SUMMER
2020
UDA MAGAZINE
DAIRY PRODUCERS GAIN FEDERAL SUPPORT CFAP
PAYMENTS THE
AND
ROAD
TO
GETTING
BACK
RECOVERY
ON
UDA MAGAZINE United Dairymen of Arizona Officers & Executive Commitee Craig Caballero Jim Boyle Jr. Ben Gingg Robert Van Hofwegen David Feenstra Keith Murfield
President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Member at Large Member at Large CEO and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
UDA's Commitment to a Healthy Workplace What has UDA been doing at the plant level to protect employees from COVID-19?
An Employee Tests Positive... Now What? Steps to take if an employee tests positive on your dairy
directors Ian Accomazzo Daniel Boschma Arie DeJong Ben Dickman Tom Dugan Dan Gladden Bill Kerr Tom Thompson Justin Stewart Paul Rovey Nick Vanderwey Pieter van Rijn
In this issue
Gila Bend Tonopah Maricopa Buckeye Stanfield Palo Verde Buckeye Buckeye Mesa Glendale Buckeye Mesa
UNITED DAIRYMEN is published quarterly for the dairy cooperative members of the United Dairymen of Arizona, 2008 S. Hardy Dr., Tempe, AZ 85282. Additional distribution includes agencies, businesses and individuals associated with the production of milk. Paid subscriptions are not available. Membership list is not available for public use. Acceptance of advertising does not assure that merchandise or services advertised have been approved by United Dairymen of Arizona, the health department or other regulatory agencies. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the written material or representations that appear in the advertisement.
In the Community Feeding Families, Supporting Farmers Feed My Starving Children
Development of the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines Written by Michael Dykes, How is IDFA supporting the Dairy industry as the guidelines are updated?
Hot Temps, Cool Recipes 2020 Census Information Dairy Producers Gain Federal Support Written by Paul Bleiberg NMPF Information about the USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Payments
DairyAmerica Update Written by Todd Wittlinger How have exports been affected during the global slowdown?
Arizona Milk Producers Update
UDA’s Commitment to a Healthy Workplace The coronavirus continues to evolve and guidelines are ever changing, but one thing remains the same: UDA’s commitment to keeping our employees, members and consumers safe. In addition to the safety and health measures we have always had in place, we are now taking additional measures to ensure safety at our office and manufacturing facility.
Tempe Plant Health Measures Milk production must go on! Without the option for employees at this facility to stay at home, UDA has undertaken the following measures to keep our Tempe facility safe for our employees and milk production. We will continue to monitor employees who are showing signs of illness until the National State of Emergency clears. Travel quarantines. All employees must notify HR of upcoming travel plans. Depending on the destination, a 14 day quarantine may be required before returning to work. The enhanced sanitation of common areas will be a new normal for UDA. This practice is beneficial in keeping all germs and contaminants out of the plant. No visitors are allowed. Nonessential visitors are prohibited from entering the plant. In accordance with CDC Guidelines UDA will began wearing face masks as an added layer of protection for employees. All visitors and employees must wear a mask on UDA property.
UDA will continue to monitor the situation and adhere to policies and guidelines set forth by health and government agencies. Producing high quality milk and keeping our employees safe and healthy go hand-in-hand, and we remain committed to these efforts going forward.
