NMPF’s Senior Vice President of Communications Alan Bjerga discusses emerging trends in the dietary guidelines on the Adams on Agriculture podcast.
Author: Alan Bjerga
NMPF’s Castaneda discusses the DMC program
NMPF’s senior strategist, Jaime Castaneda, explains the ins and outs of the new Dairy Margin Coverage program on the “Adams on Agriculture” podcast
NMPF’s Bleiberg on H-2A Legislation
NMPF’s Vice President of Government Relations, Paul Bleiberg, discusses an amendment to make the H-2A farmworker visa program workable for dairy on the “Adams on Agriculture” podcast.
NMPF’s Bleiberg on 1% Milk Legislation
NMPF’s Vice President for Government Relations, Paul Bleiberg, discusses new legislation to codify existing rules on 1% flavored milk in schools, on the Adams on Agriculture podcast.
NATIONAL DAIRY FARM PROGRAM STATEMENT ON FAIR OAKS FARMS
“The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has established a rigorous framework of best practices to ensure the proper treatment of dairy animals. The program – created by veterinarians, animal welfare experts and farmers – does not condone dairy cattle mistreatment.
“Our initial audit of Fair Oaks Farms found the company’s training program met or exceeded requirements of the FARM animal care program. It included suggestions on additional employee shadowing to help ensure training compliance. We are conducting a follow-up audit of the farm to further review Fair Oaks Farms animal-care practices and supplement our initial audit.
“FARM remains vigilant in ensuring best practices for animal care. FARM applauds Fair Oaks Farms for proactively addressing the mistreatment that occurred. The program will continue to work with Fair Oaks to ensure full implementation of all corrective actions.”
NMPF Welcomes California Dairies Inc., Second-Largest U.S. Dairy Cooperative, Into Membership
ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Milk Producers Federation today welcomed California Dairies Inc. into its membership, as the addition of the largest dairy cooperative in the biggest dairy-producing state significantly bolsters the strength of dairy producers in speaking with a unified voice on national and international issues of concern to farmers.
“We are very pleased to have CDI’s voice among our already strong and active membership,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, which is the largest U.S. dairy-farmer organization. “CDI bolsters the nationwide reach and diversity of our organization and strengthens our ability as farmer-owned cooperatives to tackle a wide array of challenges in marketing, farm labor and trade, food safety, nutrition and product labeling.”
CDI, based in Visalia, produces 40 percent of California’s milk and about 8 percent of all milk in the U.S. By volume, it is the second-largest dairy cooperative in the United States. Co-owned by more than 370 dairy producers who ship 16 billion pounds of milk annually, CDI makes high-quality butter, fluid milk products and milk powders. It produces two leading brands of butter – Challenge and Danish Creamery — and its products are available in all 50 states and more than 50 foreign countries.
“California Dairies, Inc. is excited to begin our membership with the National Milk Producers Federation as we work toward a stronger U.S. dairy industry,” said Simon Vander Woude, Chairman of the CDI Board of Directors. “Both CDI and NMPF are active and respected organizations in Washington, DC, advocating on behalf of our respective memberships. However, we believe by combining our efforts, we can be an even stronger and more effective coalition, advocating pro-dairy policies that fundamentally strengthen our farmers and our industry as a whole.”
CDI officially joined National Milk today by a unanimous vote of its board of directors at NMPF’s June meeting. The cooperative will have five seats on that board of 53 members. In addition to approving CDI’s membership, NMPF also created a 14-member executive committee, which will include one member from CDI, to serve as a core leadership body, supplementing the work of its officers and board. The members of the executive committee include:
Jay Bryant, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Operation (Reston, VA)
Beth Ford, Land O’Lakes Inc. (Arden Hills, MN)
Tony Graves, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. (Edwardsville, IL)
Mike McCloskey, Select Milk Producers Inc. (Dallas, TX)
Randy Mooney, Dairy Farmers of America (Kansas City, KS)
Keith Murfield, United Dairymen of Arizona (Tempe, AZ)
Ken Nobis, MMPA (Novi, MI)
Doug Nuttelman, DFA
Leroy Plagerman, Northwest Dairy Association/Darigold (Seattle, WA)
Neal Rea, Agri-Mark, Inc. (Andover, MA)
David Scheevel, Foremost Farms USA (Baraboo, WI)
Steve Schlangen, Associated Milk Producers Inc. (New Ulm, MN)
Simon Vander Woude, CDI
John Wilson, DFA
“The addition of the new executive committee will be helpful in gaining additional member input on often fast-developing policy issues, and it reflects the strong interest of our membership in united dairy community action,” said Randy Mooney, NMPF’s chairman and dairy farmer from Rogersville, MO.
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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce the majority of U.S. milk, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.
NMPF Cheers EPA Efforts to Exempt Manure Air Emission Reporting Under EPCRA
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Milk Producers Federation today commended the Environmental Protection Agency for issuing a final rule to codify its earlier interpretation that air emissions from manure are not reportable under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act. The action successfully concludes a two-year battle in which NMPF was involved at every step.
“We are pleased with the outcome of EPA’s painstaking efforts,” said Jim Mulhern, NMPF president and CEO. “This final rule codifies what’s been the right thing to do all along.”
NMPF has been engaged with this effort since April 2017, filing comments as recently as last December supporting EPA’s efforts last fall to modify its regulations to eliminate the reporting of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide air emissions from manure. EPA concluded in Oct. 2017 that air emissions from manure did not need to be reported under EPCRA while signaling it would explain its thinking on the issue through rulemaking. EPA’s assessment largely was based on the conclusion that the air emissions were a result of “routine agricultural operations” exempt from EPCRA reporting.
EPA’s final actions with EPCRA is consistent with Congress’ recent action to exempt manure emissions reporting requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). NMPF supported that approach and noted that EPCRA’s legislative history showed that Congress did not intend for continuous air emissions reports to be filed under EPCRA if they were not required under CERCLA. NMPF has noted in its support for EPA that the emergency response community has said it doesn’t need these reports and that they impede their emergency response function.
NMPF anticipates the rule will be challenged in court.
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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce the majority of U.S. milk, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.
