During the month of October, Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) received 82 requests for export assistance on cheese, butter, anhydrous milk fat (AMF) and whole milk powder (WMP). It provided assistance on 33 cheese bids, 12 butter bids, one AMF and one WMP bid. Shipments of the product were to be delivered through April 2013 to 35 countries on four continents.

Through the end of October, the total amount of CWT-assisted cheese exports was 106.3 million pounds of Cheddar, Colby, Gouda and Monterey Jack. Butter exports were 61.2 million pounds for the same period. The milk equivalent of these exports was 2.3 billion pounds on a milkfat basis, equal to 64% of the 3.6 billion pounds of increased milk produced in 2012.

According to an analysis by Dr. Scott Brown, an agricultural economist at the University of Missouri, CWT’s export assistance shipments in 2012 will add 43 cents per hundredweight to the All Milk price.

As a result of its efforts, CWT’s Export Assistance Program continues to provide dairy farmers with an outstanding return on investment.

Last week, dairy producers, member cooperatives, Young Cooperators (YCs), industry representatives, staff, and others from all over the country met at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, FL for NMPF’s annual meeting, which is held jointly every year with the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association.

During the meeting, NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney and President & CEO Jerry Kozak addressed the NMPF membership and discussed the organization’s progress over the past year. They provided updates on efforts to pass a new Farm Bill that includes NMPF’s dairy policy reform package, known as the Dairy Security Act.

They also discussed other priority issues that the organization had dealt with in the past year, touching on topics like the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement, and NMPF’s management of the REAL® Seal program.

Mooney and Kozak’s joint presentation emphasized the proactive attitude the organization assumed throughout the year, partly because “we face a future of reduced government support on the one hand, and more government intrusion on the other,” Mooney explained.

NMPF’s Board of Directors met during last week’s meeting and seated two new members. Donald De Jong from Dalhart, Texas was elected to represent Select Milk Producers, Inc., while Larry Webster from Buffalo, New York, was elected to represent Upstate Niagara Cooperative.

The eight officers currently serving NMPF were reelected to their existing positions. They include:

• Chairman Randy Mooney, from Rogersville, Missouri, representing Dairy Farmers of America;
• First Vice Chairman Ken Nobis, from St. Johns, Michigan, representing Michigan Milk Producers Association;
• Second Vice Chairman Cornell Kasbergen, from Tulare, California, representing Land O’ Lakes, Inc.;
• Third Vice Chairman Mike McCloskey, from Fair Oaks, Indiana, representing Select Milk Producers, Inc.;
• Treasurer Pete Kappelman, from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, representing Land O’ Lakes;
• Assistant Treasurer Adrian Boer, from Jerome, Idaho, representing Northwest Dairy Association;
• Secretary Dave Fuhrmann, from Baraboo, Wisconsin, representing Foremost Farms USA;
• Assistant Secretary Doug Nuttelman, from Stromsburg, Nebraska, representing Dairy Farmers of America.

In addition to the officer elections at this year’s meeting, NMPF recognized three outgoing directors for their service on the NMPF Board of Directors: Tom Croner, from Berlin, Pennsylvania, and Les Hardesty, from Greeley, Colorado, both representing Dairy Farmers of America, and Clyde Rutherford, Syracuse, New York, representing Dairylea Cooperative. NMPF also recognized four Honorary Directors, who provided exemplary service not only to NMPF, but also to the entire dairy industry: Lew Gardner from Galeton, Pennsylvania; along with Tom Croner, Les Hardesty, and Clyde Rutherford.

In other news at the annual meeting, a Parmesan cheese made by Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) was awarded the Grand Champion Cheese award at the 2012 NMPF cheese competition. The cheese, made in Hoven, South Dakota, received a score of 99.0 from the judges. The AMPI Parmesan was selected from among 176 entries to this year’s NMPF cheese contest – a record number of entries. A total of 3,006 pounds of cheese was judged. (Right: AMPI representatives accept the Chairman’s Plaque for their winning Parmesan.)

The 2012 NMPF Communicator of the Year award was presented to Amber DuMont Sheridan of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association in Reston, Virginia. In addition to directing Maryland & Virginia’s communications, Sheridan also oversees its Young Cooperator program.

Members of NMPF’s new 2013 YC Advisory Council met to elect their officers for the upcoming year. Kris and Carla Wardin, from St. Johns, Michigan, representing Michigan Milk Producers Association, were chosen to be the new YC Chaircouple. Nathan and Barbara Blesy, from Springville, New York, representing Upstate Niagara Cooperative, were elected YC Vice Chaircouple. David and Katherine Pyle, from New Columbia, Pennsylvania, representing Land O’Lakes, were elected Secretary Couple.