An employee tests positive... Now what? As we continue to adjust our day to day lives during the COVID-19 outbreak, it's important to continue to take precautions to protect your farm and employees. What would you do if an integral employee tested positive at your operation? Using CDC guidance, the following actions should be taken.* 1. Employee receives positive result a. Send home immediately b. Start contact tracing i. ask employee who he/she was in close contact with for 15 minutes or more and less than 6 feet apart ii. These people are likely higher risk and you should notify them to watch for symptoms (cough, fever, difficulty breathing, etc.) c. Clean and disinfect areas that employee came in contact 2. If other employees begin to show 2 out of the 3 symptoms, send them home. Ultimately, best practice is to notify the entire workforce (you do not need to say who the employee is) but let all know that those who are high risk have been contacted and you/management are on top of the situation to protect the health and safety of employees When can employees come back to work (if not hospitalized)? 1. CDC guidelines provide the following recommendations a. Symptom-based strategy i. Persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation under the following conditions: ii. At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and, iii. At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. *Information covered on this page is not considered legal advice. For more information and resources visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/disposition-in-home-patients.html https://www.nmpf.org/coronavirus/
Feeding Families, supporting farmers fundraiser
United Dairymen of Arizona developed an ongoing fundraising partnership with United Food Bank to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud to announce that with the community we have raised over $19,000 to provide nearly 10,000 gallons of milk to United Food Bank. United Food Bank’s average monthly food distribution jumped from 1.6 million pounds per month to 1.2 million pounds per week due to the impact of COVID-19, and the need for milk has been significant. In fact, the food bank has seen an increase from 500 families to 2,500 families per week at its Mesa Convention Center distribution site since the virus outbreak. In these uncertain times when many are facing challenges and hardships, we are honored to work with United Food Bank in supporting those in our community who need it most.
Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults handpack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and they ship meals to nearly 70 countries around the world. On March 9, the UDA YC’s spent the evening volunteering for Feed my Starving Children. Coincidentally, it was one of the last packing sessions before they had to shut down due to the COVID outbreak. During the upbeat, hour-long packing event, 140 volunteers from organizations all over the valley helped fill over 190 boxes of food to feed over 40,000 meals to hungry kids in the Philippines. The UDA YC’s are proud to serve in our community!
Development of the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Written by: Michael Dykes, president and CEO of IDFA
Do you recall the Food Wheel or the Food Pyramid? Or perhaps you remember My Plate? Each tool was designed in various decades by USDA to illustrate healthy eating patterns for Americans of all ages. Those tools are illustrations of dietary recommendations developed by USDA and HHS, which are in turn based on scientific review from a group of health experts called the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, who meet every five years to review the latest dietary science. Just a few weeks ago, the Committee released their latest draft scientific report. As you read this, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are closely reviewing the report—their staff will develop the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and release it to the public in late 2020.
The Dietary Guidelines, or the DGAs, have a significant impact on the dairy industry. Not only do they provide advice on the foods and beverages that help people develop a healthy diet, they also set the standards for federal feeding programs like school breakfast and lunch, and nutrition education messages through WIC and SNAP. Billions of federal dollars are spent every year with the goal of helping Americans to improve their diets and overall health. The Dietary Guidelines released in 2015 affirmed the important nutritional contribution made by dairy foods and reminded Americans that a healthy diet includes three daily servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy. Importantly, dairy remains a category unto itself in the DGAs–a recognition of the unparalleled health and nutrition benefits that dairy products provide to people of all ages.
The DGAs are a major focus for IDFA’s advocacy. Last year, we submitted official comments to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, providing scientific evidence that reaffirms maintaining the dairy food group as its own and recommending that eating patterns include 3 servings of dairy products daily—as they are supported by a strong preponderance of evidence. Although the draft conclusions for the newest DGAs are just that—draft and not yet final— IDFA is growing more confident that dairy will maintain its central, influential position in official dietary recommendations by the federal government. After reading the draft conclusions offered by the Committee, here are three reasons to be confident: 1. Dairy, particularly low-fat and fat-free dairy, is called out in many of the dietary patterns that are associated with better health outcomes; 2. Draft conclusions call out dairy as an under-consumed food group by most Americans; and 3. It appears that the key vitamins and nutrients associated with dairy foods—also called “food components of public health concern”—will remain largely the same, including vitamin D, calcium, dietary fiber, and potassium. In other words, health professionals encourage Americans to consume foods rich in these nutrients, including dairy. While IDFA fought hard to point the Committee to a growing body of emerging research showing consumption of full-fat dairy foods (milk, cheese and yogurt) is not associated with higher risk of negative health outcomes, the Committee’s draft conclusions indicate they won’t recommend dairy at all fat levels as part of a healthy dietary pattern. However, we are confident that with a strong advocacy voice and partnership with IDFA members like United Dairymen of Arizona, and with a growing body of scientific evidence on our side, we will continue to restore dairy’s good name and reputation within science-based nutrition guidelines. If the 2020 draft conclusions are any indication, we’re making strong progress.
