28 minute read
MEET DISTRICT 3 DIRECTOR BILL STAKENAS
Delegates in District 3 recently elected Bill Stakenas to serve a three-year term on the MMPA board of directors. MMPA’s District 3 covers eight counties in West Michigan, along the lakeshore of Lake Michigan. Stakenas joins the 12 other dairy farmers on the MMPA board of directors, helping guide the direction of the cooperative and set strategic goals.
Stakenas owns Stakenas Farm Inc in Free Soil, Michigan, along with Carl Stakenas. They milk around 550 cows and farm 1,500 acres. He is a member of the Muskegon Local in District 3. He and his wife, Terri, have four children: Hailee, Lyndsay, Kyle and Alec.
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Prior to being elected to the MMPA board of directors, Stakenas has held various local and district leadership positions with MMPA since the 1980s. In the Muskegon Local, he is the current president and previously served as the local secretary/ treasurer. Stakenas has also represented District 3 on the MMPA Resolutions and Advisory Committees. In addition to MMPA, Stakenas is active in Michigan Farm Bureau, local Soil Conservation District and Acres Cooperative. He has an associate’s degree from West Shore Community College and took an agriculture short course at Michigan State University.
BILL AND TERRI STAKENAS
How has MMPA impacted your farm? Since our farm joined MMPA in the 1950s, we have had a positive appreciation for the service MMPA provides, including our field staff, the Messenger and all the meetings. Even through bad times, being part of the co-op helps you keep your chin up and feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. Being part of the Local leadership, Advisory Committee and Resolutions Committee has helped me strengthen my skills as a manager of my own farm.
Why did you want to join the MMPA board of directors? I have always been active in MMPA. I started as a Local board member and have been part of other committees. I went as far as I could go and so the board became the next step and has been a lifelong ambition of mine. The past board members have done a good job. I have big shoes to fill. I don’t think I will come in and change the world, but I will try to make a small impact.
What do you value most about MMPA? I value being able to get involved in the co-op. I know that in some small way I have contributed to MMPA and the industry. That’s a value to me. Even if your impact is really, really small, it is something. You have to start somewhere. “
our product mix, including taking on Heritage Ridge Creamery. I support what they’re doing, and I hope to continue going down that same road. We need to be aggressive in the face of challenges. What are your goals and vision while serving on the board of directors? Survival. Not only for me as a farmer, but for the health of the co-op. In recent years, the board has done a good job diversifying our product mix, including taking on Heritage Ridge Creamery. I support what they’re doing, and I hope to continue going down that same road. We need to be aggressive in the face of challenges.
What would you tell your fellow members who want to influence the direction of the cooperative? MMPA is cool in that it doesn’t matter if you milk 50 cows or milk 5,000 cows, if you choose to participate and have the mindset for it, you can make an impact. I encourage everyone to be involved. Some things we can change, some things we can’t change, but you need to be active to let your voice be heard. The world is run by people who show up.
An Unwavering Common Goal
THE DAIRY SUPPLY CHAIN HAS BEEN TORMENTED BY COVID-19, BUT UNITED BY A SINGLE GOAL, EACH MOVING PART IS COMING TOGETHER TO ADAPT, TO OVERCOME AND TO KEEP PRODUCING TOP QUALITY DAIRY.
BY EMILY KITTENDORF
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE COVID-19 SITUATION IS CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING AND WITH THAT THE IMPACT ON THE DAIRY SUPPLY CHAIN IS TOO. ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS STORY IS ACCURATE AS OF APRIL 28, 2020.
Since just a few months ago, the entire world has flipped on its end. What seemed impossible the day before became the reality of the next day. The entire world slowed down, people stayed home and society ground to a halt. As the roads became less busy and the world quieted, those in the agriculture industry continued.
For the first time in a long time, consumers were searching for how their food was made after the grocery stores’ shelves that were always stocked became empty. Along with the panic, grew an overwhelming sense of generosity for the caretakers of our land and livestock, and for the people continuing to work as the world stood still.
In the Great Lakes region, March was the early days for the growing COVID-19 pandemic and as social interactions decreased and companies shuttered their buildings, everyone collectively began to feel the economic pressure a world at standstill was causing, the dairy industry included.