Information about the meeting, including links to speeches and presentations, is available on the NMPF website: www.nmpf.org/nmpf-joint-annual-meeting. Photos will be posted on NMPF’s Facebook page and Flickr account.

With the dust settling on this week’s elections, the focus in Washington will turn to resolving unfinished business that languished during the campaign season. Congress will return to Capitol Hill next week in a lame duck session, where it will have to tackle issues such as the fiscal cliff of tax increases and budget cuts looming in January.

Passing the 2012 Farm Bill is at the top of the congressional act list for NMPF, which will continue to urge the leadership in the House of Representatives to complete work on the pending farm bill. NMPF is joined in this effort by dozens of other farm, ranch and feeding organizations, who remain united in support of a new five year bill, and opposed to any temporary extension of existing programs.

Dairy farmers can use NMPF’s Dairy GREAT system to write an email to their elected officials, urging them to act on the Dairy Security Act in the remaining eight weeks of 2012.

 

For the November CEO’s Corner, we are including the joint presentation made October 30th, 2012 by Jerry Kozak and NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney at the NMPF annual meeting in Lake Buena Vista, FL:

 

Randy Mooney
It’s good to be with all of you once again, this time in the Magic Kingdom, for the annual speech that Jerry and I have the privilege to deliver. I wish our time here was all about fantasy and enchantment. Maybe there’s some of that, and some wishful thinking, but we also have to talk about the realities of the dairy business.

Jerry Kozak
Yes, Randy, reality usually intrudes once people leave Disney. I know that when I return to Washington in a few days, I have to go back to a town filled with partisan politics, and a dysfunctional Congress that has failed to lead. It’s not Adventureland, Frontierland, or even Fantasyland. Nor is it really Main Street USA.

Randy Mooney
Right, Jerry. Those of us who actually reside in Main Street America have to go back to managing our farms. This year, we’ve been fantasizing about adequate rain fall, cooler temperatures, lower feeds costs, and a finished farm bill. But not even the legendary Disney magic could make any of that appear yet in 2012.

Jerry Kozak
Despite this reality check facing us soon, I remain optimistic that the path we are on, particularly regarding the Dairy Security Act, will help farmers like you, Randy – and everyone else here – to secure a better future.

While our work is not yet complete, we’re on the verge of finalizing a new direction that provides a much better safety net for your hard-earned equity than what we have today.

Randy Mooney
A year ago, when we gave our report, we had just spent months and months working out the details of a program we called Foundation for the Future. We road-tested that concept with thousands of farmers in the summer of 2011, sharing the details of the program developed by NMPF’s members. As a result of your feedback, we made some changes. These improvements were reflected in the legislative version of the Foundation for the Future program, called the Dairy Security Act, which was formally introduced in Congress last fall.

Jerry Kozak
And after our annual meeting last year, the Dairy Security Act has since come even further. It was included by the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the draft Farm Bill approved last spring. Subsequently, the entire Senate approved a Farm Bill containing the DSA. Then, the House Agriculture Committee approved its own version of the Farm Bill earlier this summer. It’s essentially the same as the version approved by the Senate.

Randy Mooney
All along the way, we’ve had to beat back challenges to the Dairy Security Act. There have been repeated efforts to water it down, or strip out the market stabilization elements that help make it effective. Working with our allies in Washington, we’ve been able to defeat those challenges because they’re bad politics, bad policy, and in many cases, are being done in bad faith. I want to thank NMPF’s members for working together to support the DSA we helped create more than a year ago. We’ve made it this far by working together, keeping the faith, and not getting distracted by alternative approaches offered by those who don’t have the best interests of dairy farmers at heart.

Jerry Kozak
So we’re this close to getting it done. To use a football analogy, we’re not just in the red zone, we’re first and goal. But great field position, even with the momentum that comes with a long drive, is not the same thing as putting points on the board. All our hard work, all of our compromises and meticulous planning – none of it matters unless we can finish the job.

Randy Mooney
And to again use a football analogy, the House of Representatives has punted on the entire farm bill. The House Ag Committee did its job, and passed by a wide, bipartisan margin a farm bill back in July. There was enough time for the full House to act on the bill prior to this month. But they didn’t. NMPF and its member cooperatives mounted a big grassroots effort to get farmers to contact their elected officials to urge them to act. I want to thank those farmers who helped in this effort. But for a variety of reasons, mostly political, the farm bill wasn’t brought to a vote. They even tried to pass a one-year extension of current programs, but we rose up against the status quo, and it didn’t go anywhere.

