Michigan Milk Messenger: February 2014

Messenger Michigan Milk

The official publication of Michigan Milk Producers Association

www.mimilk.com Vol. 96 Issue 8 February 2014

Michigan Milk Producers Association

Inside

2013 MMPA Annual Report • VernDale Products

contents Michigan Milk Messenger EDITOR’S LETTER

4 6

MMPA Matters

8

News & Views

MMPA’s Advocacy Role

Quality Watch

Keeping Nutrients Where They Are Needed

MMPA Members Capture Three Platinum National Milk Quality Awards

FEATURES

16

13 MMPA Proposed 14 Bylaw Changes Fulfilling the 16 Co-op Promise:

MMPA YC Conference

8

MMPA Bulk Milk Sales Department

Messenger

February 2014

18

2

2014 MMPA District Meeting Schedule

12

Managing Editor............................. Sheila Burkhardt Editors.............. Laura Moser, Alex Schnabelrauch Advertising Manager..................Nancy Muszynski Circulation.................................................................... 4,200 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.

41310 Bridge St. Telephone: 248-474-6672 P.O. Box 8002 FAX: 248-474-0924 Novi, MI 48376-8002 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.

(ISSN 0026-2315)

Milker Training 19 School Registration

20

Made in Detroit Customer Spotlight: VernDale Products

Dairy Promotion 22 Grants Help Producers

20 Departments 24 Merchandise 25 Quality Premiums 26 Freeliners 28 Classifieds 29 Policies 30 Market Report 31 Staff

Cover Story Be sure to check out the 2013 MMPA Annual Report inserted in this issue. MMPA memberowners can take pride knowing their cooperative is fiscally strong and well-positioned for the future.

Continue to Connect with Community

Michigan Milk Producers Association 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.

District Directors 1. Hank Choate, Cement City 2. Tim Hood, Paw Paw 4. Dan Javor, Hastings 5. Brent Wilson, Carson City 6. Brad Ritter, Byron 7. James Reid, Jeddo 8. Leonard Brown, Sandusky 10. Eric Frahm, Frankenmuth 11. Bob Kran, Free Soil 12. John Kronemeyer, Pickford

517-529-9032 269-657-5771 269-948-8345 989-584-3481 810-266-4091 810-327-6830 810-648-4505 989-652-3552 231-464-5889 906-647-7638

For listing of other MMPA leaders visit mimilk.com

February 2014

Officers: President: Ken Nobis Vice President: Bob Kran Treasurer: Mark Halbert General Manager/Secretary: Clay Galarneau Assistant Treasurer: Joe Diglio General Counsel: Todd Hoppe

Directors-At-Large Ken Nobis, St. Johns 989-224-6170

or 248-474-6672, ext. 201 Rodney Daniels, Whittemore 989-756-4935 Mark Halbert, Battle Creek 269-964-0511

Messenger

Board of Directors

3

MMPA Matters Ken Nobis

by

President

MMPA’s Advocacy Role I was recently asked the question, “As president of MMPA, is your role to oversee operations, or is it to act as an advocate for dairy?” My answer was that because MMPA is a cooperative, its board of directors takes responsibility for both.

The board doesn’t involve itself in everyday operations, but board members do bear the responsibility of monitoring the effectiveness of MMPA staff as operations are carried out. This is a very important role, and nobody on our board takes it lightly. Nor does anyone take lightly the other half of the question: advocacy.

Messenger

February 2014

I had never really thought of myself as an advocate for the dairy industry. However, by definition “advocacy” refers to speaking on behalf of another. That means MMPA and other co-ops are major players in the world of advocacy, with board members and officers leading the way.

4

When MMPA was formed in 1916, the major focus was to obtain a fair price in the marketplace.

Individual dairy farmers were at a huge disadvantage compared to processors who held all the cards, so producers united to create an organized force. That concept is still effective today, even though our industry has seen considerable concentration over

the years. Because concentration has occurred in both production and processing, the need for active dairy co-ops to advocate for a fair price is as important today as it was in 1916.

What has changed is the scope of our advocacy. Where initially we were focused solely on price, over time that scope has expanded to include environmental regulations, environmental sustainability, political issues and dairy promotion, just to name a few. Each one can have a major impact on our profitability and on how we manage our farms.

The 2010 U.S. census reported a total population of 313 million with 2 percent claiming to live on farms, but less than 1 percent stating farming as their occupation. Dairy farmers represent a small segment of the 1 percent. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates going back to 1910, the U.S. farm population peaked in 1916 at 32.5 million, which represented 32 percent of the total population of 101.6 million.

With one-third of our nation’s population still on farms in 1916 at the peak, the other two-thirds weren’t as far removed from the farm as they are today.

The change in population demographics is one factor that has made it necessary for MMPA to increase its role educating regulators, legislators, educators, allied industries and the general population. We are meeting the challenge in many different ways today. For example, on the

political front we work as a part of Agricultural Leaders of Michigan (ALM) with other commodity groups to provide seminars for our U.S. Congressional representatives about the status of our industries.

Transportation, crop chemical, fertilizer, seed genetics and others are also included to make the case for the total impact agriculture has on the economy.

MMPA is a regular participant in monthly Lansing Agricultural Club breakfast meetings. These meetings provide the opportunity for many varied components of the agricultural sector to interact, not only with each other, but also with legislators and regulators.

Meeting on a regular basis gives participants an opportunity to become friends and learn more about the role they each play in the overall scheme of food production.

I have heard (and have said myself ) many times “so-andso” just doesn’t understand our industry. This happens partly because we have not always done our part to disseminate the information that would clarify our position. We can’t depend on anyone but ourselves to advocate for our industry. MMPA is constantly looking for innovative ways to carry out this obligation.

Especially in today’s complex world, advocacy plays a major part in our effort to “market our members’ milk to the greatest advantage possible” in fulfillment of MMPA’s mission.

2014 MMPA State Annual Delegate Meeting

The annual delegate meeting of the Michigan

Milk Producers Association (MMPA) will begin at

10 a.m. on Thursday, March 20 at the:

The Lansing Center 333 E. Michigan Avenue Lansing, Michigan.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Business will be conducted only by accredited delegates, but all members are welcome to attend. The agenda will include consideration of policy statements, resolutions and the election of one director-at-large position on the MMPA board of directors.

If the Lansing Center parking area is full, the North Grand ramp located next to the Radisson Hotel has a walkway to the Lansing Center.

THE

POWER of ownership

QUALITY Watch Dean Letter

by

Director, Member Services

Keeping Nutrients Where They Are Needed As stewards of the land on which they live, farmers have a plan for utilizing the nutrients in the manure produced on their farms. It is part of the natural recycling process that has been taking place for hundreds of years. As the cost of commercial fertilizers increases, animal manure’s value to grow crops and improve soil health continues to become apparent.

Messenger

February 2014

Managing this nutrient resource can be especially difficult this time of year. One of the challenges with manure application on frozen or snow-covered fields is keeping the nutrients where they are needed.

For this reason, spreading manure under these conditions is only allowed if specific practices on appropriate fields are followed, but it is discouraged.

6

The Right-to-Farm Manure Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) are Michigan’s guidelines for manure application. In regards to application on frozen or snowcovered ground, the GAAMPs state: “Application of manure to frozen or snow-covered soils should be avoided, but where necessary, (a) solid manures should only be

applied to areas where slopes are 6 percent or less and (b) liquid manures should only be applied to soils where slopes are 3 percent or less. In either situation, provisions must be made to control runoff and erosion with soil and water conservation practices, such as vegetative buffer strips between surface waters and soils where manure is applied.”

While “winter” spreading should be avoided, provisions are made for farms without sufficient manure storage to make it to spring. The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) recommends evaluating fields for manure application suitability using the Manure Application Risk Index (MARI). There are several key field characteristics and manure application practices MARI considers when determining a field’s suitability for winter spreading.

Soil Hydrologic Group: These soil groups are based on estimates of runoff potential. Soils are assigned to one of four groups according to the rate of water infiltration when the soils are not protected by vegetation, are thoroughly wet and receive precipitation from longduration storms.

Group A soils typically have a higher infiltration rate or low runoff potential. With each successive soil group, the amount of coarse texture aggregates decrease as fine texture aggregates increase. As the level of fine texture aggregates increases, the runoff potential also

increases. Therefore, Group D soils, consisting of clays, high water table (regardless of aggregate size) or a claypan near the soil surface, have the highest runoff potential.