The situation at hand required that overnight, the dairy supply chain equip themselves to service unprecedented demand from consumers for gallons of milk in the dairy case. Processors bottled as much milk as fast as they could, but the supply chain is complex. After we successfully serviced retail customers, again, what felt like overnight, the demand for dairy was gone. Consumers were satisfied with the milk they had, and places of food service remained closed.
The rapid changing environment broke the dairy supply chain, and with a health crisis on top of it all, it pressured the minds and bodies of everyone declared essential. With the tides turned, the dairy industry rose to the challenge to meet the unified, unwavering goal of the entire supply chain.
We will adapt. We will overcome. We will keep producing dairy.
Dairy Never Stops
For farmers on the frontlines, that goal is an everyday reality. “Dairy farmers have planting to do, manure to haul, fields to get worked up,” Ben Chapin, MMPA field services manager, said. “Regardless of COVID-19, cows need to be milked, they have to push through.”
To help prepare the dairy industry for the worse case scenarios to come, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) got to work preparing and releasing numerous resources to help dairy farmers prepare for the challenges at hand.
“As the magnitude of what was happening came into focus, we identified some immediate needs, which at that time were: what do farmers need to know about coronavirus and how its transmitted, and how can we prevent farmers and their workforce from getting infected,” Theresa Sweeney, NMPF communications manager, said.
As a member of NMPF, MMPA shared their resources as they were released with members in weekly email blasts, but despite all the help in preparing farms for a health crisis, at times, the impacts of COVID-19 still seem insurmountable to many. “You come to the beginning of the year and you start getting excited about the promising looking prices and then this just took the whole sail right away. It even took the pole that the sail is on right off the boat,” Aaron Gasper, MMPA member from Lowell, Michigan, said. “You try to stay excited, but we’re back down to crunch mode. We’re still in crunch mode.”
The challenges caused by this crisis are difficult to prepare for. Nobody wants to think of what happens when they get sick and nobody wants to talk about the emotions these decisions cause.
Along with trying to prepare for the unknowns on his farm, Lew-Max Dairy, and handle the responsibilities of being a director-at-large of the MMPA board, Gasper was tasked with trying to find different sources of feed, like the distiller grains he uses in his feed ration now that his local distillery is producing hand sanitizer instead of brewing. He also had to have his sawdust trucked in from further away due to the local furniture shop also being closed.
There are a lot of reasons to worry these days, and for Gasper, his biggest concerns are, “my employees, my milkman and where my milk is going.” Despite it all, Gasper is prepared to manage through it because, “this is unexpected and extraordinary times need extraordinary people to conquer them.”
Along with the challenges Gasper is facing, he’s taking advantage of the low diesel and feed prices, locking them in now to reap the twisted benefits of crashing markets. He encourages his fellow dairymen to look for positives in the situation and take advantage of opportunities like that, because “while this isn’t our fault, it seems like we are going to get the brunt end of it again.”
Social Distancing Haul Over
Gasper’s worries about the milkman are founded in the reality of the high-risk occupation for a pandemic like COVID-19. Milk haulers travel from farm to farm to farm and then to processing plants, coming in contact with numerous highly touched surfaces.
“Haulers can’t pick milk up at the farm if they’re being exposed when they come to the plant,” Therese Tierney, MMPA director of supply chain, said. “There aren’t a lot of people out there who drive for dairy and they’re just as important as every single dairy farmer and processing plant employee. Precautions have to be taken at every level of the supply chain to ensure that we can continue to market milk for our producers.”
Josh Salisbury recognized the risk in his milk hauling operation. With the help of his wife, Heidi, a registered nurse, he was able to rise to the challenge and implement safety precautions for his drivers, his mechanics and his office staff. Their first move was to construct a highly ventilated shed outside of the main shop as a safer solution for his drivers to drop of paperwork and pickup supplies needed for their routes.
“One at a time, the drivers can go into the shed, get their paperwork, drop off their paperwork and grab sample bottles. We also provide supplements for their immune system there,” Heidi said. “In the shed, we also have masks, gloves, alcohol wipes and all sorts of other supplies so that they can continue meeting the needs of the farmers and be able to do their job effectively every day.”