 

Jerry Kozak
And for the moment, at least, the Dairy Security Act is in limbo, along with the rest of the Farm Bill. Many programs in the previous farm bill expired a month ago. Congress needs to do something beyond just duck and delay, putting off the big decisions till 2013. We do expect the farm bill to be in play during the anticipated lame duck session of Congress coming after next week’s elections. There are many other key decisions that Congress has delayed, and must return to Washington to address. Our goal in the weeks ahead is to make sure the farm bill is part of that agenda. We need a farm bill now!

Randy Mooney
We have a great message to go with that campaign. The Dairy Security Act, along with the rest of the new farm bill, saves the government money. We can do more, with less, than under the current program. This message – this fact – should appeal to those who want to reduce government spending and improve its efficiency. If the question in Washington is how to reform government programs and make them more effective, we have an answer: pass the 2012 Farm Bill. By not acting on this measure, Congress actually increases federal spending next year.

Jerry Kozak
Through all of this, and no matter what else we tackle, our mantra is like the Bruce Springsteen song “We take care of our own.” What that means is we’re always proactive in addressing the challenges we face, and look out for the dairy farmers in our producer family.

Let’s shift the focus now to some of the other major issues that NMPF, its staff and its members have been dealing with in the past year. The Farm Bill has been at the top of our list of priorities, but it’s part of a list, it’s not there alone. There are many other items that affect the overall health of dairy farms, and we’ve got an eye on all of them.

Randy Mooney
Like it or not, there is a continued focus on the treatment of farm animals in our society. We must have a good story to tell – a positive, consumer-friendly story – because farmers aren’t the only story tellers out there. Those who would reduce or eliminate animal agriculture also have their own stories to tell, and in those stories, unfortunately, dairy farmers like me are the bad guys. So, my story, and the tale that others in farming must tell, has to have its positive, defensible, and understandable points. That’s where the National Dairy FARM program comes in.

Jerry Kozak
We started the FARM program three years ago to provide a consistent, national, verifiable means of showing the food value chain how dairy products are produced. This allows us to see where we are as an industry, and ask if we’re we using the best animal care practices possible. If not, we have to ask what else we can be doing to make continuous improvements. Consumers and customers don’t expect us to be perfect, but they do expect us to collectively show an interest in making progress. To be indifferent to that expectation is to put all of us in a position where all we’re doing is playing defense, and being defined by the occasional bad actors and worst-case scenarios that we sometimes must explain.

Randy Mooney
We’ve made continued refinements in the FARM program, and participation has continued to grow. But it’s not where it needs to be. We need more farms, more coops, and more companies to commit themselves to this program. The expectations are out there. The questions are being asked. We have to provide answers. And I’d like to thank the National Dairy Board for providing an answer in terms of helping to fund the program. The NDB recently decided to allocate some resources to help defray the cost of the third party verification process. This financial commitment will allow us to increase the use of the FARM program.

I’m pleased to announce today that we anticipate that membership in FARM will exceed 70 percent of the nation’s milk supply in 2013.

Jerry Kozak
And one thing we are adding to the program is the See It, Stop It component that encourages farm workers to communicate with their managers, and vice versa. Many of the problems depicted in hidden videos, and not just in dairy, are the result of a lack of clear communication to the farm’s entire workforce that everyone employed on a dairy has to be part of the solution. The See It, Stop It effort encourages workers to share information about what farm owners may need to know, but can’t always be around to see. And it helps set up a protocol so that problems get nipped in the bud before they show up on the internet.

It’s this same type of proactivity that led us this summer to make the decision we made about the FARM program and tail docking. We take care of our own, and don’t need animal rights activists, or the government, to tell us how to run our farms.

Randy Mooney
Now, I know this is a powerful issue for many farmers, and it was a challenging one for our Board of Directors. But Jerry and I agreed that, given the direction of the veterinary community, and the nature of the decisions being made by our customers, we need to adjust the recommendations of the FARM program to oppose routine tail docking.

Jerry Kozak
It’s important that the FARM program reflect the best-available evidence concerning the optimal care practices for dairy cattle and calves. Once emotions are set aside, the intellectual and scientific basis for the practice just doesn’t stand. Incorporating this change into the standards of the FARM program helps us offer ongoing education about better ways of ensuring the comfort and cleanliness of both cows and farm workers. It also helps avoid public battles over the practice on a state by state basis. This is not a fight we are going to win, so it’s important for us not to fall on our swords trying to do so.