Group A soils are most favorable for “winter” spreading while Group D soils present the highest risk for manure runoff. Some fields may fall into dual hydrologic groups because of the varying condition across the field. A field’s soil hydrologic group may be found in each county’s USDA-NRCS soil survey or online on the NRCS Web Soil Survey at: http://websoilsurvey. nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm Soil Management Group: These groups refer to soil structure, slope, drainage and other characteristics that lend to different management requirements. Soil management groups that allow for greater waterholding capacity with lower risk of erosion and runoff potential are better candidates for “winter” spread.

Percent Slope: Naturally, nutrients applied to land with less slope are more likely to remain in place than nutrients applied to land having greater slope. Very low risk fields have slopes less than 2 percent while high risk fields have slopes that exceed 6 percent. This field characteristic is a limiting factor to “winter” application according to Right-to-Farm GAAMPs. The percent slope can be measured in the field or referenced from the county’s soil survey or USDA’s Web Soil Survey.

Continued on page 11

MASTICARE WITH LSA TECHNOLOGY KILLS VIRTUALLY ON CONTACT AND KEEPS WORKING, MAKING IT BOTH AN EXCELLENT PRE- AND POST-DIP SOLUTION. LSA technology also gives you more powerful broad spectrum protection. It kills mastitis-causing pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Even when exposed to high levels of organic contaminants, which can lower the effectiveness of other traditional non-iodine dips, MASTICARE stays as effective as iodine. It’s gentle too. You’ll see less irritation and smoother softer teats, in all kinds of weather. That means better teat sanitation, lower somatic cell counts and improved milkability throughout your herd.

www.AandL-Labs.com www.AandL-Labs.com • 800-225-3832 1001 Glenwood Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55405

NEWS & Views

2013 Class IV Sets New Record The 2013 Class IV price averaged $19.05, beating out the previous record-high set in 2011 by 1¢. The 2013 Class III price averaged 55¢ more than 2012’s average, settling at $17.99. This was 38¢ lower than the record-high of $19.37, also set in 2011.

The December 2013 Class III price was $18.95, up 12¢ from November and the Class IV price rested at $21.54, up $1.02 from the previous month – the highest Class IV milk price since September 2007.

MMPA Members Capture Three Platinum National Milk Quality Awards

Messenger

February 2014

Three of the six producers recently announced as National Dairy Quality Award Program platinum winners belong to the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA).

In total, 16 MMPA members are among only 53 producers across the country receiving recognition through this program. Of those 16 members, three are platinum winners, six are gold winners and seven are silver winners.

8

“Our members take pride in producing high-quality, wholesome milk,” says Clay Galarneau, MMPA general manager.

“Such a strong showing with 16 national quality awards clearly demonstrates that MMPA members are dedicated to excellence and produce some of the highest quality milk in the country.

We couldn’t be more proud of our members’ tireless commitment to quality.”

The MMPA members receiving awards are: Platinum Winners: Donald Beattie, Holton, Mich.; Gordon Dick, McBain, Mich.; and Duane and Janet Molhoek, Falmouth, Mich.

Gold Winners: Kevin Cavanaugh, Leslie, Mich.; Brad and Deborah Kartes, West Branch, Mich.; Charles and Julie Nelkie, West Branch, Mich.; Andrew, Michele and Steven Nienhuis, Zeeland, Mich.; Timothy and Sandy Ver Hage, Allegan, Mich.; and Brent Wilson, Carson City, Mich.

Silver Winners: Michael Bosscher, McBain, Mich.; Mark Diemer, McBain, Mich.; Norman, Steve and Phil Gross, Weidman, Mich.; Robert and Mark Rau, West Branch, Mich.; Robert Troy, Ossineke, Mich.; David Vander Zanden, Casnovia, Mich.; and Anthony and Mary Weber, Dorr, Mich.

MMPA offers a portfolio of member services to help members produce the highest quality milk possible.

Christy Dinsmoore, MMPA mastitis management specialist, explains, “From nationally recognized Milker Training Schools to onfarm equipment evaluation and individual mastitis management programs, MMPA works closely with members to achieve high quality milk.”

Dick Haven Farm, McBain, Mich. Pictured: Front row (l-r) Allison Dorman, Jennifer Purgil, Lynnae Dick, Rachel Dick and Susan Dick. Back row (l-r) Desiree Williams, Carl Fisher, Mark Dick, Dale Dick, David Dick and Gordon Dick.

MMPA also offers a quality premium incentive for its members producing higher quality milk. This past year, MMPA paid $15.9 million in quality premiums to its dairy farmer members.

The National Dairy Quality Award Winners were selected from over 200 applicants. The winning operations stood out for having produced high-quality milk consistently. Applications were evaluated for measures of quality, systems of monitoring udder health, milking routine, protocols for detection and treatment of clinical and subclinical cases of mastitis and strategies for overall herd health and welfare.

End Road Farm, Falmouth, Mich. Pictured front row (l-r): Kevin Molhoek and Olegario Mendez-Bazan. Back row (l-r): Jorge Gonzalez, Duane and Janet Molhoek, German Rubio-Lora and David Mendoza.

Beattie Farms, Holton, Mich. Pictured (l-r) Amanda Dueling, Jennifer Saxton and Don Beattie.

Photos courtesy of Hoard’s Dairyman

NEWS & Views

Scott and Ali Ferry Named National Outstanding Young Farmers Finalists Scott and Ali Ferry, MMPA members from Litchfield and past OYDC runners-up, were recently announced as finalists for the National Outstanding Young Farmers (NOYF) Award sponsored by John Deere. One of 10 nationwide finalists, the Ferrys will travel to Rapid City, S.D. later this month for the NOYF Awards Congress where four national winners will be selected.

4 Resolutions Committee

- Novi 6-8

March 19

State Resolutions Committee Meeting - Lansing

20

MMPA State Annual Delegate Meeting - Lansing

MMPA Advisory Committee Bruce Benthem, McBain 231-825-8182 Tom Jeppesen, Stanton 989-762-5399 Bill Jernstadt, Big Rapids 231-796-4650 Mike Rasmussen, Edmore 989-762-5380

District Six 269-671-5050 574-825-5198

574-825-2454

District Four David Bivens, Bellevue 269-758-3980 Mark Crandall, 269-660-2229 Battle Creek James Droscha, Charlotte 517-543-5577 David Lott, Mason 517-676-4593

Aaron Gasper, Lowell Anthony Jandernoa, St. Johns David Reed, Owosso Kris Wardin, St Johns District Seven Bill Blumerich, Berlin Pat Bolday, Emmett Scott Lamb, Jeddo Chuck White, Fowlerville District Eight Mike Bender, Croswell Tim Kubacki, Sebewaing Dale Phillips, Marlette Steve Schulte, Harbor Beach

616-897-2747 989-593-2224 989-723-8635 989-640-9420

810-395-2926 810-395-7139 810-327-6135 517-521-3564

810-679-4782 989-883-3249 989-635-7917 989-479-9339

District Ten John Bennett, Prescott Ken Daniels, Sterling Rod Fowler, Chesaning Scott Kleinhardt, Clare

989-345-4264 989-654-2546 989-845-6131 989-386-8037

District Eleven Jim Good, Caledonia 616-891-1414 Frank Konkel, Hesperia 231-854-8041 David Pyle, Zeeland 616-772-1512 Bill Stakenas, Free Soil 231-757-9340

District Twelve Robert Barron, Gladstone 906-786-7027 Dave Folkersma, Rudyard 906-478-3023 Corby Werth, Alpena 989-379-3772 Jeremy Werth, Alpena 989-464-4022

February 2014

District Five

517-398-0629 517-445-2649 517-639-4182 517-524-6015

District Two

Donald Bever, Delton Richard Thomas, Middlebury, IN Michael Oesch, Middlebury, IN

Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference - Mt. Pleasant

Messenger

Carlton Evans, Litchfield Brad Hart, Clayton Glenn Preston, Quincy Art Riske, Hanover

February District Meetings

The purpose of the NOYF Program is to bring about a greater interest in the farmer, to foster better urban-rural relations through the understanding of the farmers’ endeavors, to develop a further appreciation for their contributions and achievements and to inform the agribusiness community of the growing urban awareness of farmers’ importance and impact on America’s economy. This award has been established to recognize outstanding achievements in agriculture as well as community involvement.