Josh and Heidi require their drivers to wear masks while on the job, air their truck out 10 minutes before they begin to drive and wipe down high touch surfaces in their vehicle regularly with alcohol wipes. They also have given
“
the best you can and try to have as
many things in place as you can.”
thought to business continuity in the event that COVID-19 impacts the health of their drivers.
“So far, we’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to keep everyone healthy,” Josh said. “In a situation that we had a bunch of people test positive, we haven’t had to cross that bridge yet, but we’ve tried to plan ahead for that as much as possible with crosstraining. I don’t think you can plan for everything, you just try to do the best you can and try to have as many things in place as you can.”
When on the farm, Josh and Heidi encourage farm workers to keep their distance from their drivers and to not enter the milk house if the driver is in there. Adjustments like these are challenging when the milkman is a welcome sight on the farm, especially in difficult times like these.
Josh believes that “communication is key” to keep the strength of the dairy supply chain and to adapt to the necessary changes. “If any of our producers were to have any problems on the farm, if they would communicate with us, we can work through it with them,” Josh said.
A State of Preparation
Along with good communication, preparation is key in the environment caused by COVID-19, yet at the same time, preparing for a pandemic seems incredibly extreme. Fortunately, due to their nature and the market they operate in, MMPA’s processing plants were ready to face the crisis at hand.
“Being an SQF certified organization, we understand microbial risks and always follow good management practices of handwashing, using hair nets and wearing clean uniforms,” Kaylan Kennel, director of MMPA Manufacturing, said.
MMPA was also prepared for the need to be flexible when demand for raw milk surged over night and then rapidly declined a week later. MMPA plants have the ability to accommodate 50 percent of the cooperative’s raw milk. When needed, MMPA is able to fluctuate the amount of raw milk sent into their plants to meet customer demand for the product.
The ability to rapidly react to what customers are asking for is because of the assets MMPA’s members have invested into MMPA. Tierney believes that those investments are what is allowing MMPA to market the vast majority of member milk during these challenging times.
“When emergencies like this come up, Middlebury uses more milk by running more cheese vats on the barrel line. We put a UF line in Constantine so that it can process a lot more volume. Members invested in that large dryer at Ovid that is running at capacity right now and the churn investment has allowed MMPA to utilize more of the cream within our own plants,” Tierney said. “We are putting our members’ assets to a maximum utilization right now and it’s because they made those investments that we have homes for their milk.” MMPA is also at an advantage due to previous experiences with an over-supply of milk. “Although it was not a benefit at the time, when Michigan over produced four or five years ago, we learned a lot,” Tierney said. “We worked together to determine how to get the most benefit from our producers’ milk and it prepared us for another crisis like COVID-19.” Today, the plants are implementing the lessons they learned from that to assist with the situation today, all while effectively managing the health portion of the crisis as it impacts plant employees. Bela Sandor, Middlebury
Plant Manager recognizes that “the greatest concern is the employees and their health.” Without labor on the frontlines, milk can’t be processed. For that reason, MMPA plants have provided face masks for all employees and have made changes to daily workflow processes to encourage social distancing and increase sanitation of high touch surfaces. Kennel assures that “we are doing everything possible to make sure that we process our members’ milk while managing within this crisis. We have the members on our mind every day when we come to work at MMPA.”
The future is also a bright spot for Kennel because “during tough times, good organizations and good people have to stretch their abilities to meet the challenge and when we come out of this, we will come out a stronger organization.”
Going Back to our Values
The tough challenges to come became a realization as stay at home orders were put in place across the nation and consumers rushed to the grocery store causing an unprecedented spike in demand for milk at the retail level. As MMPA’s customers turned to us saying that they needed more milk, “MMPA never said no,” Tierney explained. “We were able to fill the increased orders during the time of short-lived demand.”
Meeting customers’ needs in times like these strengthen relationships. Throughout the entirety of this crisis, MMPA has banded together, from a distance, to communicate with customers, meet their needs and fill their orders.
“The whole team, the staff, the plants, the entire co-op did an excellent job, responding to when demand spiked in terms of moving milk where milk needed to be in that third week of March,” Jim Feeney, MMPA senior director of sales, said. “We didn’t miss a beat. It was a coordinated effort. And then, when the demand just kind of stopped, I say the
same as well. The same coordinated effort across MMPA is happening. It’s much bigger than customers, it’s supply chain, operations, finance, communications, our members, everyone.” Just as the rest of the dairy industry, MMPA was impacted by the loss of the food service outlets. Even orders for products that are used mostly outside the food service channel, like yogurt, are different in the new COVID-19 era. “Our customers are metered in how they’re ordering,” Feeney said. “Ultimately, there is less than normal demand right now.” The current situation has resulted in uncertainty and unpredictability surrounding consumer demand and what may lie ahead. Feeney said within the industry, there is “concern about producing too much too quickly, challenges within distribution and products reaching expiration dates before they get sold.” There is no solid reasoning as to why orders are down, other than the unknown. Feeney knows that within the industry, there is “concern about producing too much too quickly, challenges within distribution and products reaching expiration dates before they get sold.” The uncertainties of everything right now are impacting all areas of the supply chain, yet customers are turning to MMPA for the same reasons they always have. According to Feeney, they’re
“looking to us for consistency, for reliability and for assurances that our products are going to be available as they need them.” Tierney echoes the same, “First and foremost, we always have fresh, highquality milk quickly. That’s a standard. We don’t compromise on that.” In addition to servicing the needs of customers, MMPA has made several donations of milk, cheese and butter to food banks in Michigan and Indiana. MMPA’s donations helped support the surge in demand at local food banks during a time when milk was at surplus in many parts of the country. As the supply chain works together in this broken state, know that we are united. Feeney says it best, “We are working on solutions to find a market for milk, all of us. There is a singular focus from everybody. It’s what is driving everyone. There is an unwavering common goal throughout the supply chain.”
Resources
COVID-19 has continued to bring new challenges and uncertainty for everyone involved in the dairy industry. The situations farms are facing today were something that never had to be prepared for in the past but is now crucial to give thought to in today’s environment. The resources below are available at mimilk.com/covid19 to help your farm, your employees and your family through this crisis.
Farm Resources:
• Dairy Farmer Handbook on COVID-19 Prevention and Management
• Posters: Proper Udder Prep
• Posters: What You Need to Know Now about Coronavirus on Your Dairy
• Recommended Protocols for Dairy Farms When an Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19
• What Farm Employers Need to Know about Sick Leave Requirements
• FARM Emergency Action Plan
• Maintaining Cattle Biosecurity in the Midst of COVID-19
Wellness and Stress Resources:
Being in the dairy business can be demanding and stressful at any time, but right now dairy farmers and those involved in the industry are facing uniquely stressful times. If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, anxiety or depression, know that you aren’t alone. The resources below may be helpful for you, for your employees, for your friends or for your family.
MSU Extension is now connecting farmers experiencing stress, anxiety or depression with online counseling. Contact Eric Karbowski at 989-317-4079 or email karbows8@msu.edu to sign up for the pilot program.
The Center for Dairy Excellence has also compiled resources to help farmers through this difficult time. Visit their Stress & Wellness Resources page on centerfordairyexcellence.org to find more information about how you can find relief for yourself and others.
American Farm Bureau has numerous programs designed to encourage resilience and address the mental health of those residing in rural areas. Visit fb.org/programs/rural-resilience/ to learn more.
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Michigan Milk Producers Association 1996 Grover Parkway Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 mimilk.com
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The Center for Food Integrity Experts Say MARKET RECOVERY WILL COME IN FITS AND STARTS
AS THE NATION SLOWLY EMERGES FROM COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, DEMAND FOR FOOD PRODUCTS IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE. IT WON’T BE A SMOOTH RIDE TO RECOVERY, WARNS SUSAN SCHWALLIE, A MEMBER OF THE CENTER FOR FOOD INTEGRITY’S CONSUMER TRUST INSIGHTS COUNCIL.
“I’m calling this the restart roller coaster,” she said during a recent CFI NOW webcast. Schwallie is the executive director of food and beverage consumption for the NPD Group, a market research and consumer insights company.