Randy Mooney
Another issue we need to address is how we can expand our marketing opportunities overseas, while also protecting against further encroachment from imports. There weren’t any new trade deals completed or signed in 2012, but there’s been plenty of behind the scenes negotiations on several, especially the Trans Pacific Partnership talks involving the U.S., and a growing list of countries that border the Pacific Ocean.

Jerry Kozak
Our challenge with these TPP talks is two-fold: first, we want to see if we can involve potentially lucrative new nations with currently protectionist dairy markets, especially Canada. We’ll see if our northern neighbor will play ball on this. The second challenge is to make certain expanded dairy exports from New Zealand aren’t the primary net result of the TPP. New Zealand would like that to be the case, and we’ve stuck to our message that, given the unique market structure of New Zealand’s dairy sector, we can’t allow that to happen. We are committed to taking care of our own.

Randy Mooney
There’s another challenge facing the U.S. and its trading partners, and this one involves the names of the dairy products we export. Most of the cheeses we make in this country have European origins, such as Cheddar, Gouda and Feta. These products have migrated from the Old World to the New, to the U.S., as well as to places like Australia and New Zealand. But now, the Europeans want to keep some of these names just for their own products. These terms, known as Geographic Indications, will be on the table as part of future trade negotiations.

Jerry Kozak
It may seem crazy that Fetas and Parmesans made by U.S. dairy companies might not be able to use these names any more, but that’s definitely what the European Union is pushing to do with its trade deals. For instance, any cheeses labeled as Asiago, Feta, Fontina, and Gorgonzola now sold in Korea can only come from Europe. And even though the U.S. just signed its own free trade deal with South Korea, we’re now subject to the cheese geographic indication restrictions written into the deal between the EU and Korea.

Randy Mooney
NMPF is attacking this protectionist encroachment in a number of ways. First, we are pushing our trade negotiators not to cave in to the demands of Europe to claw back these product names. Second, we have joined a new coalition called the Consortium for Common Food Names. Working with the U.S. Dairy Export Council, which formed this new group, we want to rally all the farmers, manufacturers, and retailers who have a stake in this. It’s a big list, and it’s not just about cheese: wines, fruits, and other consumer products could also be affected if this GI precedent takes hold. We need to defend our ability to use these time-tested, consumer-friendly product names. We will take care of our own, in this case, the names of our own products.

Jerry Kozak
Without a doubt, the best example of us taking care of our own is Cooperatives Working Together. After nearly 10 years, CWT is still the only non-governmental, dairy-farmer funded tool with the flexibility to help farmers boost their sales, and their bottom lines.

Randy Mooney
CWT is funded voluntarily by 70 percent of the nation’s milk supply. So far this year, it has helped us sell 100 million pounds of cheese, and 59 million pounds of butter and anhydrous milkfat. These products have been sold to 34 countries on four continents, and represent 2.2 billion pounds of milk. Here’s another way to think about the value of CWT: these exports represent 60 percent of the increase in milk production we’ve seen so far in 2012.

Jerry Kozak
CWT is an investment in building that 14 percent of our milk production that is exported. Remember that the U.S. is a relative newcomer to competing in global markets. Even as a major producer, we historically haven’t had the clout of other major global marketers. CWT helps overcome that challenge by allowing us to close deals and compete with aggressive players such as New Zealand’s monopolistic exporter Fonterra. It’s a potent tool in our arsenal that allows us to assist sales for U.S. dairy products that might not be made otherwise.

Randy Mooney
Let me also talk about another way to both defend and advance the interests of dairy farmers, and the products made from their milk: the REAL Seal. I can remember when I was first starting out in dairy farming how exciting it was to see a new logo calling attention to the content of dairy products. The battle back in the late 1970s was imitation cheeses, particularly those used in frozen foods. Flash forward 30 plus years, and we still have some of the same challenges to real dairy products.

Jerry Kozak
You all know we’ve been beating for years on the Food and Drug Administration to prevent the use of dairy terms like milk and cheese on products made from nuts, beans, seeds and weeds. Unfortunately, the regulatory cops are asleep on the beat. But there’s more than one way to crack this nut. The Real Seal gives us the opportunity to play some offense, by helping consumers distinguish between products made from real milk, and those that are either imported, or not made from milk at all. We need to take care of our own real dairy, real American-made products.

Randy Mooney
According to research done by DMI, the REAL Seal has 91% consumer awareness – meaning nine out of ten people recognize it — and 78% of consumers are familiar enough with it to know what it stands for. What’s more, 360 food companies are registered to use the Real Seal on more than 10,000 products.