District One

Upcoming Events

9

Legislative

NMPF Statement on Status of Farm Bill Negotiations over Dairy Title From Jim Mulhern, President and Chief Executive Officer, NMPF:

During the past four years that NMPF has worked to revise federal dairy policy, we have evaluated a variety of proposals against two key criteria: 1) does it provide an effective safety net for all of the nation’s dairy farmers?; and 2) does it protect taxpayers from the possibility of excessive program costs through the use of suitable incentives for those enrolled in the program?

Messenger

February 2014

The resulting Dairy Security Act measure, contained in the farm bills approved by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees in 2012 and again in 2013, is a loss-prevention margin insurance program that meets those objectives.

10

We were initially heartened that the four bi-partisan leaders of the House-Senate farm bill conference committee included the DSA language in the package they were planning to present to the full conference. Despite the longstanding opposition to this plan from House Speaker John Boehner, we were confident we had the votes in the conference committee to defeat any amendment to strike the market stabilization program.

Unfortunately, the Speaker’s threat that he would not allow a vote on a farm bill containing the market stabilization program has effectively served to kill our proposal within the committee.

to program enrollees to achieve cost controls. As always, the devil is in the details, and we will not support any program that does not effectively address the needs of our members throughout the U.S.

We are now engaged in discussions with agriculture committee staff on an alternative approach to creating a dairy safety net that would contain inducements to help achieve a supply-demand balance and prevent catastrophic milk price collapses like we experienced in 2009.

(Information current as of press deadline. Visit www.nmpf.org for the most up-to-date information on the farm bill’s progress.)

At this point, it is conceivable an alternative mechanism could be developed, relying upon adjustments to the program’s margin insurance payout structure and participant premium rates, among other options.

Any such approach must still offer an effective risk management tool to farmers, while containing suitable incentives

Continued from page 6

Nitrogen Leaching Index: This classifies soils as having a high, medium or low leaching potential of nitrates below the root zone. The leaching potential is determined by combining the soil’s hydrologic soil grouping (A, B, C or D) and the area’s seasonal and annual rainfall. High fall and winter precipitation combined with high soil water infiltration capacity reduce suitability for winter manure application. The nitrogen leaching index is also found in the MARI resource table.

Residue or Cover Crops: “Winter” manure application is most suited to fields with greater than 40 percent crop residue or a good cover crop.

Suitability decreases with reduced crop residue or poorer stand of cover crop as it decreases the field’s ability to hold the manure in place.

Vegetative Buffer Width: Vegetative buffer strips provide a form of treatment when nutrients or sediment starts to move off the field. By capturing nutrients and sediment or slowing its movement, buffer strips help maintain the water quality of surface waters. Ideally, in cases where buffer strips may apply, they should be at least 100 feet wide. Risk goes up significantly as the width is reduced. High risk fields have less than 20 feet of vegetative buffer.

Manure Application Method: Injecting or incorporating manure into frozen or snow-covered ground reduces the chance of nutrients leaving the field in the event of rapid winter or spring thaw. Surface applying without incorporation within 48 hours increases environmental risk.

Through a MARI evaluation, a field will receive a numeric score between 12 and 96. A lower numeric score indicates a field and practice with lower environmental risk. Scores of less than 38 are considered low risk options for “winter” manure application.

Members wanting more information on reducing their environmental risk may contact their MAEAP technician by calling their local NRCS or County Conservation District office, MMPA member representative or the Novi office.

Manure Application Rate (P2O5 lbs/acre): As one might imagine, a lower application rate lessens the risk of phosphorus runoff. Applying less than 61 lbs/acre is considered a low risk rate.

Another $29 million Applying paid to customers...... over 99 lbs/ acre is a high risk practice.

Manure Application Rate (N lbs/ acre): This is similar to phosphorus; applying 130 lbs/acre or less is considered a low risk rate.

Applying over 200 lbs/ acre is a high risk practice.

it’s back!

MORE THAN MONEy– We’ve done it again! Through the combined hard work of our members and staff 2013 was another successful year. As a result, we’re giving back a record 29 million dollars.

Become a member and put nearly 100 years of lending experience to work for you.

800-444-FaRM

February 2014

Concentrate Water Flow or Surface Inlet Discharge: This is a reflection of the possibility of routes of water flow leaving the field to surface water such as streams or county ditches. This field characteristic is also referenced in Right-to-Farm GAAMPs. Concentrated water flows and surface inlet discharge are determined by walking your fields and recognizing runoff water flow patterns.

Surface Water Setback: A field’s application risk is reduced with greater distance from surface water sources. Low risk fields are at least 150 feet from surface water.

Incorporating manure can also reduce the risk.

www.greenstonefcs.com

Messenger

Soil Test Phosphorus (P) Value: Fields with less than 80 lbs of phosphorus per acre are very low risk for “winter” spreading.

Risk increases with the level of phosphorus in the field. Fields exceeding 300 lbs/acre are not eligible for manure application. Soil phosphorus level is often a limiting factor for manure application and is noted as a limiting factor in the Right-to-Farm GAAMPs. Phosphorous levels should be determined using current (less than four years old) soils tests.

11

12

2 June 2012

Messenger

February 2014

MMPA YC Conference Network | Learn | Connect | Grow Connecting Younger Members for Two Decades

April 4, 2014 Crowne Plaza Hotel Grand Rapids – Airport Grand Rapids, Mich.

Join us at the 20th annual Young Cooperator Conference in Grand Rapids for a…

• Town hall meeting dialogue with dairy leaders • Cow comfort and herd performance presentation from Wisconsin veterinarian, Dr. Gordie Jones • Business planning producer roundtable discussion • Tour of Daybreak Dairy • Tailgate party with 100 young dairy farmers

➣ Achieving Excellence

Gordie Jones, veterinarian and dairy consultant, will summarize the ABCs of dairy profitability while helping attendees identify bottlenecks in their operations.

➣ Business Planning Producer Panel

From succession planning to budgeting, fellow YCs will share how they are starting the tough conversations, planning for the future and setting up their businesses for long-term success.

➣ Daybreak Dairy Tour

Attendees will tour Daybreak Dairy in Zeeland, owned by MMPA members Nate and Jenny Elzinga.

The Elzingas have a robotic calf feeder and make calf care and health a priority.

➣ Tailgate Party

Put on your favorite team apparel and enjoy strolling buffets, streaming sports channels and tailgate games with fellow dairy farmers as you cheer on your favorite teams.

Registration

Conference registration is free to MMPA members and MMPA member employees. Send the YC Conference registration card mailed in the February 17 milk check by March 18 to: MMPA Member Relations Department PO Box 8002 Novi, MI 48376 For additional information, contact Alex Schnabelrauch at 800-572-5824, ext. 211 or email aschnabelrauch@mimilk.com.

Hotel Reservations Make hotel reservation by March 13 and mention MMPA to receive the discounted $99 rate. Call 1-616-957-1770 to make your reservation.

MMPA Proposed Bylaw Changes Diving into the Co-op Structure Realignment Proposal

A

fter reviewing historical trends and future predictions, the MMPA board of directors has submitted a proposal to update the cooperative’s bylaws and proposed district realignment plan for MMPA delegates’ consideration. Delegates will vote on the proposed bylaw amendments and the district realignment plan at the state annual delegate meeting on March 20.

• Provide a process for changing the number of advisory committee members elected per district if the number of districts change;

The proposed changes have been reviewed at various member meetings, including local meetings, over the last few months. A brief synopsis of the two parts of the proposed changes is included below.

Part B –District Realignment Proposal The MMPA board of directors annually reviews membership data as it relates to farm numbers, milk production, production per farm, etc. MMPA demographics have changed over the years; we have seen fewer farms and greater milk volumes. Since 1990, MMPA farm numbers declined nearly 60 percent, while at the same time total milk volume increased by nearly 50 percent (from 2.9 billion pounds in 1990 to 4.3 billion in 2013).

Messenger

February 2014

Part A - Proposed Bylaw Changes Part A deals with bylaw language regarding districts, the nominating and advisory committees and directors. If amended, the bylaws would:

14

• Allow the board of directors, with delegates’ approval, to change the number of districts, the geographic description of districts, or both; • Permit the board of directors to appoint one member of the advisory committee from each district to serve on the nominating committee, which would be chaired by a member of the board of directors;

• Put in place a process for electing more at-large directors if the number of districts decreases (maintaining 13 board members); and • Allow up to two at-large directors to be elected from a district.