June 16, 2020 The Milk n More Store will open back up to the public
Hot temps, cool recipes It’s June Dairy Month and with temps rising fast, this time of year calls for fresh and cool recipes. Even if you’re up for outdoor grilling, you’ll likely want to balance out the menu with quick, easy and chilled side dishes like these. Pesto Pasta Salad (featuring fresh mozzarella) https://lovetobeinthekitchen.com/2017/06/22/pestopasta-salad/ Ingredients: 4 C (12 oz.) rotini or fusilli pasta, uncooked 1 C pesto 2 C cherry tomatoes halved 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cut into cubes Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil (optional)
Instructions: Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain and rinse with cold water, shaking out any excess water Place pasta in large bowl and stir in the pesto Fold in tomatoes and mozzarella Season with salt and pepper Add olive oil if dry Note: Keeps in fridge for up to one week.
Hot temps, cool recipes Chipotle BBQ Three Bean Salad (featuring Greek yogurt) https://www.usdairy.com/recipes/home -recipe-card-chipotle-bbq-three-beansalad Ingredients: 2/3 C canned black beans, drained 2/3 C pinto beans, drained 2/3 C garbanzo beans, drained 1 C fat-free Greek yogurt 1 T + 2 tsp. lime juice ¼ tsp EACH black pepper, granulated onion, dried dill, chipotle powder ¾ tsp dried cilantro 2 ½ T BBQ sauce Instructions: Rinse all beans in cold water, drain well Combine all beans together Combine yogurt and lime juice in mixing bowl Combine yogurt mixture and BBQ sauce, mix until well-blended Pour mixture over beans, toss lightly
NMPF YC Calendar JUNE 16 - 6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT National Milk Producers Federation 101 Webinar NMPF Membership Services Join us for a webinar and learn all about the National Milk Producers Federation. Chris’s presentation will cover the organization’s scope of work, an overview of policy priorities, membership, leadership, grassroots structure, staff and how you play a part in our membership.
JULY 14 - 6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT Dairy on the Hill: Policy Updates and Outlook Webinar NMPF Government Relations NMPF’s Government Relations team will share the latest updates from Capitol Hill, as well as an overview of how our policy priorities are determined and how Young Cooperators can be actively involved in advocating for better policy outcomes for dairy farmers.
AUGUST 11 - 6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT How to be the Advocate that Your Member of Congress Needs Webinar NMPF Government Relations This training will equip YCs with skills to share their story so they can become the resource that elected officials need to impact legislation and policy.
Dairy producers gaining federal support By: Paul Bleiberg Vice President, Government Relations - National Milk Producers Federation U.S. dairy farmers have not stopped producing milk during the Coronavirus pandemic, despite the widespread economic harm COVID-19 has inflicted on the industry. That fact hasn’t been lost on Congress or USDA, where assistance to dairy has been a priority for many lawmakers and officials who know America depends on the industry. USDA has boosted dairy twice this month, first with its $317 million purchase of dairy products through its Farmers to Families Food Box Program and more recently with its announcement of direct payments to dairy producers as part of its $16 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for farmers nationwide. Together they tackle the problems of seized-up supply chains, families in need, and dairy farmers facing economic struggle. Due in large part to the collaborative efforts of NMPF and other agricultural organizations, USDA raised the initial proposed payment limit for CFAP and allowed farmers using risk management tools this year to receive CFAP payments on their enrolled milk. Dairy payments will be determined based on two factors, with the intention of calculating losses caused by COVID-19. The first factor is calculated by multiplying a producer’s 2020 Quarter 1 milk production by $4.71 per hundredweight. The second component is based on a 1.4% increase in that same first quarter production multiplied by $1.47 per hundredweight. Overall, the payment amounts to $6.20/cwt. for a farm’s production during January through March of 2020. Milk production enrolled in risk management programs – such as Livestock Gross Margin, Dairy Revenue Protection, Dairy Margin Coverage or forward contracts – qualifies for CFAP payments. Continued on next page
