NO water needed. Wider, rougher grooves for better traction. We also offer texturing for your previously grooved floors. 3 operators will travel Michigan and other states. No interest payment terms. Est. since 1987. Call 1-800-365-3361.

CONCRETE GROOVING BY TRISTATE SCABBLING, home of the 2” wide groove. Best traction, lowest prices. (800) 554-2288. www. tristatescabbling.com A SURE WAY TO KEEP YOUR COWS UPRIGHT! Concrete grooving/ texturing provides high quality traction in new & old concrete, fast service. Call for your below pricing 989-635-1494.

BLUE RIBBON HOOF TRIMMING, LLC. FOR SALE: 5000-4000-3000-25002000-1500 OH MUELLER LATE MODEL BULK TANK MILK TANKS, complete, will trade. 1-800-558-0112.

WANTED TO BUY: USED BULK MILK TANKS, 200 gallons & larger, Sunset & Mueller, 1-800-558-0112.

DRY HAY & STRAW (large & small bales) & BARLEY FOR FEED. 989-723-1886 or 989-277-1414.

FARMERS: INCREASE YIELDS 7 PROFIT by using the 1# crop production system. Distributors needed. 260-768-8137 ext. 1 ALFALFA/TIMOTHY/BROME MIX HAY AVAILABLE. Newer seedings, quality net wrapped 4x5 round bales. Stored inside immediately after baling, very nice hay! Big Rapids, 231-598-4871.

40

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

ROUNDUP READY II, LIBERTY LINK, AND MCIA 2323 SOYBEAN SEEDS. 989-723-1886 or 989-277-1414.

1992 D 1000 NEW HOLLAND SQ. BALER. 2x3x8 large square bale. Nice condition! $18,900. 517-543-4770.

2008 NEW HOLLAND L160 SKID STEER. Foot controls, hyd. Detach, low hours, $18,000. 517-543-4770.

2014 NEW HOLLAND RB 450 ROUND BALER. Net & twine, wide pick up.

Very nice! $29,500. 517-543-4770.

2012 NEW HOLLAND H 7540 13-FT. DISCBINE. Low acres! Very nice condition! $22,000. 517-543-4770.

Concrete Grooving and Texturing

PTO and Automatic Start Generators

Call: Jeff Brisky - Owner Toll Free: 1-800-294-1202

1-800-248-8070 M-40 South Hamilton, MI 49419

Cell: 1-716-353-1137

www.hamiltondist.com

REGISTERED HOLSTEIN BULLS OVER 100 SERVICE AGE BULLS FOR YOUR SELECTION! A special herd sire or a truck load of breeder bulls.

Ready to go to work on your farm!

• Sired by the top sires from the U.S. and Canada • From our top production cows

GREEN MEADOW FARMS 6400 Hollister Road, Elsie, MI 48831 Phone: 989-862-4291

www.greenmeadowfarms.com

POLICIES MERCHANDISE

MMPA Policy on Drug Residue in Milk MILK ON FARM – DRUG RESIDUE SUSPECTED

MILK SHIPPED — POSITIVE DRUGS CONFIRMED

If a member suspects milk in the farm bulk tank contains drug residue:

If a member ships milk from the farm and testing by approved laboratory methods show that the milk contained drug residue, the member will be assessed the penalties imposed by the state regulatory agency and be disqualified for raw and PI bacteria count premiums.

1. Call a MMPA member representative to have the milk in the tank tested. A “hold” must be placed on the tank contents until the test results are known.

OR 2. The member can test the milk on the farm. If dumped, the member must be sure to take the stick reading, record the number of pounds of milk and report the information to their member representative.

• If the tank tests negative (no drugs present), the milk may be released and shipped.

• If the tank tests positive (drugs present), the member representative will authorize the member to dump the tank of milk. The member will be paid 75% of the value of the tank of milk involved.* • If for any reason MMPA personnel must pick up samples at the farm for testing three or more times within 12 consecutive months, the member involved will be charged $25 per trip.

If a loss is incurred by MMPA due to the disposal and/or non-marketability of a load of milk or milk products containing drug residue, then the member responsible will be provided an invoice for the entire value of the loss plus transportation and disposal costs as required by the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.

This invoice may be submitted to the member’s insurance carrier.

MMPA must receive settlement on the invoice within 90 days of issuance. If settlement is not made within 90 days, the full amount of the invoice will be deducted from the next milk check unless other settlement arrangements are made.

Milk from that member’s farm tank must be tested and found clear of drugs before the next tank of milk can be picked up.

A hauler whose entire load sample shows the presence of drugs will be charged the amount of an average shipment on that load if the individual member samples all show negative.