This trend in farm and production numbers was amplified over the past decade. While the average district member farm decline was 28.2 percent from 2003 to 2013, District 4 and 7 posted 45.5 and 44.9 percent declines, respectively.

In reviewing the data, the board of directors is proposing a district realignment plan that would move

locals currently in Districts 4 and 7 into surrounding districts and reduce the number of districts from 10 to eight.

In District 4, it is proposed the Barry-Eaton and Lansing locals join District 2 while the Ingham County Local joins District 1. In District 7, the proposal suggests moving the Livingston Charter and Flint locals to District 6, the Mid-Thumb Local to District 8 and the Deford/CliffordMayville Local to District 10.

Transition Plan If both parts of the proposal are approved by MMPA delegates at the state annual delegate meeting, the District 4 and 7 board members would serve the remainder of their terms in an at-large capacity. When each term expires (District 4 in 2016 and District 7 in 2017), the at-large positions would be filled by directors elected by delegates at the state annual meeting.

Likewise, the advisory committee would shift: • District 4 and 7’s advisory committee representatives would complete the remainder of their terms.

• In 2015, all districts would add one new advisory committee position (five members per district, keeping the number of advisory committee members at 40).

Since the proposed redistricting would result in more lapses in consecutive district numbering, the following district renumbering is being proposed.

• District 11 would become District 3

1956

# of Districts

Districts approved by delegates

Members Pounds of Milk Marketed

12

16,500 members 2 billion 15

Board Members

• District 12 would become District 4

(12 district/3 at-large)

11

5,967 members 2.8 billion

MMPA District Historical Changes Prior to 1957, all MMPA board members were elected on an at-large basis. The formation of MMPA districts by geographic boundaries was approved by delegates at the 1956 MMPA State Annual Delegate Meeting and implemented in 1957. At the time, 12 districts were formed, including one board member from each district and three board members elected at-large for a total of 15 board members. Since 1957, MMPA has reorganized its districts twice.

In 2002, the locals in District 9 were moved into surrounding districts and District 9 was dissolved. The board size was then reduced by another director. The MMPA board currently consists of 13 members (10 elected at the district level and three elected at-large). The proposed bylaw changes would provide for eight district directors and five directors to be elected at-large to maintain the current 13-member board of directors.

Guthrie

y, WI Heeg-Bros Dairy, Colb

GP-82

14

(11 district/3 atlarge)

In 1972, District 3 was merged into District 7. The board size was reduced by one director at that time.

• District 10 would become District 7

2002

1972

District 3 and 7 combined

2013

District 9 dissolved

10

1,805 farms 3.2 billion 13

(10 district/3 at-large)

Current

10

1,269 farms 4.3 billion 13

(10 district/3 at-large)

In conclusion, the proposed bylaw changes and district realignment plan are designed with the goal of achieving more balanced member representation among districts and positioning MMPA for the future based on changing member demographics. If you have questions about the proposed changes, please contact your district director or Sheila Burkhardt at 248-474-6672, ext. 208.

Nom in Wint ated Jr. A Siem ers H er Ca olste lf 201 ll Americ ins, N ewto an 2 n, W

I

7HO9420

Fustead Goldwyn GUTHRIE – ET EX (94) +3.04 T +1953 GTPISM +2.1 PL

GP-81

s Dairy, Co

12/13 USDA-CDCB Genomic Evaluation Production & HA Type Rel: GUTHRIE: 94, 91.

lby, WI

800.631.3510 northstarcooperative.com

Messenger

Heeg-Bro

February 2014

GP-82

15

By Alex Schnabelrauch

Fulfilling the Co-op Promise: MMPA Bulk Milk Sales Department

G

uarantee of market.

Guarantee of payment.

That’s the two-pronged promise of agricultural cooperatives.

It sounds straightforward and simple enough. But it doesn’t take long to realize, among the perpetually ringing phones, continuously clicking keyboards and scrolling drone of electronic calculators, fulfilling the MMPA promise isn’t easy. And it wouldn’t be possible without countless hours of teamwork, expertise and commitment invested by the MMPA Bulk Milk Sales Department.

Messenger

February 2014

“Our department, like many at MMPA, is a leader in its field.

We achieve a superior level of professional performance built on a foundation of reliability, integrity and customer service unmatched by our competitors. I’m proud to be part of a talented team dedicated to maximizing producer profits and the MMPA advantage,” MMPA Bulk Milk Sales Director Carl Rasch affirms.

16

A Complicated Game of Chess Dispatch is a hub of activity as three employees serve as “dairy traffic controllers,” getting MMPA milk trucks from farms to processors.

Reminiscent of the long hours put in by dairy farmers and milk haulers, dispatchers are on call 24/7, 365 days a year.

“Sixty percent of our milk supply is delivered to the same processing facilities daily. Ryan (based in Ovid) and I (in Novi ) direct the other 40 percent,” Dispatcher Matt Sweet

The MMPA Bulk Milk Sales Department works to maximize the co-op advantage through excellent logistics management, marketing and forecasting. Pictured above, department employees include: front (left to right) Phyllis LaForte, Carl Rasch, Connie Warden and Rick Grill and back (left to right) Ryan Nihart, Matt Sweet, Trish Toth and Therese Tierney.

relays. “We make calls and send emails constantly, filling orders placed by our customers in the most economical way possible. We also balance the supply, making sure the amount of milk processing plants receive, and therefore pay for, matches the volume of milk we pick up from each farm. In this we are part accountant, part detective.”

Routing 74 hauling companies making 175-200 daily deliveries to dozens of processing customers nationwide, these logistics moguls are persistently looking at a virtual chess board of options. Since not all transportation costs are covered by member hauling fees, dispatchers chart routes to minimize cooperative transportation costs while fulfilling customer expectations.

“When there’s a problem with a hauler, product or plant, we’re the first line of defense. We put out fires and solve problems, making sure milk is offloaded at the proper locations and times,” Dispatcher Ryan Nihart, responsible for fielding faceto-face hauler interaction at the Ovid plant, adds. “We talk with our own plants to communicate the amount of excess milk we’ll be sending their way.”

Beyond the chess game, 23-year veteran Dispatch Supervisor Rick Grill serves as liaison between MMPA, haulers, dairy processors and other co-ops (to achieve efficiencies by swapping milk supplies). “We constantly review long-term plans and our hauling financial outlook.

We’re now assigning scheduled

“Each day, I sort stacks of hauler weight sheets, recording each producer’s daily milk volume. I enter every daily weight sheet into our system, keying in producer numbers, weights and delivery locations for each load of milk,” Trish, who has been with MMPA for 18 years, explains. “There are days where I input 500 weight sheets, trying to decipher haulers’ handwriting, reconciling producers’ weights with the weight offloaded at each plant and catching mistakes before they get to producer payroll.”

From missing weight sheets to incorrect bulk tank stick readings, Trish and Phyllis work with dispatch to reconcile discrepancies with farms, haulers and plants. Touting a 17-year tenure, Phyllis occasionally assists with data input, but also helps balance and communicate recorded weights to farms and plants. She handles bi-monthly customer invoicing and reports all milk weights and sales to numerous Federal Order Milk Market Administrators.

“We really do care about your milk and making sure you get paid for what you produce. If you’ve heard the term ‘bean counter,’ we’re like ‘milk counters.’ With tightened procedures and editing reports, we check each weight two to three times to try to proactively find mistakes and account for every pound,” Phyllis affirms.

and balancing opportunities to exceed our budgeted profit margins.”

Thinking Long Term After weights and hauling costs are finalized, Accountant Therese Tierney takes the reins. She sums up the month’s bulk milk sales profits and costs, presenting budgeted vs. actual producer pay prices estimates to be reviewed by the MMPA Accounting Department and general manager. Therese also uses this data, along with historical trends and reports from field staff, to budget and forecast future producer milk volumes and customer demands.

“I’ve been at MMPA for 37 years and still do the same job. But so much has changed. We’ve shifted from a local customer base to an international scale. Plant and farm numbers have decreased with consolidation, but we are marketing more milk. Instead of using just calculators, we now have laptops and smartphones,” Carl smiles. “But we’ve adapted to the changes in the marketplace and customer expectations. That’s why we’re still here.”