Dairy Producers Gaining Federal Support Continued In addition, dairy farmers are also eligible for payments on cull cows, steers, and feed crops. In general, CFAP payments are subject to a per person and legal entity payment limitation of $250,000. This limitation applies to the total amount of CFAP payments made with respect to all eligible commodities. There are nuances to this limitation based on the details of the business, such as a corporate entity’s number of shareholders. Additionally, an average adjusted gross income (AGI) of more than $900,000 may render an individual or entity ineligible for CFAP payments if 25% or more of that average AGI is derived from activities besides farming, ranching, forestry, or related activities. CFAP applications should be filed through FSA offices, who can answer questions and help prepare the application. This assistance will undoubtedly benefit farmers, but attention has now returned to Congress, where lawmakers are contemplating another round of stimulus which will likely be the best vehicle for additional support for farmers who face an unprecedented crisis. The House passed the HEROES Act in May, and we are hopeful that the Senate will move a bill shortly as well. COVID-19 has caused significant strain for dairy farmers at a time when milk prices had finally begun to increase after five consecutive difficult years. Federal relief in this national emergency will undoubtedly be important to getting back on the road to recovery.
DairyAmerica Update Oh, how things can change in a few short months. At the end of January, our management team joined your cooperative as we celebrated 60 years of UDA’s existence and commitment to the dairy industry in Arizona. One hundred days later, as I sit down to write this update, we are one week into a reopening of our state and our country after nearly two months of a “stay at home” order due to the coronavirus!
COVID 19 affected all businesses and commodities, and dairy was no exception. With timing never ideal for a global pandemic to appear- the mandatory closure of restaurants, schools, and businesses at approximately the same time as peak milk production in Arizona could not have been any worse. Milk utilization and product mix for dairy products changed overnight; these significant and volatile days caused ample pain and fear amongst the local, national, and international dairy industry. The pandemic also challenged DairyAmerica as we closed our corporate office in Fresno, CA, forcing our day to day operations to function remotely. Our newly hired HR coordinator Myra Aguayo facilitated the staff with the necessary equipment to work from home. As we reopen our doors, she has a plan to ensure that our employees have a safe and healthy work environment. Derrick Toy and our logistics team handled disruptions in shipping and finding logistical options to deliver dairy ingredients on time to our customers. Our credit team, led by Chris Pritchard, worked diligently to help those customers in need of additional terms; while keeping cash flow intact. Our entire commercial team navigated through customers’ demand volatility as some industries struggled while others expanded. The most used word of this whole event has been “unprecedented,” and we could not agree more! Over the past few weeks, there has been an uptick in demand both domestically and from an export perspective, increasing sales price and volumes for NFDM, SMP, MPC 70, lactose, and butter. At our May board meeting, DairyAmerica reported that despite all that has happened, our business remains sound. We are in a position to take advantage of a market poised to rebound in the coming months. There has been a tremendous interest in the SimpliPure™ branded lactose coming from the new state of the art facility soon. The DairyAmerica team already has sales contracts in place for the highly anticipated product. Marketing efforts are also underway, including a new website under construction and attendance and representation at global food shows.
