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WHAT YOU’LL LEARN AT DAIRY CARE ACADEMY
What You’ll Learn at Dairy Care Academ y
Dairy Care Academy is an MMPA program designed to help members meet training requirements for the FARM program. The interactive, day-long training teaches participants about milking practices, dairy stockmanship and calf care. MMPA farms can send employees or family members to any or all of the three sessions offered. The program is offered free to MMPA members and their employees. For all six trainings being held throughout the region, doors open at 9:30 a.m., programming begins promptly at 10 a.m., and training ends at 3 p.m. Visit mimilk.com/DCA to register and find a training near you.
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UPCOMING DAIRY CARE ACADEMY TRAININGS – REGISTER TODAY!
February 12: Topeka, IN Cletus Yoder Farm 7360 Indiana 5 Topeka, IN 46571 February 27: Manchester, MI Freedom Township Hall 11508 E. Pleasant Rd. Manchester, MI 48158 March 18: Carson City, MI St. Mary’s Parrish 404 N. Division Carson City, MI 48811 April 2: Cass City, MI Charmont Lanes 6138 Cass City Rd. Cass City, MI 48726
MILKING PRACTICES
The key to reducing mastitis infections is prevention.
Milkers directly influence milk quality and udder health.
Practicing proper udder prep techniques sets the cow up for good milk let down, allowing her to milk out quickly and effectively.
MILKING PRACTICES
DAIRY STOCKMANSHIP
CALF CARE
DAIRY STOCKMANSHIP
Effective two way communication between cow and human promotes safe and efficient animal handling.
Noises, isolation and bad past experiences stress cows out.
Good dairy stockmanship increases overall milk production and herd health.
Learn more at mimilk.com/dairy-care-academy or by contacting Emily Keranen at ekeranen@mimilk.com or 248-474-6672 ex. 203. CALF CARE Calf housing should be clean, dry, draft free and well ventilated. The quality of colostrum is greatly impacted by timely collection, equipment cleanliness and storage conditions. Along with rinsing and washing, proper equipment cleaning also includes a second rinse, drying and sanitizing before use.
April 15: Falmouth, MI Falmouth Community Center 219 E. Propser Rd. Falmouth, MI 49632 April 30: Whittemore, MI Whittemore Fire Station 621 S. Bullock St. Whittemore, MI 48770
Online at mimilk.com/dairy-care-academy
Email Emily Keranen at ekeranen@mimilk.com
The Heart & Engine of Chocolate
GLOBAL CHOCOLATIER BUILDS “FOREVER CHOCOLATE” FUTURE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
BY ALLISON STUBY MILLER
Chocolate. It’s a moment of joy, a mood-booster, a celebration, a comforter. The tantalizing mix of cocoa, sugar and milk captivates people around the globe every day and fuels a $103 billion industry.
Behind one out of every four pieces of chocolate in the world is the Swissbased Barry Callebaut Group, according to Kevin Ogorzalek, the chocolatier’s manager of sustainable sourcing.
“We are the heart and engine of the chocolate industry,” Kevin Ogorzalek said to MMPA members during a presentation at the Leaders’ Conference held November 22, 2019.
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A global footprint An MMPA customer, Barry Callebaut is a multinational corporation established through the merger of Belgian chocolate maker Callebaut and French chocolate producer Cacao Barry.
“We are a growing business. We are a global business,” Ogorzalek said, noting the company has over 175 years of chocolate heritage.
Today, the world’s leader in chocolate manufacturing and cocoa processing, Barry Callebaut operates 62 factories worldwide and employs over 12,000 people.
Chocolate has a complex and storied process that begins with the cocoa bean. Grown in hot rainy areas near the Equator, farmers harvest cocoa beans for Barry Callebaut, who then processes the beans into cocoa liquor. Like milk, cocoa is broken down into fat and protein in the form of cocoa butter and cocoa powder, says Kaitlin Nolan, Barry Callebaut dairy sourcing manager.