Jerry Kozak
So NMPF has been given the opportunity to manage the Real Seal program. Thanks to an agreement between us and UDIA, we’ll now be responsible for licensing the seal, and overseeing how it can be used, and by whom. In fact, here’s the new website for the REAL Seal. I see this is a perfect extension of our organization’s efforts to protect the integrity of dairy products, and promote them in the marketplace, both domestically and internationally. This is crucial because the FDA won’t preserve the integrity of our products; we will take care of our own.

Randy Mooney
We all know that consumers are paying more attention today to where products are from, who makes them, and what’s inside them. The Real Seal helps address those questions with an easily identifiable icon. In the months ahead, NMPF will be working more with the companies already using the seal, and those who may want to consider its use, to build additional awareness of how it can help sell dairy products. It’s a big challenge: we have to convince marketers that consumers are interested in it, while convincing consumers it means something important. But we’re confident that the Real Seal can help answer questions that many are already asking.

Randy Mooney
As we close today, the path for NMPF is the same as it’s always been: we are a proactive organization, united in common purpose, and dedicated to taking care of our own.

Jerry Kozak
We take care of our own, whether it’s designing a better economic safety net for dairy farmers…

Randy Mooney
Or initiating our own animal care program…

Jerry Kozak
Or developing immigration policies specific to the needs of dairy farmers…

Randy Mooney
Or defending our global trade opportunities in the TPP and other trade agreements…

Jerry Kozak
Or enhancing our export sales through Cooperatives Working Together…

Randy Mooney
Or defending farmers’ rights to work together in programs like CWT from those who would eliminate the Capper-Volstead protections…

Jerry Kozak
Or protecting the integrity of dairy standards and enhancing our products’ appeal through the Real Seal…

Randy Mooney
Or standing firm against the threat posed by the failure of Congress to address the estate tax, thus preventing the transfer of our family farms from one generation to the next…

Jerry Kozak
Or getting ahead of the curve and implementing an antibiotic residue avoidance program…

Randy Mooney
Jerry, the list goes on and on, and it has to, as we face a future of reduced government support on the one hand, and more government intrusion on the other.

Jerry Kozak
And the best way to deal with that future is being proactive, always doing the right things, and most importantly, taking care of our own.

Randy Mooney
I am proud of our own staff, our officers, our board, and all of our members, and our team efforts with DMI and USDEC. We have never been so united.

Jerry Kozak
Bruce Springsteen’s poignant song reflects what has happened this year:

I’ve been knockin’ on the door that holds the throne
I’ve been lookin’ for the map that leads me home
I’ve been stumblin’ on good hearts turned to stone
The road of good intentions has gone dry as bone

 

Randy Mooney and Jerry Kozak

We WILL take care of our own!!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – The National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) Board of Directors seated two new members this week at the organization’s 2012 annual meeting here in Orlando.

Donald De Jong from Dalhart, Texas was elected to represent Select Milk Producers, Inc., while Larry Webster from Buffalo, New York, was elected to represent Upstate Niagara Cooperative.

The eight officers currently serving NMPF were reelected to their existing positions. They include:

• Chairman Randy Mooney, from Rogersville, Missouri, representing Dairy Farmers of America;
• First Vice Chairman Ken Nobis, from St. Johns, Michigan, representing Michigan Milk Producers Association;
• Second Vice Chairman Cornell Kasbergen, from Tulare, California, representing Land O’ Lakes, Inc.;
• Third Vice Chairman Mike McCloskey, from Fair Oaks, Indiana, representing Select Milk Producers, Inc.;
• Treasurer Pete Kappelman, from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, representing Land O’ Lakes;
• Assistant Treasurer Adrian Boer, from Jerome, Idaho, representing Northwest Dairy Association;
• Secretary Dave Fuhrmann, from Baraboo, Wisconsin, representing Foremost Farms USA;
• Assistant Secretary Doug Nuttelman, from Stromsburg, Nebraska, representing Dairy Farmers of America.

In addition to the officer elections at this year’s meeting, NMPF recognized three outgoing directors for their service on the NMPF Board of Directors: Tom Croner, from Berlin, Pennsylvania, and Les Hardesty, from Greeley, Colorado, both representing Dairy Farmers of America, and Clyde Rutherford, Syracuse, New York, representing Dairylea Cooperative. NMPF also recognized four Honorary Directors, who provided exemplary service not only to NMPF, but also to the entire dairy industry: Lew Gardner from Galeton, Pennsylvania; along with Tom Croner, Les Hardesty, and Clyde Rutherford.