ALL POSITIVE DRUG RESIDUE SHIPMENTS MUST BE REPORTED TO THE ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

MMPA Milk Quality Policy QUALITY QUESTIONABLE When a member suspects that the milk in the farm bulk tank is of poor quality they should call a MMPA member representative who will authorize milk in the tank to be dumped. If the member dumps the milk on their own, they must be sure to take the stick reading and record the number of pounds of milk, and report the information to the member representative.

If the milk is dumped, the member will be paid 75% of the value of the tank of milk involved.* In order to receive payment for an added water voluntary dump, the member must install a Swingline Safety Switch. The Swingline Safety Switch can be ordered from the Mt. Pleasant warehouse. The MMPA member representative will verify the switch has been installed.

Reimbursement for the Swingline Safety Switch and the voluntary dump will then be made to the member.

The member assumes all liability for losses incurred as a result of shipping poor quality or contaminated milk.

MILK SHIPPED – HIGH BACTERIA COUNT

If… 1. a load of milk is received (unloaded) at a dairy processing plant and, 2. a sample from the load has a bacteria count of 300,000 or more and, 3. testing of the individual member samples on that load identifies the member or members having a bacteria count of 300,000 or more, then the member or members involved will be charged the value of one-half of one day’s production** and will be disqualified for raw and PI bacteria count premiums. * The member will only be paid for two (2) voluntary dumps in a rolling 12 month period. ** For members using more than one bulk tank, the assessment will be based on the value of milk in the tank or tanks in violation of the MMPA quality policy.

REJECTED LOAD SHIPMENT

If… 1. a load of milk is rejected (not unloaded) at a dairy processing plant and, 2. the milk cannot be sold through normal Grade A channels for reasons of quality which results in the load being sold or disposed of at a loss to MMPA, and, 3. testing of the individual member samples on that load identifies the member or members that caused the contamination or rejection of the load, then, the member or members responsible will be charged the full value of the loss to MMPA plus transportation and disposal costs, and be disqualified for raw and PI bacteria count premiums except for loads rejected for temperature.

4. MMPA will provide an invoice to the member for the amount of the loss, to be submitted to the member’s insurance carrier. MMPA must receive settlement on the invoice within 90 days of issuance. If settlement is not made within 90 days, the full amount of the invoice will be deducted from the next milk check unless other settlement arrangements are made.

If a member has three or more occurances within 12 consecutive months, that member must appear before the MMPA board of directors to review steps taken on the farm to correct the quality problem which will enable MMPA to continue to market the milk for this member.

HAULER A hauler whose entire load sample exceeds 300,000 cells per mL bacteria count will be charged the amount of an average shipment on that load if the individual member samples all are less than 100,000. A hauler will be responsible for all costs incurred by MMPA for loads rejected for temperature.

Charges and assessments made under this program will be withheld from milk checks of members or haulers involved.

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

41

MARKET REPORT

Statistical Summary | FOR MILK MARKETED IN MARCH 2016 Market Statistics - Mideast Federal Order #33 (pounds)

%

This Month Year Ago Change

National Trends* (million pounds)

2016

2015 % Change

Total Class 1 Sales

543,210,306

528,668,966

+2.75

Production

Total Class 2 Sales

366,496,436

337,262,774

+8.67

California

3,610

3,700

-2.4

Total Class 3 Sales

567,502,046

409,023,670

+38.75

Wisconsin

2,560

2,431

+5.3

Total Class 4 Sales

288,844,717

284,698,293

+1.46

1,766,053,505

1,559,653,703

+13.23

New York

1,240

1,175

+5.5

Idaho

1,215

1,186

+2.4

Pennsylvania

954

938

+1.7

Michigan

924

858

+7.7

Texas

911

893

+2.0

Minnesota

833

810

+2.8

New Mexico

666

686

-2.9

Washington

572

569

+0.5

Ohio

471

468

+0.6

Indiana

358

343

+4.4

Total Production Class 1 Utilization

30.8%

33.9%

Mideast Federal Order #33 Total Producers................................................................................................ 5,343 Avg. Daily Production per farm............................................................... 10,662 Avg. Protein Test...............................................................................................3.11% Avg. Butterfat Test.........................................................................................3.77% Avg. Oth Solids Test.......................................................................................5.76% Avg. SCC - MMPA....................................................................................... 158,000

Component Pricing Information Mideast Federal Order #33

Total U.S.