Depending on the end use, Barry Callebaut then adds sugar, milk, fats, nuts and other ingredients to the cocoa butter and powder to develop finished and semifinished products. A business-to-business company, Barry Callebaut sells its products to food manufacturers and artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers.
High quality dairy While dairy is only one facet of the chocolate making process, Nolan says high quality dairy ensures they can consistently produce high quality chocolate.
“Milk is very important because to make great milk chocolate you need to ensure you have that milky flavor. The taste and mouth feel that comes from the milk is very important,” she said.
All suppliers, MMPA included, go through an approval process with Barry Callebaut’s sensory department, who examines taste, smell and mouth feel of the products.
BARRY CALLEBAUT OPERATES 62 COCOA PROCESSING AND CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES WORLDWIDE. (PHOTO BY: BARRY CALLEBAUT)
Barry Callebaut sources significant volumes of dairy in the Americas, according to Ogorzalek. Dairy ingredients used in chocolate include powder (skim, whole and buttermilk), whey products, butter fats, lactose, milk and whey proteins, and casein and caseinate.
Partnering for Forever Chocolate With a global footprint and a wide range of sourced ingredients, behind each chocolate bar is a complex web of relationships and impact on the planet. With a goal of ensuring chocolate is around for future generations, Ogorzalek says Barry Callebaut is on a sustainable sourcing journey.
“We don’t see this as a top down approach, we see this as an opportunity to learn together to grow together,” he said. Through their “Forever Chocolate” program, Barry Callebaut is partnering at every level of their supply chain to make “sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025.” Their targets include lifting 500,000 cocoa farmers out of poverty and producing their products with 100 percent sustainably sourced ingredients.
“Everything we do in our sustainable ingredients sourcing efforts focuses on verifiable economic, social and environmental continuous improvement,” Ogorzalek said. “We also do it in our own operations. I want to demonstrate that we at Barry Callebaut are walking the walk.”
Internally, Barry Callebaut is implementing renewable energy in their factories, reviewing their ocean fleet and land freight to reduce emissions, and investing in their cocoa and non-cocoa supply chains. One project reduced natural gas use at a manufacturing facility by bio digesting cocoa shells, which were previously discarded.
In addition to investments in their own operations, Barry Callebaut is working with all its ingredients—including sugar, vanilla, nuts and dairy—on sustainability. Acknowledging dairy farmers are stewards of their land, Ogorzalek says they hope to learn from farmers by partnering with suppliers like MMPA.
“Knowing that MMPA has 100 percent participation in the FARM animal care program is fantastic and something you should be extremely proud of,” Ogorzalek said. “You also have some of the highest quality milk in the country with low somatic cell count.”
In further partnership, Barry Callabaut recently sponsored a handful of MMPA farms to participate in a pilot project with a feed additive, Agolin. Chipping away at Barry Callebaut’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the blend of plant extracts is designed to optimize feed intake and digestion. Ogorzalek says results have been positive so far by reducing methane emissions and increasing farmers’ profitability.
“We are seeing a range of financial benefits for all farmers participating in the pilot,” he said. “We also see this as an opportunity to build trust as we go on the journey of sustainable sourcing together. We are learning what works, what doesn’t work and sharing costs in the process.”
Moving forward, Ogorzalek says Barry Callebaut is looking to expand with companies like MMPA who are willing to collaborate for long-term sustainability. “We want to ensure future generations will have chocolate,” he said.
Recognizing the contributions of MMPA members, Ogorzalek concluded with gratitude toward dairy farmers and the role they play in the chocolate making process. “Thank you for providing quality products for Barry Callebaut so that we can continue to grow together.”
THERE AND BACK AGAIN
BY JAMES WEBER
In early November, Kylie and I had the privilege of representing MMPA alongside fellow members Paul and Nancy Pyle at the 2019 National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Our program started with the 2020 NMPF advisory council meeting where Kylie and I sat alongside a group of young dairy cooperators focused and engaged in discussion. It was an excellent icebreaker to the ensuing conference as we familiarized ourselves with like-minded individuals that we would continue to connect with over the next few days. The day included a presentation titled “The Media: (How to) Deal with It” hosted by NMPF’s senior vice president Alan Bjerga. He discussed the methods employed by different parties during interviews and how we can use these opportunities to promote our industry and positively affect the story being created.