In other news at the NMPF annual meeting, a Parmesan cheese made by Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) was awarded the Grand Champion Cheese award at the 2012 NMPF cheese competition. The cheese, made in Hoven, South Dakota, received a score of 99.0 from the judges. The AMPI Parmesan was selected from among 176 entries to this year’s NMPF cheese contest – a record number of entries. A total of 3006 pounds of cheese was judged.

The 2012 NMPF Communicator of the Year award was presented to Amber DuMont Sheridan of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association in Reston, Virginia. In addition to directing Maryland & Virginia’s communications, Sheridan also oversees its Young Cooperator program.

Members of NMPF’s new 2013 Young Cooperator (YC) Advisory Council met to elect their officers for the upcoming year. Kris and Carla Wardin, from St. Johns, Michigan, representing Michigan Milk Producers Association, were chosen to be the new YC Chaircouple. Nathan and Barbara Blesy, from Springville, New York, representing Upstate Niagara Cooperative, were elected YC Vice Chaircouple. David and Katherine Pyle, from New Columbia, Pennsylvania, representing Land O’Lakes, were elected Secretary Couple.

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – During the 2012 annual meeting of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), held here in the Magic Kingdom this week, Chairman Randy Mooney and President & CEO Jerry Kozak addressed the NMPF membership and discussed the organization’s progress over the past year.

The joint presentation began with the impasse in Congress, where representatives failed to pass a new Farm Bill before the old law expired on Sept. 30. NMPF’s dairy policy reform package, initially known as Foundation for the Future, had come a long way before being introduced in Congress last fall as the Dairy Security Act (DSA).

“The DSA was included by the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the draft Farm Bill approved last spring,” Kozak explained. “Subsequently, the entire Senate approved a Farm Bill containing the DSA. Then, the House Agriculture Committee approved its own version of the Farm Bill earlier this summer.”

Despite this support, and NMPF’s success in defeating challenges to the DSA (like the Goodlatte amendment, which would have stripped the market stabilization plan from the program), the Farm Bill was not brought to a vote by the full House.

“The House of Representatives has punted on the entire Farm Bill,” Mooney said. “The House Ag Committee did its job and passed by a wide, bipartisan margin a Farm Bill back in July. There was enough time for the full House to act on the bill…but they didn’t.”

With the expiration of the old Farm Bill, NMPF has been increasing pressure on Congress and urging its member cooperatives and farmers to ask their representatives for a “Farm Bill Now” when Congress returns after the elections.

“If the question in Washington is how to reform government programs and make them more effective, we have an answer: pass the 2012 Farm Bill. By not acting on this measure, Congress actually increases federal spending next year,” Mooney stated.

NMPF’s leaders went on to discuss other priority issues that the organization had dealt with in the past year. Participation in the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program has continued to increase, but more farms, co-ops, and companies are still needed. The program recently launched a “See It, Stop It” campaign that encourages workers to share information about potentially problematic animal care practices with farm management.

Although there weren’t any new trade deals completed or signed in 2012, NMPF has been working with industry partners like the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Consortium for Common Food Names to represent dairy farmer interests in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement and Geographic Indications. The voluntary, dairy farmer-funded Cooperatives Working Together program has helped export the equivalent of 2.2 billion pounds of milk, or 60% of the increase in 2012 milk production, to buyers overseas.

In March 2012, NMPF was given the opportunity to manage the REAL® Seal program. “The REAL® Seal gives us the opportunity…to distinguish between products made from real milk, and those that are either imported or not made from milk at all,” Kozak said. Although the symbol is already recognized by nine out of ten consumers and used by 360 food companies, NMPF’s leaders stressed that there is more work to be done to build additional awareness of how the icon can help sell dairy products.

The joint presentation concluded with Mooney and Kozak emphasizing the proactive attitude the organization assumed throughout the year, partly because “we face a future of reduced government support on the one hand, and more government intrusion on the other,” Mooney explained.

“The best way to deal with that future is being proactive, always doing the right things, and most importantly, taking care of our own,” Kozak added.

The full text from Mooney and Kozak’s joint speech is available on the NMPF website.

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

Additional Materials Available Online

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has released a revised version of its Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual for 2013. As an area of focus for the National Dairy FARM Program^TM, the manual can be found online.

The Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual is a concise review of appropriate antibiotic use in dairy animals. The manual is a quick resource to review those antibiotics approved for dairy animals and can also be used as an educational tool for farm managers as they develop their on-farm best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues.