She collaborates with Carl to develop the department’s strategy (based on budgeting and projections), capitalize on pooling opportunities to increase profit margins and formulate relevant data reports to assist with member, hauler and customer relations.

“I collect data, summarize and make sense of it. I look at the budgeted expenses and revenues we projected back in the fall and compare them to actual realized values, putting numbers behind trends and events to explain current and future outlooks to MMPA leadership and customers,” she explains. “We produce as much profit for our members as we can. We try to take advantage of marketing

First-Rate Service While the Bulk Milk Sales Department has changed over the years, its driving force – offering superior customer service to members, processing plants and haulers – has not.

Leveraging the hard work and tabulations of the rest of his department, Carl focuses on the big picture. He negotiates contracts with processing plant customers and milksupplying members while ensuring the achievement of departmental projections and budgets.

“Every day is a balancing act. Because of this great team of integrity-filled professionals, we have the agility and flexibility to react to the challenges of today’s milk market and stay afloat.

Their competence and reliability give us the chance to look, not only at today, but at tomorrow, next week, next year and 2020, making sure this co-op remains viable for decades to come,” Carl closes.

February 2014

Every Number Counts Translating milk volumes, hauling expenses and dairy processing revenues into producer pay prices is a complicated process involving multiple departments. But the rubber really hits the road in the Bulk Milk Sales Department where Weights Clerk Trish Toth and Milk Sales Coordinator Phyllis LaForte’s goal is accurately creating a record of the co-op’s 1,300 member farms’ daily milk production and accounting for every pound of MMPA’s 375 million pound monthly milk supply.

“

Messenger

delivery times for many plants and contacting haulers using their preferred method – email, cell phone, landline, text or fax. It’s like playing musical milk trucks as we try to increase the producers’ profitability,” Rick says.

Every day is a balancing act. Because of this great team of integrity-filled professionals, we have the agility and flexibility to react to the challenges of today’s milk market and stay afloat.” ­— Carl Rasch, MMPA Director, Bulk Milk Sales

17

2014 MMPA District Meeting Schedule

Messenger

February 2014

District Date Time Location 1 Mon., Feb. 24 11:00 a.m.

Gene Davis Banquet Center

3575 Francis Street, Jackson

2 Mon., Feb. 17 11:00 a.m. Blue Gate Restaurant

195 N. Van Buren St., Shipshewana, IN

4 Fri., Feb. 28 11:00 a.m. Ramada Inn

7501 W. Saginaw Hwy., Lansing

5 Tues., Feb. 18 11:00 a.m.

New Hope United Methodist Church

7296 Nine Mile Road, Remus

6 Tues., Feb. 18 11:00 a.m.

Main Street Café

205 N. Clinton Avenue, St. Johns

7 Wed., Feb. 19 11:00 a.m.

Walli’s Family Restaurant

1341 S. Center Road, Burton

8 Thur., Feb. 27 11:00 a.m.

Franklin Inn

1060 E. Huron Avenue, Bad Axe

10 Fri., Feb. 21 10:15 a.m.

Valley Plaza Resort

5221 Bay City Road, Midland

11 Thur., Feb. 27 11:00 a.m. Russ’s Restaurant

1499 E. River Road, Muskegon

12 Wed., Feb. 19 11:00 a.m. Audie’s Restaurant

314 Nocolet Street, Mackinaw City

18

2014 MMPA Milker Training Schools Attention to detail and consistency in milking procedures make the difference between a good milking routine and an excellent one. Whether you or your employees have been milking for 30 years or three months, at MMPA Milker Training Schools (MTS) you will learn best milking procedures which will lead to improved milk quality, higher monthly quality premiums, reduced new mastitis infections and antibiotic use and increased milk production.

MMPA MTS is a day-long session offered free of charge to MMPA members and their employees. A combination of classroom instruction and hands-on training helps participants understand the “why” and “how” of an excellent udder prep procedure. Both managers and employees are encouraged to attend to promote consistent, operation-wide adoption, implementation and reinforcement of milking procedure techniques.

The registration form and schedule are included below. Each MTS is limited to 35 people; however, a

second session may be held to meet demand. Please register early to help us determine if a second day is needed at some locations. Contact your MMPA member representative or the Member Services Department at the Novi office (see contact information below) with any questions or registration information.

Hispanic Milker Training Schools Have trouble communicating with Spanish-speaking employees? Some Michigan dairy farms employ Hispanic milkers and, more often than not, the language barrier makes communication between milkers and owners difficult.

To help overcome this obstacle, MMPA offers MTS taught by a Spanish-speaking instructor. A concurrent, but separate, session is also held to give employers and/or milking supervisors an overview of the techniques the employees are taught so everyone is on the same page after attending MTS.

2014 Milker Training School Locations and Dates Registration: 9:30 a.m.

Program: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch is provided) February 12 Shipshewana Shipshewana Event Center February 26 Litchfield Ferry Farms March 6 Bad Axe Huron County Expo Center March 18 St. Johns Agro-Culture Liquid Headquarters (English) March 19 St. Johns Agro-Culture Liquid Headquarters (Spanish) April 9 Newaygo Cronk’s Oakridge Restaurant April 23 Alpena A-Plex May 1 Clare Clare Church of Nazarene

Milker Training School Registration Name: Address: Telephone:

Number of People Attending: Send this form to: MMPA Milker Training School Member Services Dept.

P.O. Box 8002 Novi, MI 48376-8802 Or call/email Marianne Gasiewski with this information at 248-474-6672 or Gasiewski@mimilk.com.

Messenger

Date and Location of Session You Will be Attending:

February 2014

Producer Permit Number:

19 19

By Alex Schnabelrauch

Made in Detroit Customer Spotlight: VernDale Products

I

f diamonds are a girl’s best friend, chocolate has to be her favorite cousin.

More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes will be gifted to men and women this Valentine’s Day, many filled with chocolate made with MMPA milk.

“We directly or indirectly supply most U.S. milk chocolate manufacturers with milk powder for their premium milk chocolate formulas. MMPA is one of our two largest milk suppliers; so many U.S. milk chocolate products are made with your members’ milk,” Dale Johnson, president of VernDale Products Inc., explains.

A third-generation, Michigan-based dairy business, VernDale Products has been buying MMPA milk for over 35 years and purchased over 34 million pounds in 2013.

Messenger

February 2014

Cashing in on Milk Returns An industry leader in rollerdried (also called drum dried) whole milk powder for chocolate manufacturing, VernDale Products didn’t start off in a premium market.

In fact, they did quite the opposite.

20

When Dale’s father, retired World War II Marine Vern Johnson, started the business in 1958 as a 50-50 partnership with his wife, Marlene, its business was recycling… milk that is. “My dad was the quintessential entrepreneur, wanting to build his own business from scratch. He grew up on a dairy farm and could never quite get away from the dairy industry,” Dale relays.

“He worked at creameries and dairy

The VernDale Products management team spans three generations. Pictured above, standing (left to right) Simon Jajjo, Matt Ellis, Derek Townsend, Tim Johnson, Kyle Tanheimer and Rich Perry and seated (left to right) Barry Johnson, Dale Johnson, LaMar Tanheimer and Fred Kreger.

plants, even married a plant owner’s daughter, but was drawn to Detroit, filling a void in the marketplace: milk returns.”

Back in 1958, milk had a one-day shelf life. After expiration, the many dairies of the 1950s had to find an outlet for unsold products.

VernDale Products stepped in to fill the void, purchasing the abandoned power plant of the Budd Company in Detroit.

The company began as a reclaiming process, taking in one-day postdated milk from plants like Borden, Twin Pines and United Dairy and stabilizing the milk into whole milk powder for human and animal consumption.

In 1976, Dale graduated from Michigan State University and decided to join VernDale and work for the family business. Timing

couldn’t have been better as Dale headed up the transition process, moving the plant from its original location on Atwater Street to its current venue – the abandoned Twin Pines Dairy plant on Lyndon Street in Detroit.

The Inferior to Premium Evolution It’s true, VernDale still receives rejected loads of milk and outdated dairy returns. Some people still refer to VernDale as “the dog food plant,” but much has changed since 1958.

“Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, roller-dried whole milk powder was considered a cheap alternative to spray-dried whole milk powder. The drum dryer lowered production capacity and was more prone to scorching than spray-dried milk. But in the 1990s and 2000s, we repositioned ourselves as a premium, high-quality product

Roller-dried powder has a high free fat content which means manufacturers can use 3-4 percent less cocoa butter to achieve the ideal viscosity for milk chocolate.

