Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Events of the past several years have amply demonstrated that in the dairy industry, concepts like “unity” and “collaboration” sometimes seemed like they’re from a foreign language that doesn’t translate too well. Last year’s debate over Federal Milk Marketing Order reform aired the dairy industry’s dirty laundry for the rest of the country to see, and as is often the case, we all suffer the consequences when our internal squabbles are brought to light. The ongoing dispute over the desirability of dairy compacts is sure to stoke the fires again this year.

The ironic thing is that in most respects, dairy farmers have much more in common today than ever before. Dairy producers all face collective challenges to their future, not the least of which is highly volatile (and of late, painfully low) milk prices. No one can long withstand $10 milk, regardless of where your operation is located. And there are other mutual concerns we must confront, issues that cross regional lines and have no regard for the size of the dairy farm.

As an example, Johne’s disease does not discriminate based on the location of your herd. It’s a growing problem, and one we need to come to grips with. Environmental pressures are another issue of growing concern, and those pressures exist from Florida to Washington and from California to Vermont. And dairy producers of all sizes and types will have to confront even more government regulations and operations threats, real and potential, as we move into the 21st century.

That’s why NMPF is using this year to find ways for dairy producers and their organizations to work together. That’s why we are sponsoring the Dairy Producer Conclave, a unique format intended to refocus the energies of the dairy community and develop areas of consensus among all dairy farmers.

We’ve already held the initial planning session for the Dairy Producer Conclave in Dallas on January 20-21. Next up, we’ll be holding five regional grassroots sessions for producers to provide input on the key issues where we need to be focused. Those issues include some combination of topics like Animal Health, Environment, Trade, Product Standards, Taxes, and Economic Policy. All of these issues have a direct impact on producers’ bottom-line economic health. And in many cases, we can do more about them than we can about where milk prices may be headed.

After the regional sessions are completed, we’ll take all of the grassroots input and share it with our planning team that met a few weeks ago in Dallas. It’s worth pointing out that this is not just a NMPF exercise; we’re also involving representatives from other national farm organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Organization, the National Farmers Union, the National Grange, and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Each of these groups has a vested interest in finding new ways for its dairy farmer members to work together, instead of the name-calling and finger-pointing that has been all too prominent of late.

Ultimately, we hope the Dairy Producer Conclave can be used to create a blueprint for the dairy provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill, and as a way to create new coalitions to building support for other aspects of farm policy.

With fewer than 90,000 commercial dairy producers left in the country (compared to nearly 3 million 50 years ago), we don’t have the luxury of not working together in the future. This doesn’t mean we always have to agree, but in order for the dairy industry to move forward, we must all get along. My uncle once said that you can disagree with people, but it shouldn’t make you disagreeable. That’s an important distinction. We must acknowledge that we need to work together – that we need each other – if we are to have a bright future. Few problems are solved with an absence of cooperation.

That much we can agree on, and that’s a good start.

National Milk Producers Federation

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