DairyAmerica Update Continued: The timing of the new lactose plant could not have come at a better time as global demand is robust due to: Resumed imports of U.S. lactose to China The Chinese have also recently approved the use of milk and whey permeate for general food applications; tightening the supply of global carbohydrates The recent supply of lactose contracted Sugar prices have increased, causing reformulation to other sweeteners including lactose where possible Overall increased demand for lactose primarily due to an increase in infant formula demand. The excitement is building, and DairyAmerica is ready to take this premium quality ingredient to the market! Finally, as we turn our calendars to June, there is a sign of renewed life and hope across our nation! June is Dairy Month, and on behalf of the entire staff of DairyAmerica, we salute you – our dairy farmers and farm families – for the time, sweat, and tears put into your profession to ensure our country has fresh quality food on the table every day. Thank you, God Bless, and Stay Safe!- Todd Wittlinger
ADVANAGE 20X Wonder Cleaner On the dairy or in your home this ADVANAGE 20X is in a class by itself when it comes to safe, natural high-performance, allpurpose cleaners. This non-toxic, biodegradable, all-purpose ultraconcentrated cleaner outperforms every other cleaner in the market and consistently produces amazing results. I brought some home a few months back and my wife hasn't used any other cleaners since. Now available through the UDA Supply Store or through your UDA Route Salesman (Mike or Pancho) 1 Quart bottle- $24.50 Specially marked spray bottle for easy dilution: $3.50 Thank you, Russell Swainston
Retail E-commerce messaging on Fry’s/Smith’s Clicklist: “Milk: The Comfort Food Starter” campaign emphasized milk as a pantry staple for freshly-made recipes. To be followed by an e-commerce campaign for June Dairy Month. Sales trends show 20-40% of consumers moving toward e-commerce grocery purchases since COVID-19 restrictions. Coming Soon: Fry’s/Smith’s “Virtual Sampling” campaign – social media video ads delivered to Kroger consumers that include bone building and immune-boosting smoothies developed to encourage consumers to try new dairy recipes that revolve around health.
Communications News interviews aired on KTVK Arizona’s Family, FOX 10, ABC 15, NBC 12, KIZZ NPR, KTAR, The Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com, Chamber Business News, San Tan Sun, Cronkite News PBS, West Valley View, and FOX News. Topics covered related to milk displacement, supporting local dairy, and what consumers can do to help. Interviewees included: Bill Kerr, Craig Caballero, Rosemarie Burgos Zimbelman, Josh Gladden, Casey Dugan, Keith Murfield, Sine Kerr, Wes Kerr, Paul Rovey, and Jen Millican. Nearly 207 million people reached from the news stories on-air and news websites. More than 5 million reached from news stations’ social channels. Partner 3TV Arizona Family aired “We’re All In This Together” video from different businesses and Bill Kerr is featured from his farm. A “Community Resource during Social Distancing” section was created on Arizonamilk.org with recipes for eating at home, dairy to strengthen immunity, cooking with kids. Splash Dunk Cookie Contest features videos of consumers dunking cookies in milk in the most creative ways. Make the Most of Your Gallon campaign promoted ordering milk online and consumers received dairy recipes.
Schools Dairy Council of Arizona provided 300 insulated cooler bags to school feeding sites to facilitate milk delivery. Each insulated bag holds a crate of milk. Twenty-nine schools have received $2,000 grants from GenYouth to fill emergency feeding site needs and facilitate milk consumption (GenYouth is the 501c3 organization affiliated with the national dairy checkoff program).
Food Banks Dairy Council of Arizona is providing a Milk Matching Program for food banks and food pantries to help them double their milk purchases and provide more milk for families in need. Milk Monday Donation: Kroger processed 2,500 gallons of milk per week, free of charge, for four weeks to provide children in the Nogales, Ariz. school food sites with extra milk to take home to their families. Nutrition education materials were also provided. Donations made to Mom’s Pantry by Arizona dairy farmers were matched by Dairy Council of Arizona for a total of approximately 16,000 eight-ounce servings delivered to families in need.
Sponsor A Hole UDA Udder Milk Golf Tournament
Friday, October 2, 2020 Tee off Time- 7:30 am | Shotgun Start - 4 person scramble
Golf fee includes: Carts, Range balls, Coffee/Rolls and Lunch. Great door prizes, 50/50 Raffle and Mulligan Tickets. Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin prizes. Location: Arizona Grand Resort
$250
Hole Sponsorship - OR -
$750
Hole Sponsorship includes 4 golfers fees
$125
Individual Players Fee
For Sponsorship Forms and Golfer Registrations please reach out to Travis SolomonTsolomon@udaz.org
All tournament sponsorship proceeds will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley.