NMPF Spotlights Stewardship Through Storytelling
May 5, 2026
NMPF and the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program spent April telling one connected story across multiple media channels: how America’s dairy farm families are true stewards, not just for Earth Day, but every day.
NMPF’s latest Farmer Focus, CEO’s Corner column, and Dairy Defined Podcast episode spotlighted the people and programs behind the progress.
In Farmer Focus, the Van Hofwegen family shared how data opens doors for future generations, using FARM Environmental Stewardship to track and measure the farm’s environmental footprint.
Paloma Dairy in Gila Bend, AZ, is a family-owned and operated United Dairymen of Arizona member-farm producing high-quality milk since its founding in 2006. It’s managed by Robert Sr. and his four sons: Allan, Robert Jr., Arie and Kyle.
The farm uses energy audits and data collected from FARM ES evaluations to shape capital investments and business strategies. “You know, we call ourselves dairymen, but it’s agribusiness — business in capital letters,” said Robert Van Hofwegen.
NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud’s monthly CEO’s Corner column touched on farmer stewardship, noting that much of what’s called “sustainability” is simply good business practices and efficiency.
“Public discussion about agriculture at times treats stewardship and profitability as parallel conversations — one is about social responsibility (whatever that may mean), while the other is about returns,” the column states.
“A dairy farmer’s reality is very different. On dairies, stewardship is a business strategy that improves efficiency, manages risk, and strengthens U.S. dairy’s competitiveness at home and abroad. Its success hinges upon being farmer‑led, incentive‑based, and grounded in economics rather than mandates.
“Efficiency has always been the foundation. To use a recent buzzword, do you know what “regenerative ag” is to me? It’s the stuff my dad has emphasized on the farm for the past 50 years, and its stuff dairy farmers do every day.”
Nicole Ayache, chief sustainability officer for NMPF, explained in April’s Dairy Defined podcast how the FARM Program puts farmers first. FARM provides a tool for farmers to track and measure their footprint, which they can use to make on-farm improvements. It also helps farmers access additional resources, such as grants, incentive programs, milk premiums and other revenue channels, and helps manage customer expectations while promoting the good story that happens on dairy farms daily.
Ayache, who leads the National Dairy FARM Program’s Environmental Stewardship initiative, noted how sound management of resources and a focus on efficiency has boosted dairy productivity and bottom lines, even as it reflects the dedication of the farmers themselves to serving consumers.
“A lot of stewardship is about efficiency” — but it’s also more than that, Ayache said. “Anyone who chats with farmers know that because you can hear every time you talk to them about their farm and their choices, you can hear their passion for the animals and the land and their care and the nutrition they provide to our country and the world.”