17,220 16,918

+1.8

Butterfat Price /lb......................................................................................$2.2028

U.S Y-T-D

49,625 48,586

+2.1

Other Solids Price /lb............................................................................... $0.0501

* For 23 States

Protein Price /lb...........................................................................................$1.9206

Class III Price @ 3.5%....................................................................................$13.74 Prod. Price Diff /cwt. - Mich Mkt.............................................................. $0.03 Uniform Price @ 3.5%...................................................................................$13.77 SCC Adjustment /cwt /1000............................................................. $0.00076

AMS Survey Prices Product

Monthly Avg

Cheese /lb..........................................................................................................1.5162 Butter /lb.......................................................................................................... 1.9905 Nonfat Dry Milk /lb.......................................................................................0.7522 Dry Whey /lb................................................................................................0.2477

42

MESSENGER | MAY 2016

MMPA STAFF MERCHANDISE

MMPA Field Staff*

Novi Headquarters

Northwest Area Supervisor Ben Chapin, Blanchard.............................................................. 989-289-0731

Main Office Local line.................................................................................. 248-474-6672 Toll free.....................................................................................800-572-5824

Energy Auditor Frank Brazeau, Oconto, WI....................................................906-250-0337

General Manager Joe Diglio............................................................................................. ext. 200

Lyndsay Earl, Ludington.............................................................231-519-2455 Deb Gingrich, Leroy...................................................................248-520-3580 Sarah Michalek, Portland.........................................................248-305-0537 Dirk Okkema, Blanchard........................................................ 248-756-2062

Chief Financial Officer Josep Barenys.................................................................................... ext. 240 Member and Government Relations Sheila Burkhardt.................................................................................ext. 208

Northeast Area

Quality Amandeep Dhillon.............................................................................ext. 305

Supervisor & Mastitis Management Specialist Christy Dinsmoore, Fairgrove................................................. 248-513-7920

Manufactured Product Sales Jim Dodson.......................................................................................... ext. 229

Animal Care Coordinator, Energy Auditor Lindsay Green, East Lansing................................................... 989-488-8159

Laboratory Supervisor Patti Huttula.......................................................................................... ext. 219

Animal Care Coordinator Drew Rupprecht, Clio................................................................ 269-986-6793

Member Services Dean Letter.............................................................................. 989-289-9251

Ben Butcher, Durand...................................................................248-514-5273

Milk Sales/Dispatch Carl Rasch.............................................................................................ext. 244

Ashley Herriman, Alpena......................................................... 269-245-6632 Bridget Moore, Sears................................................................... 231-414-4539

Credit/Insurance Cheryl Schmandt.................................................................................ext. 210

South Area

Data Processing Gregory Schulkey.............................................................................. ext. 237

Supervisor & Energy Auditor Ed Zuchnik, Three Rivers...........................................................269-967-7351 Krista Beeker, Topeka, IN........................................................ 269-986-6792 Dave Brady, Grass Lake................... 517-522-5965 or (c) 517-937-9061 Elyse Martin, Charlotte............................................................... 810-701-6460 Joe Packard, Kalamazoo.......................................................... 248-520-3481 Emily Smith, Bronson................................................................ 269-535-0822

Other Services Bulk Tank Calibration Gary Best, Lapeer........................... 810-664-4984 or (c) 586-484-9279

Communications Allison Stuby........................................................................................ext. 296 Human Resources Cindy Tilden.........................................................................................ext. 220 Member Relations Jessica Welch......................................................................................ext. 303

Manufacturing Plants

Mastitis Management Specialist Steve Lehman, Ithaca...................... 989-875-3441 or (c) 989-330-1638

Constantine Dave Davis, Plant Manager................................................ 269-435-2835

Sustainability Coordinator Lynn Nagengast.......................................................................... 248-444-6775

Ovid Colt Johnson, Plant Manager...........................................989-834-2221

Merchandise Coordinator, Energy Auditor Katie Pierson, Coleman............................................................989-289-9686

MMPA Labs Novi (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

In Michigan............................................................................... 800-572-5824 Toll Free..................................................................................... 800-233-2405 Ovid (Daily, 6 a.m.-10 p.m.)..................................................989-834-2515 Constantine (Daily, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.)...................................800-391-7560

Merchandise - Mt. Pleasant Supervisor: Duane Farmer Main Line.......................................................................................... 989-317-8370 Toll Free ...........................................................................................877-367-6455

*If you are unable to

reach your assigned member representative, please contact the representatives listed in your area.

Orders (Novi)........................................................ 800-572-5824, then dial 2 Fax.......................................................................................................989-317-8372

MAY 2016 | MESSENGER

43

D E D EXPAN

R BOPM S N O I T

T U P T U O R E H HIG E C I F I R C A S O N

IMPROVED DIGESTIBILITY

INTEGRATED REFUGE OPTIONS

Pioneer.com/BMR The minor component of the Pioneer ® brand Optimum® AcreMax® blend product is not a Brown MidRib corn hybrid.

PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. ® TM SM , , Trademarks and service marks of DuPont, Pioneer or their respective owners. © 2016 PHII. DUPPFO15026_VA_050216_MMM

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