She and other members of CFI’s Trust Insights Council have shared weekly updates through a Friday webcast by The Center for Food Integrity (CFI). Michigan Milk Producers Association is a member of CFI, a non-profit organization which works to build trust in today’s food system.
The weekly webcast has tracked the impact of COVID-19 on consumer food trends. The unprecedented circumstances have caused disruption, but there are signs that demand is starting to recover. The greatest challenge now for the food system is the closure of meat packing plants because of workers infected with COVID-19.
As stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, demand will increase, but with wide variations in state and local rules, expect a patchwork recovery.
THE CENTER FOR FOOD INTEGRITY HAS HOSTED WEEKLY WEBCASTS WITH SPEAKERS LIKE CHARLIE ARNOT (TOP LEFT), UJWAL ARKALGUD (TOP RIGHT) AND SUSAN SCHALLIE (BOTTOM) THROUGH THE COVID-19 CRISIS.
She pointed to recent information from China, which is emerging from COVID-19 restrictions, that shows that the first sectors of the food system to show significant improvement were in beverage and coffee shop sales. She said this was likely because as people are returning to their routine, which may include stopping for a beverage or snack. Getting a cup of coffee would also be perceived as lower risk than eating at a restaurant.
As shoppers have stopped stockpiling food, some degree of normalcy has returned to stores shelves. Some changes, however, are expected to be more long-lasting. Online ordering of groceries and restaurant meals has increased significantly and the fastest growing group of those ordering online is customers age 75 and above, Schwallie said, and many can be expected to continue to do so.
“Americans are really thinking about what’s essential and what’s necessary,” she said. New knowledge leads to new behavior, said Ujwal Arkalgud, a cultural anthropologist and member of CFI’s Consumer Trust Council. During the CFI NOW webcast, he reports he is seeing at least two new behaviors emerging from the crisis. One is that consumers are very interested in foods that can boost their immunity. The other is greater awareness of gut health and connecting the dots between food, immunity and gut health.
Because of the disruption caused by COVID-19, Arkalgud sees opportunity for the food system. Consumers will be very interested in labeling and considering what foods they can trust.
“In terms of the food system, the biggest thing we’re seeing is things that are related to health and wellbeing are being brought back into focus. We actually think there’s a lot of innovation opportunity, but it’s going to have to come at an economic price given the economic environment,” he said.
JOINING FORCES The Virtual Way
BY MELISSA HART
05:06 / 20:20
Where there is a will, there is a way.
DAIRY PRODUCERS HAVE MADE A LIFESTYLE OUT OF MANAGING THE OBSTACLES OR AS SOME WOULD SAY, MAKING THE PIVOT.
Milk prices too low, they pivot. Feed prices skyrocket, they pivot. TB hits the Michigan dairy industry, they pivot. And each time they make those adjustments to maintain their livelihood, they discover another layer of resiliency they had no idea existed.
Today they are pivoting to adjust to the COVID-19 outbreak and the havoc it’s wreaking on the industry from the parlor to the store shelves. While producers cannot control what happens at the processing and retail level, they are pivoting to the pandemic as it reaches the farm level. And the allied industry has joined in lockstep, virtually, for the benefit of everyone.
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Those were the words that began a new virtual community for MMPA Member Kip Siegler of Imlay City as he contemplated starting a YouTube channel. With the help of wife, Rochelle he launched “Dairy Farming with Kip Siegler” and over the past eight months he has gained nearly 12,000 subscribers to the platform and a million total views.
As Siegler hauls manure, milks the cows, shows the feeding process or starts his spring planting, he takes his audience along for the ride. While he is considerate of telling the responsible story of dairy farming,
As a former member of the military, Siegler enjoys a large following from fellow veterans. Retired farmers also find their way to Siegler’s channel. “ “It’s really rewarding to hear what the retired guys say, they tell me I bring back a lot of memories from their earlier years in farming with their grandfathers. I also have guys who sold their farms and watch the channel with their kids to show them what farming is like.”