Additions to the 2013 version include a section on avoiding potential residue violations from extra-label drug use in an unapproved class of cattle, cephalosporin extra-label use prohibitions, as well as an updated drug and test kit list. The 2013 manual includes a certificate of participation that can be signed by a producer and his/her veterinarian to demonstrate their commitment to the proper use of antibiotics.

“We know that there is increased attention to the use of medicines in livestock, and in order to maintain the ability to use those products, we have to demonstrate that we are using them properly,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF. “This newly-revised manual represents the ongoing commitment dairy farmers have to using antibiotics responsibly and prudently.”

The dairy industry is committed to producing safe, abundant, and affordable milk and dairy beef of the highest quality. Healthy animals help make for safe food and disease prevention is the key to keeping cows healthy, Kozak said.

The National Dairy FARM Program was created by NMPF to demonstrate and verify that U.S. milk producers are committed to providing the highest levels of quality assurance including animal care, residue prevention, and other on-farm practices.

The Residue Avoidance manual was sponsored by Charm Sciences, IDEXX, and Pfizer Animal Health. No check-off funds were used in the development and distribution of this manual.

For more information on the National Dairy FARM Program, contact Betsy Flores at (703) 243-6111 or log on to www.nationaldairyfarm.com.

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

ARLINGTON, VA – A report issued today about the National Dairy FARM Animal Care Program found that overall, its subscribers are doing a thorough job of adhering to its multi-faceted approach to comprehensive dairy animal well-being.

Voluntary, and open to all producers in the United States, Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) is a national set of guidelines designed to demonstrate dairy farmers’ commitment to outstanding animal care and a quality milk supply. Cooperatives, proprietary milk processors, and individual dairy producers are using the program to assure consumers that the food they purchase is produced with integrity.

Since enrollment began in September 2010, the FARM Animal Care Program has been implemented on dairy farms accounting for 41 percent of the nation’s milk supply. With continued expansion of enrollment, participation in the FARM program is anticipated to exceed 70 percent of the nation’s milk supply in 2013, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) said today.

Participating producers are provided comprehensive training materials and undergo an on-farm evaluation conducted by a trained veterinarian, extension educator, co-op field staff member, or other FARM-trained professional. Evaluators then provide a status report and, if necessary, recommendations for on-farm improvement.

In June 2012, data collected from the more than 5,000 second-party evaluations made of the dairy operations enrolled in FARM program was reviewed and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of on-farm implementation. A summary of those results was made available today.

“While we’re seeing near nearly universal adoption of the best practices from the FARM animal care manual,” said Jamie Jonker, Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at NMPF, “some specific practices have not achieved the same level of adoption as others. This demonstrates the importance of continuous improvement and on-going education as advocated by the program.”

Jonker cited several examples of where adherence is greatest, as well as where improvements are needed:

• 99.2% of farm operators engage in dairy animal observations to identify any potential health issues;
• 99% of farm operators train personnel to handle and restrain calves with a minimum of stress to the animal;
• 95.5% of farm operators train personnel in proper methods to move non-ambulatory animals;

Meanwhile:

• 72.7% of farm operators have emergency plans to address animal care needs stemming from unique circumstances such as a natural disaster;
• 68% of farm operators apply antiseptic to the navels of calves after birth as a preventative health measure.

To protect the integrity and credibility of the program, the FARM program utilizes an independent third-party process to ensure that its practices are being appropriately adopted and the educational materials and methodologies used in training both farm operators and evaluators is sound and effective. Each year, a nationwide sample of dairy farms in the program is randomly selected for visits from third-party “verifiers” to assure (to a 95% confidence interval) that the observations recorded during the second-party evaluations are valid. Validus, an Iowa-based certified auditing company with more than 10 years of experience with farm animal care programs, is used to conduct the third-party verification process.

The initial third-party verification of the FARM program was conducted in 2011, with analysis of that process completed earlier this year. This analysis confirmed that effective implementation of the FARM program is occurring through producer education and on-farm evaluation. The objective third-party verification for 2012 is currently underway.

“This ‘check the checkers’ analysis compares the data collected from the second-party, on-farm evaluations with the third-party, on-farm verification data. This assures that the on-farm evaluations are being consistently conducted across all dairy farm participants,” Jonker added. “The findings of the third-party verification confirm the validity and integrity of the FARM program.”