Since 15-20 percent of milk chocolate is whole milk powder, roller-dried milk powder gives chocolate manufacturers an economic advantage.

But what’s more, VernDale’s rollerdried powder has a sought-after, cooked and caramelized flavor that tastes like European chocolate. The company’s customers range from industrial chocolate manufacturers to manufacturers selling retail products and include many popular premium chocolate household names.

While the food-grade, premium chocolate market is VernDale’s primary business, it still manufactures feed-grade whole milk powder. “All the milk in MilkBone dog biscuits comes from our plant. We also provide feed-grade milk powder as an ingredient in other animal food products containing milk,” Dale adds.

Against the Odds The odds were stacked against VernDale from the start – 70

But even though LaVerne Johnson, one of the company’s founders, passed away last year, his legacy still remains. “We’re proud to be a multi-generational family business that has grown from a small startup to a well-known national manufacturer set-up for long term sustainability,” Dale smiles. “We’ve never been the cheapest rollerdried whole milk powder, but we’ve always been committed to quality, and I think that’s one reason why we’re still here.”

The family business employs Dale Johnson; his brother, Barry Johnson; sister, LaMar Tannheimer; brotherin-law, Fred Kreger; and nephews.

They are also grateful to have a hardworking, dedicated extended family of 40 employees.

“We appreciate working with MMPA because of the long-term business relationships we have developed over the years. They understand the needs of a family business like ours. When there’s stability and consistency within an organization, it leads to mutually-beneficial interactions,” Dale says.

Charting a Course for Growth It’s fitting since Dale set-up the current plant on Lyndon Street that he is also heading up the company’s newest venture – investing $16 million in a “new” dairy plant on Weaver Street, also in Detroit.

“It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. We have finished the demo phase and are finally above ground. In January we will begin installing new equipment and watching our plans materialize,” Dale beams. “Starting with a clean slate, we used our 50-plus years of manufacturing experience to create a state-of-the-art facility employing the latest technology, including integrated touch screens.

Our current construction schedule has us up and running by July of this year.”

Installing two new roller driers from Europe, the plant will produce 10 million pounds of powder annually.

Both the new facility and the current plant will be operating in tandem; the Weaver plant will be dedicated to food production, while the Lyndon plant will continue to manufacture food-grade and feedgrade products. The new plant will provide a second source of supply for VernDale customers in case one plant has a problem.

“The expansion is really about looking 20 to 25 years down the road. We want to continue growing and developing new milk powder products to service our customers.

We need to be big enough to meet our customers’ growing demands, and we’ll continue to develop where it all started: Detroit,” Dale concludes.

VernDale Products Inc. is a multigenerational family dairy business, a proud Michigan company touting superior quality products and a business that has continuously grown and innovated.

Sometimes the stories of our customers aren’t so different from the stories of our member farms, after all.

February 2014

What was once a reclaimed milk operation manufacturing 2 million pounds of whole milk powder with one drier is now a premier chocolate ingredient producer processing 16 million pounds of powder annually with four roller driers dedicated to food production and one dryer dedicated to feed production. The previously inferior roller-dried process is now considered a value-added, superior milk component by confectioners, used in premium chocolate formulas.

percent of family businesses fail or are sold before transitioning to the second generation.

Messenger

desired by chocolate manufacturers.

We carved out our own niche market and became the country’s largest manufacturer of roller-dried whole milk power,” Dale affirms.

21

Dairy Promotion Grants Help Producers Continue to Connect with Community

C

onnecting with community is the cornerstone of consumer confidence. That wisdom drove the 2013 initiation of the Dairy Promotion Grant Program by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) to encourage producer outreach to their closest consumers.

Research-based and communityoriented, UDIM’s Dairy Promotion Grant Program fostered 77 successful promotional events across the state. Dairy producers applied for the $50,000 earmarked for promotional grants, with local promotion efforts building on ongoing larger-scale, industry-wide positive dairy messaging.

“Opinion polls show the public is most trusting of promotional efforts that involve those who work directly in dairy,” said UDIM CEO Sharon Toth. “The Dairy Promotion Grant Program capitalizes on that trust by supporting grassroots promotional efforts.”

Grant proposals represented a myriad of promotional opportunities, ranging from race sponsorships to parades, school events, farm tours, summer camp activities and health expos. As diverse as the promotional events were, they were united in the common theme of giving the public a chance to sample dairy products

and interact directly with those who bring them to the table.

The goal of the Dairy Promotion Grant Program is to promote the dairy industry by enhancing awareness of the nutritional and health benefits that come from including dairy products as part of a balanced diet, to increase consumer knowledge about and awareness of the dairy industry and to advance the image of the dairy industry and foster public trust.

During the 2013 inaugural year of the Dairy Promotion Grant, applicants could apply for a maximum of $1,000 in grant funding, 80 percent of which needed to be used toward the

Ru-Mend

Messenger

February 2014

®

22

A DIRECT FED ENZYME MICROBIAL FOR RUMINANTS

ReaseaRch TRials show...

• Increased MIlk ProductIon • IMProved Feed eFFIcIency • IMProved aPPetIte • IMProved Body condItIon• IMProved HaIr coat • Increased coMPonents 517-256-7750 | 800-435-9560 | www.agriking.com

“We listened to what our producers were telling us in 2013 and received valuable feedback that has led to changes in the grant program for 2014,” said Toth. The result is a grant process that is even more user-friendly.

Those changes include: • An overall grant cap increase to $1,500 per applicant/farm entity • Up to $500 of the $1,500 may be used for promotional support items, such as signage, banners, coolers, ice and eventspecific gear for volunteers • Photos of the promotional event must be submitted along with purchase receipts to trigger reimbursement

“The photos are extremely important because they show consumers enjoying dairy products, which helps us visually share promotional event successes,” Toth said. “We hope even more dairy producers will use the Dairy Promotion Grant Program in 2014 as an opportunity to increase dairy awareness and promote consumer confidence starting with where they live and work. “ The grant process remains simple and straightforward. Grant information, answers to frequently asked questions, and the grant application form can be found at UDIM.org.

Further inquiries can be directed to UDIM’s Michelle Hart at 800-241-MILK (6455), ext.

213 or mhart@udim.org.

Maximize Every Bite!

SilagePro

®

CATALYST

with

5 enzymes

• 4-day fermentation • 5% more silage at feed-out • Increased rate of fiber digestion tion • Higher starch retention More milk per ton of silage fed

Available through MMPA Merchandise

Over one million tons treated last year alone!

February 2014

purchase of dairy products. Some grant applicants requested the entire amount of funding available for one promotional event, while others set about increasing dairy awareness in their communities through seeking funding for two or more smaller events.

Control Butyric Acid and

Messenger

Cole (left) and Ty (right) Wardin enjoying chocolate milk at the finish line of the St. Johns Mint City Races thanks to a UDIM Dairy Promotion Grant completed by MMPA Dairy Communicator Carla Wardin.

American Farm rm P Products rod ducts ucts Arlin Koglin • 989-553-3370 23

MERCHANDISE

Commonly Replaced Washer Parts

To order call: 1-800-572-5824 then dial 2

W

Klenzade/Holdren Stock # Description 9617 Impeller 9620 Check Poppet 9621 Jar Adapter 9628 Switch lever 9634 110v coil/solenoid 9642 Rocker arm assembly 9648 Divert Tube 9658 Pressure Switch 9666 Divert cover assy.

The merchandise program carries a 9696 Water valve repair kit variety of parts for Klenzade/Holdren and 9624 Stainless pump clamp Mueller wash systems as well as a few 9625 Endplate Assy.

Dairy Kool /Boumatic parts. These parts

range from simple o-rings, solenoids and Dairy Kool/Boumatic water valves to Mueller auto-drain valves Stock # Description and detergent dispenser jars. We can 5234 Plastic qt detergent jar also special order a large variety of parts 7202 Jar Collar Assy. from our vendors.

Listed are some of the most commonly

replaced washer parts. Please call the

warehouse for availability and prices as these can (and do) vary.

hile CIP systems seem to work well during the week, weekends and holidays are often different stories. If a part is going to fail, it will fail at the most inconvenient time. To prevent costly weekend service calls, it helps to keep spare parts on hand.