Having followers from over fifty countries and hearing from viewers from coast to coast spurs Siegler to keep showing his day to day activities on the farm. Encouraging others, especially during difficult times is something Siegler specializes in, “People are looking for positivity. And they are looking for a solution to their problems. I know I’ve reached someone when I hear someone say, ‘I came on here to learn about farming but what I’m really doing is learning about life.’” He added, “It’s pretty cool when I can touch someone like that.”
With a recent family emergency, Siegler discovered the dedication level of his followers. His niece was in a bad accident and he asked for prayer.
“Hundreds and hundreds of people were saying they are praying for my niece and then they wanted updates. People get emotionally attached and I didn’t mean to do that, but they just want to know what’s going on and that’s really neat,” Siegler said.
Dairy Farming with Kip Siegler videos have been used in several public schools but they aren’t the only dairyfriendly videos showing up when the bell rings. United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) continues to provide virtual farm tours (VFT) for students of every age. In 2019 they hosted, for the first time, four live VFT’s for classrooms that had signed up previously. During the live broadcast schools could submit questions about what they were watching.
When COVID-19 hit, UDIM decided to tap into the technology that people are using to bring the farm to those who’s education has been interrupted by the pandemic. Using the combined talents of the UDIM team, UDIM Director of Industry Relations Jolene Griffin took everyone to her family’s farm and showed the viewers how they care for calves and cows and the feed they prepare for the cows each day. During the tour, Griffin talked about the nutritious and delicious dairy foods created from the milk the cows produce.
Supporting the VFT’s are a library of resource materials for schoolteachers and parents to download and use during instruction time at home. A scavenger hunt to use while watching the VFT’s and FAQ’s that are often asked during the farm tours are available along with other Milk Means More educational resources.
“This is such a dire situation and kids are having their lives uprooted and everything is changing. I feel for parents trying to do their job while maintaining the home and teaching their kids, it’s just so hard right now and we wanted to provide resources to help families and share about dairy,” Griffin said.
UDIM is also helping spread the word about where families can get free meals in their area that will include a serving of milk for each student for every meal.
05:06 / 20:20 05:06 / 20:20
THE UNITED DAIRY INDUSTRY OF MICHIGAN HOSTED A VIRTUAL FARM TOUR ON FACEBOOK LIVE IN APRIL. MODERATED BY UDIM YOUTH WELLNESS MANAGER AMIEE VONDRASEK, THE VIDEO HAS SINCE RACKED UP NEARLY 10,000 VIEWS.
VIRTUAL COFFEE BREAK MSUE DAIRY TEAM
05:06 / 20:20 05:06 / 20:20
THE MSU EXTENSION DAIRY TEAM OFFERS WEEKLY VIRTUAL COFFEE BREAKS. THE TOPIC “IMPROVING THE TARGETING OF YOUR ANTIBIOTIC USE,” INVOLVED A DISCUSSION WITH ANIMAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT CHAIR DR. PAM RUEGG (LEFT) HOSTED BY MSU EXTENSION DAIRY EDUCATOR MARIANNE BUZA (RIGHT).
“The UDIM website is a one stop shop for fun, education and nourishment for families,” Griffin added.
Virtual Coffee Breaks
While daily dairy is essential for everyone, some consider coffee to be an essential part of their day and the MSU Extension Dairy Team is hosting Virtual Coffee Breaks on several platforms.
MSU Extension Specialist Phil Durst said they started brainstorming about the idea last year. “We were simply looking for new ways to reach farmers with information, so we planned this series of coffee breaks and it turned out to be very timely.”
The coffee breaks took place live each Wednesday morning in March and April and are conversations lasting less than a half hour. They are available on YouTube on the MSU Extension Dairy Team YouTube channel along with other audio platforms like Spotify.
Covering everything from building consumer ag literacy and employee team building to producing quality milk and recommendations for 2020 corn silage planting, the coffee breaks provide another layer of programming from MSU Extension.
“MSU Extension really cares about dairy farmers and we want to help producers any way we can. We know it’s a very difficult time and yet we want farmers to know that they are incredibly important to us,” Durst concluded. “We praise them for their work, day in and day out, to produce healthy food products and we thank them for their work. So, we want to be a good partner with them as they produce quality food for our state, our nation and our world.”