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

Revamped Website to be Followed with New Product Descriptors

ARLINGTON, VA – As part of its efforts to revitalize one of the most recognized product symbols in the food industry, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) announced today that the REAL® Seal is undergoing a makeover. The first step in that process was taken Tuesday, with the launch of a revamped website: www.realseal.com.

The previous website existed primarily as a resource for dairy product manufacturers and marketers interested in putting the REAL® Seal on their packaging. The new website will contain more content to educate consumers about why they should look for the REAL® Seal on the foods they buy, while also continuing to provide information for those companies using the REAL® Seal to enhance their product marketing.

“Research has found that 93 percent of consumers know of the REAL® Seal, and that many people find it useful in making buying decisions,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, the organization driving this effort.

Effective March 15, 2012, the management of the REAL® Seal program was transferred from the United Dairy Industry Association to NMPF. This change was the result of an agreement between the two organizations that the transfer was the best opportunity to place a renewed emphasis on highlighting the importance and value of American-made dairy foods.

“Imitation products made from vegetables and nuts, but packaged like real dairy products and often using dairy names, have proliferated in the last few years,” said Kozak. “For example, frozen desserts made out of soybeans are packaged the same as real ice cream made from cows’ milk, with pictures that make it look like real ice cream. The only way a consumer would know the product isn’t ice cream is by reading the ingredients label.”

The same is true for other processed foods made with imitation dairy products, noted Kozak.

“Currently, frozen pizza is essentially the only processed food that uses the REAL® Seal. We intend to expand the products eligible to use the REAL® Seal beyond that that category.”

To address expanded use of the REAL® Seal, the seal itself is in the process of being tailored to other applications. Terms like “Made With” real dairy, and “American Made,” along with specific dairy product names, will be stacked above and below the basic REAL® Seal.

“Our goal is to have a fully integrated program up and running early in 2013,” Kozak said. “We know dairy farmers are enthusiastic about the REAL® Seal, and we’re excited about the tremendous potential this has for expanding sales of REAL® dairy products made from U.S. dairy farmers’ milk.”

“Consumers continue to express an interest in food quality and integrity, through the choices they make at grocery stores and restaurants,” Kozak said. “Labeling is an integral part of creating and maintaining a dialogue with them.”

As a result of this change in management, “the program will now strive to educate new generations of dairy consumers about the significance of the REAL® Seal, revitalizing the brand and talking to them about the good taste, nutritional value, and wholesomeness associated with dairy foods and dairy food ingredients made from milk produced in the United States,” Kozak added.

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

ARLINGTON, VA – Just as in baseball, the best teams in dairy production track and use statistics to ensure their success. The best compilation of dairy statistics is now available in the latest edition of the National Milk Producers Federation’s Dairy Data Highlights.

Dairy Data Highlights is a collection of 53 tables and 19 graphs that provides state-by-state and national metrics on all aspects of milk production from the recent past through 2011. This includes cow numbers, feed costs, relative prices, the sales of milk and dairy products, the difference between farm and retail prices, and trends in dairy products production. The booklet also tracks export and import information. Dairy Data Highlights has been published annually by NMPF for more than 60 years.

Dairy Data Highlights is available to NMPF member cooperatives and associate members for a per-copy price of $7.50 for orders up to 10 copies, and $5 per copy for orders larger than 10. For non-members, the per-copy price is $10.00 up to 10 copies, and $7.50 each for more than 10.

To order copies of the booklet, complete the information below and email to kgibsonwhite@nmpf.org or fax to (703) 841-9328. Please print or type clearly.

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

From Jerry Kozak, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation

ARLINGTON, VA – “The video released on October 10, 2012 is deeply disturbing and depicts practices by individuals that are absolutely unacceptable. Idaho’s dairy farmers, and those across the rest of the country, do not countenance this type of treatment. The dairy industry takes claims about animal mistreatment very seriously. Any evidence of animal abuse should be taken promptly to the appropriate state and local authorities whose job it is to investigate those claims. An independent animal care review panel organized by the Center for Food Integrity confirmed that the practices seen in the video were unacceptable and abusive. Five employees in the incident have been fired by the dairy farm, and authorities in Idaho have investigated the incident charging several individuals with animal cruelty.

“On a national level, many farms have adopted the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program’s animal care standards. Those standards disavow malicious striking or dragging animals. Responsible animal stewardship is a good thing for people and cows, and the FARM program, developed by NMPF, is designed to promote the best practices in animal care that consumers have come to expect from the dairy sector.”

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

Third CWT Herd Retirement in Nine Months to Remove 87,000 Cows, 1.8 Billion Pounds of Milk; Second-Largest Ever