Improve bottom-line $$. Lower feed costs. Maximize production.

Ingredients from your trusted source.

Zeeland Farm Services, Inc.® MI: 866.888.7082 Fax: 616.772.7067 www.zfsinc.com

Low Fat Hominy 7% minimum protein 7% maximum fiber 4% minimum fat

Citrus Pulp

16% maximum fiber 6% minimum protein 2.1% maximum calcium 2% minimum fat

Messenger

February 2014

Valero Meal

24

34% minimum protein 13% maximum crude fiber 4% minimum fat

Traditional ZFS® Menu Soybean meal, soybean hulls, cereal feed, cottonseed, distillers, gluten, canola meal, beet pulp, wet feeds, and more!

Mueller/Sunset Stock # Description 9310 Impeller 4.25” (small) 9311 Impeller 5” (large) 9302 Auto Drain Valve Assy.

9409 Drain Valve bonnet 9301 Drain Valve diaphragm 9303 Drain Valve plug 1 ½” 9304 Drain Valve plug 2” 9305 Drain Valve gskt. 1 ½” 9306 Drain Valve gskt. 2” 9317 Acid Jar 9318 Detergent Jar 9319 Det. Lid 2 hole 9320 Det. Lid 3 hole 9327 Acid Jar lid 9316 Det. Jar o-ring 9338 Viton acid o-ring 9502 220v coil/solenoid 9313 Double H2O valve 9314 Single H2O valve 9234 Sunset Impeller 1/2hp 9235 Sunset Impeller 1hp

Order Your MMPA Merchandise through your milk hauler or call: Supervisor: Duane Farmer 989-681-2334 Fax: 989-681-3988 Toll Free: 877-367-6455 Orders (Novi) 800-572-5824 then dial 2

50,000 or below 51,000-75,000 76,000-100,000 101,000-125,000 126,000-150,000 151,000-175,000 176,000-200,000 201,000-225,000 226,000-250,000 251,000-300,000 301,000-400,000 401,000-500,000 501,000-600,000 601,000 and greater

+55¢/cwt. +50¢/cwt. +45¢/cwt. +40¢/cwt. +35¢/cwt. +30¢/cwt. +25¢/cwt. +20¢/cwt. +15¢/cwt. +00¢/cwt.

- 30¢/cwt.

-$1.00/cwt.

-$1.50/cwt.

-$2.00/cwt.

A payment of 5¢/cwt. will be added for each of the following, if the count is equal to or below:

A high raw count deduction will be waived if the producer has received the quality premium the previous three months for raw bacteria count.

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

• 10,000 Raw Bacteria Count • 20,000 Pre-Incubated (PI) Count

To qualify for MMPA volume premiums there must be:

There will be a deduction of 10¢/cwt. for:

• No abnormal freeze points during the month • An average somatic cell count of 750,000 or less

• Greater than 100,000 Raw Bacteria Count

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

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: Raw bacteria count and components.

All herd tests must be scheduled with the laboratory through your MMPA Member Representative.

Members who choose to receive their lab test results via U.S. postal service: $2/month

Additional Tests Available: All costs are listed per individual sample.

• Mycoplasma Cultures $12 • Bacteriology Cultures $13 – Includes identification of bacteria and drug susceptibility.

• Bovine Viral Diarrhea - PCR - ELISA • Johne’s Milk Test - PCR - ELISA – cows - ELISA – tank • Bovine Leukosis Test - ELISA – cows - ELISA – tank • Milk Pregnancy ELISA

$40 $ 6 $40 $ 6 $10 $ 6 $10 $4.50

All tests must be scheduled through your MMPA Member Representative or the laboratory for proper sample submission protocol.

Chemical, Sanitizer & 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 Stan Palmer 5303 E. Swan Drive #3 Port Clinton, OH 43452 419-797-2101 Ben Johnson 4461 Cambridge Dr. Port Huron, MI 48060 810-824-0636 Jason Koerth 7509 Aborcrest Dr. Portage, MI 49024 269-207-3773 Pat Mitchell 7273 N. Rollin Hwy. Addison, MI 49220 517-403-0928

A & L Laboratories

24 - Hour Medical Emergency Hotline: 1-800-424-9300 Kurt Fiene 8356 C.R. 115 Kenton, OH 43326 612-889-1063 Jeff Timm NW 8665 C.R. M Shawano, WI 54166 612-840-0555 February 2014

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:

Messenger

MMPA Quality Premium Program

25

FREELINERS

Call 1-800-572-5824 ext. 202 to place your ad or email to: Muszynski@mimilk.com or fax 248-426-3412.

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 see our website at www.greenmeadowfarms. com.

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

Service age Reg. Holstein bulls, deep pedigrees, some red carriers. Jenesis Genetics, 231-924-6163 or 231-225-8615.

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, 269673-4886 or 269-217-6076, ask for Tim. www.verhageholsteins.com.

Crossbred bulls 100% AI. 810-724-8825.

Freeliner Policy The Freeliners column is open to current MMPA members who wish to advertise—at no charge—goods or services relating directly to their dairy farm operations.

Messenger

February 2014

• An item submitted will be published for no more than two consecutive months (one month, unless otherwise requested). After that, it will be withdrawn.

26

Cows & Heifers

45 cow Jersey herd due from April thru July 2014, 100% AI bred, grazing herd, excellent breeding. Contact Sweet Farms, Mikado, Mich. 989-736-6508. No milk assignment please.

High quality milk cows, 80 pound average on 2X, your pick. 734-776-0285.

40 Holstein dairy cows. 30 Holstein springer heifers for Jan, Feb. and March.

810-837-0192.

Equipment

“Roto Grind” bale chopper, model 760, 1,000 RPM. Chops to any size bale, eliminates cows sorting feed. New 12-611, perfect condition, and is stored under cover. Selling because we bought a JD silage baler. $14,500. Cheboygan, Mich.

231-625-2036.

John Deere 130 Reel Style seed mixer, partially relined in 2012, $9,000 obo.

734-776-0285.

New Holland model 900 chopper with hay head, $6,500 obo. Two New Holland self-unloading wagons, $2,000 each obo.

Call Sweet Farms 989-736-6508.

Case-IH 900 cyclo 6 row corn planter.

Corn and Bean drums $4,500 obo. GehlMcConnell hay merger 14-16 feet $2,200 obo. Phone 989-640-4414 New Holland FP230 chopper, 3-row corn head, hay head. Excellent shape.

Call 989-464-5436 or 989-464-5435.

• It will be published again for no more than two consecutive months only if the member resubmits the item by writing or calling the Novi office.

Knight 1140 box spreader excellent shape, $14,500. Unverferth 4 shank zone builder, $4,500. New Idea 6-ft. snow blower, $700. 810-531-4619.

• Reference to a name of a firm or other commercial enterprise with which a member is involved will be deleted, with permission of the member.

Dairy Equipment

• If the member does not wish such deletion, he may choose to have the item published as a Classified Ad at the regular per-line Classified Ad rate.

• Freeliners must be received by the 10th of the month preceding the desired month of publication.

Example: to be included in the January issue, the freeliner must be at the MMPA office by December 10.

Two Delaval CF1000 Computer Calf Feeders with 4 nipples and laptop with software. Will feed milk or milk replacer, $17,500 for everything or could split them up too. 517-749-9112.

Jamesway bulk tank with compressor, 500 gal., $2,150. 616-897-0620.

Complete Delaval pipeline milking system, approximately 200-ft. stainless with Delaval C125 washer, no vacuum pump, $2,000 obo. One AO Smith 80 gal. propane water heater, 3 years old, $400 obo. 989-268-5789 leave message.

Dairy Farm

Dairy Farm, Cheboygan, Mich. 367.11 acres. 25x56 double 16 parallel parlor put in 3 yrs. ago, 2,000-gal. bulk tank, 400 free-stall barn, 48x100 calf barn, 80x80 commodity barn, 64x280’ hay barn, 32x56 maternity barn, 44x100 tool pole barn. 45 acre pasture by barn. 7-bedroom L shaped brick home, built 1976. Can send packet with more info & appraisal if interested. Turn key operation if you want cows & equipment, or will sell farm separate. We also rent 670 acres paying $40 ac. most acres, Less amt. David Brown, Cheboygan, Mich. 231-625-2036.

Misc.