The conference was jam-packed with a wide variety of speakers covering a vast number of topics. Allyson Perry, from Center for Food Integrity, hosted a consumer panel of 8 individuals randomly selected from the New Orleans area; Steve Lerch, a former employee of Google, talked about how to understand dairy consumers; Don Schindler brought three media experts to learn about their take on the story of dairy; and Emily Yeiser-Stepp, from the FARM program, gave updates on 4.0 and how we can use it as a tool against animal activist videos.
Kylie and I’s favorite presentation was University of Nebraska’s Ron Hanson who shared his emotionally charged stories of his past and experiences he
(L-R) KYLIE SCHUH, JAMES WEBER, NANCY PYLE, AND PAUL PYLE ATTENDED THE NMPF CONFERENCE ON BEHALF OF MMPA.
has encountered with farm ownership transition. Dr. Hanson shared with me that he will be speaking in Traverse City for Farm Bureau and I strongly encourage fellow members to attend if their schedule allows.
Before heading home, our final order of business was our 2020 YC Council meeting to elect our board members. I am thrilled to share that MMPA will hold the chair position for the second year in a row! I am following in the footsteps of Paul and Nancy Pyle as National YC Council Chairman and am very honored to be chosen to help lead such a talented group of young individuals.
milk messenger / JAN-FEB 2020 experience. I want to thank MMPA for allowing us to hear from an outstanding, knowledgeable speakers and meet with fellow dairymen from across the nation. I’d like to personally thank Jessica Welch, Sheila Burkhardt, Paul Pyle and Nancy Pyle. These four individuals helped guide us and made our time in New Orleans memorable.
As with other similar events I’ve attended in the past, the networking and personal connections are the most valuable part of the whole experience. I can attest to our MMPA members that you are represented by an incredible cohort of staff at MMPA. You have a board of directors that are highly engaged in this industry and the wellbeing of your co-op and your future. The entire dairy industry is working together for a promising future. As we look towards 2020, I am eager to share with you the upcoming YC events that I am helping to plan. The annual YC tour is going to be held in Grand Rapids on March 31 to April 1. The overnight event will provide young cooperators the opportunity to tour an MMPA customer’s large-scale cheese plant. The agenda is filled with a variety of tours and fun events that will allow attendees to meet fellow young cooperators, develop relationships with the board of directors and meet the MMPA staff that work on your behalf. I highly encourage any MMPA member or their employee under the age of 40 to join me in exploring West Michigan.
YOUNG COOPERATOR TOUR: EXPLORE WEST MICHIGAN
MARCH 31 – APRIL 1, 2020
Join fellow young cooperators to experience downtown life and the entire dairy processing chain in a jam-packed two-day exploration of the Grand Rapids area. From farms to plants to everything in between, explore West Michigan’s nooks and crannies to find more than tall buildings and downtown lights.
Attendees will tour an MMPA customer’s cheese plant, chat about sustainability tactics on fellow members’ farms and discover the inner workings of Zeeland Farm Services.
REGISTRATION: Register online at mimilk.com/yctour. Or call 248-471-2135. Space is limited to the first 50 people.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS: Make hotel reservations for the night of March 31 at the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown by calling 616-235-7611. Attendees are responsible for the cost of their rooms at a subsidized rate of $112 at the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown. Call and share the code “MMPA” to make your reservation. Meals and bus travel are covered by MMPA.
YC PLANNING COMMITTEE: James Weber, 2019 OYDC Brad and Nicole Wren, 2019 OYDC Runners-Up Paul and Nancy Pyle, 2018 OYDC Jeremey and Deanna Beebe, 2018 OYDC Runners-Up
TWO-DAY BUS TRIP
Visit mimilk.com/yctour to learn more. #MMPAYC20
REGISTER TODAY!