1st, 2nd & 3rd cutting balage and dry hay, round bales. Also, round bales of straw. 810-531-4619.

Wanted

Calf-Tel hutches. 616-634-2958.

12 string type detachers, complete, used. 260-705-8185.

Used bulk tanks for storage and other stainless steel tanks 200 gal. to 3,000 gal.

989-826-5453.

Wanted herd of dairy cows: If you are considering retiring from dairy farming and looking for an economical way; consider selling your herd on a milk check assignment. If this sounds appealing to you please contact us at 616-889-0769.

Dairy farm help wanted. Light maintenance and a lot of field work.

616-218-9350.

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified Ads ($20 per ad up to 6 lines)

Mail ads to: Classified Ads, Michigan Milk Messenger, PO BOX 8002, Novi, MI 48376-8002. Email to Muszynski@mimilk.com or fax 248-426-3412. 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.

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 TRI-STATE 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 brings existing grooves back to 100% efficiency & provides high quality traction in new & old concrete, fast service. BLUE RIBBON HOOF TRIMMING, LLC. 989-635-1494.

CORN SILAGE, HAYLAGE & HAY. 989723-1886 or 989-277-1414

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.

JUNE CLOVER SEED, MICHIGAN CERTIFIED oats and spring barley seed.

989-723-1886 or 989-277-1414.

Concrete Grooving and Texturing Call: Jeff Brisky - Owner Toll Free: 1-800-294-1202 Cell: 1-716-353-1137 Concrete Services Company

Messenger

February 2014

REGISTERED HOLSTEIN BULLS

28

PTO and Automatic Start Generators 1-800-248-8070 M-40 South Hamilton, MI 49419

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

GREEN MEADOW FARMS

• FROM OUR TOP PRODUCTION COWS.

6400 HOLLISTER RD. ELSIE, MI 48831 PH: 989-862-4291

www.greenmeadowfarms.com

Policies

MMPA Policy on Drug Residue in Milk:

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 membership representative.

•

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

•

If the tank tests positive (drugs present), the membership 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.

MMPA Policy on Milk Quality 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 St. Louis 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. **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. * The member will only be paid for two (2) voluntary dumps in a rolling 12 month period.

If a loss is incurred by MMPA due to the disposal and/or nonmarketability 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.

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 a third occurrence or more 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.

February 2014

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 -

MILK SHIPPED — POSITIVE drugs CONFIRMED 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.

Messenger

MILK ON FARM – DRUG RESIDUE SUSPECTED If a member suspects milk in the farm bulk tank contains drug residue:

29

MARKET REPORT

December 2013 MARKET STATISTICS Mideast Federal Order #33 (pounds)

Month This Month

NATIONAL TRENDS (million pounds)

Sales Total Class 1 Sales

546,733,162 546,733,162

Sales Total Class 2 Sales

116,949,253 116,949,253

% Change 540,266,199 540,266,199 +1.20 Production California California 211,871,962 211,871,962 -44.80

Total Class 3 Sales Sales

501,325,589 501,325,589

422,554,082 422,554,082

+18.64 +18.64

Wisconsin Wisconsin

2,305 2,205

2,350 2,218

-1.9 -0.6

Sales Total Class 4 Sales

119,409,070 119,409,070

269,059,274 269,059,274

-55.62

New York

1,134 1,080

1,116 1,058

+1.6 +2.1

1,284,417,074 1,284,417,074

1,443,751,517 1,443,751,517

-11.04

Idaho Idaho

1,107 1,072

1,119 1,092

-1.1 -1.8

42.6% 42.6%

37.4%

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania

888 845

894 847

-0.7 -0.2

Texas Texas

801 779

803 761

-0.2 +2.4

Minnesota Michigan

766 733

786 729

-2.5 +0.5

Michigan Minnesota

756 725

750 739

+0.8 -1.9

New Mexico

662 641

674 646

-1.8 -0.8

Washington Washington

520 502

515 493

+1.0 +1.8

Ohio Ohio

446 425

462 435

-3.5 -2.3

Indiana Indiana

324 308

317 299

+2.2 +3.0

U.S. * Total U.S.

15,695 14,979

15,688 14,929

+0.0 +0.3

Y-T-D * U.S. Y-T-D

187,657 171,994

186,643 170,955

+0.5 +0.6

Production Total Production Utilization Class 1 Utilization

Ago Year Ago

Mideast Federal Order #33

Month

Current Month Producers Total Producers 6,071 Farm Average Daily Production per Farm 6,825 Test Average Protein Test 3.21% Test Average Butterfat Test 3.91% Test Average Other Solids Test 5.70% (MMPA) Average SCC Count (MMPA) 156,000

2013 2013

2012 % Change 2012

3,473 3,284

3,418 3,264

+1.6 +0.6

* For 23 states

COMPONENT PRICING INFORMATION Mideast Federal Order #33 Price/lb.

Protein Price/lb.

$3.5390

Price/lb.

Butterfat Price/lb.

$1.7672

Price/lb.

Other Solids Price/lb.

$0.3826

3.5% Class III Price @ 3.5%

$ 18.95

Messenger

February 2014

Mkt.) Prod. Price Diff/cwt. (Mich. Mkt.)

30

$1.43

3.5% Uniform Price @ 3.5%

$ 20.38

Adjustment/cwt./1000 SCC Adjustment/cwt./1000

$0.00094

NASS Survey Prices

Monthly Avg

/lb Cheese /lb

1.8761

/lb Butter /lb

1.6308

/lb Nonfat Dry Milk /lb

1.9537

/lb Dry Whey /lb

0.5706

MMPA

STAFF

NOVI (Headquarters) 248-474-6672 • 800-572-5824 General Manager Clay Galarneau, ext. 200

Laboratory Supervisor Patti Huttula, ext. 219

Human Resources Cindy Tilden, ext. 220

Member Services Dean Letter, ext. 213

Manufactured Product Sales Jim Dodson, ext. 229

Member Relations/Public Affairs Sheila Burkhardt, ext. 208

Milk Sales/Dispatch Carl Rasch, ext. 244

Quality Ahmandeep Dhillon, ext. 304

Finance/Controller Joseph M. Diglio, ext. 240

Credit/Insurance Cheryl Schmandt, ext. 210

Data Processing Gregory Schulkey, ext. 237 Member Communications Laura Moser, ext. 296 Alex Schnabelrauch, ext. 211

MANUFACTURING PLANTS Constantine 269-435-2835 Plant Manager Dave Davis Ovid 989-834-2221

Plant Manager/Plant Operations David Wittkop

MMPA FIELD STAFF NORTH AREA

SOUTH AREA

Frank Brazeau 920-834-4059 Oconto, Wis., cell: 906-250-0337

Krista Beeker Howe, IN 269-986-6792

Ben Chapin Blanchard 989-289-0731

David Brady 517-522-5965 Grass Lake cell: 517-937-9061

Lyndsay Earl Ludington 231-519-2455

Emily Butcher Middlebury, IN

Angelee Kirsch Harbor Beach 231-414-4539

Andrew Rupprecht Clio 269-986-6793

Violet Lombard Hubbard Lake

Elyse Martin Eaton Rapids

810-701-6460

Ed Zuchnik Three Rivers

269-967-7351

Deborah Navarre Leroy 248-520-3580 Lindsay Green Dewitt

269-535-0822

989-488-8159

Gerry Volz 989-848-5996 Fairview 989-289-9219

Other Services:

If you are unable to reach your assigned member representative, contact any one of the representatives listed in your area.

MMPA Labs Novi:

800-572-5824 (in MI) 800-233-2405 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon-Fri

Ovid:

989-834-2515 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Daily

Constantine: 800-391-7560

7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Daily

Gary Best 810-664-4984 Lapeer cell: 586-484-9279 Bulk Tank Calibration

Steven Lehman 989-875-3441 Ithaca cell: 989-330-1638 Mastitis Management

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

Christy Dinsmoore Fairgrove 248-513-7920 Mastitis Management

Merchandise—St. Louis

Duane Farmer, Supervisor

989-681-2334 Fax 989-681-3988 Toll Free 877-367-6455 Orders (Novi) 800-572-5824

then dial 2

February 2014

248-520-3481

Supervisor: Ed Zuchnik Coldwater Office 269-967-7351

Messenger

Supervisor: Gerry Volz St. Louis Office 989-289-9219

31

DUPPFO13019VE_020114_MMM