Communications, Membership and Marketing:
Outreach Helps Weather Outbreak
September 4, 2024
- Helped lead and coordinate industry response to H5N1 in dairy cattle developments
- Expanded educational opportunities for NMPF members
- Generated advocacy opportunities via Young Cooperators program and other initiatives
NMPF communications staff played an industry leading role in heading off a potential crisis in the public’s confidence in milk via responding to the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle, coordinating media outreach while providing members with up-to-the-minute updates on federal and marketplace responses to an unprecedented animal health concern.
Coordinating with other industry actors including the cross-sector Dairy Communications Management Team, NMPF led the drafting of initial messages to dairy farmers and assisted in messages distributed to the public and media upon USDA’s first disclosure of cases on March 25. Numerous NMPF staff interviews with news organizations, combined with frequent member alerts and a series of well-attended webinars represented a multi-prong approach to managing the acute phase of reporting. In recent weeks, as cases have ebbed, NMPF has continued in its informational role.
As a result in part of NMPF’s efforts, no discernable decrease in milk sales was connected to the outbreak, while farmer navigation of changing federal and state rules, while inevitably rocky at times, was smoothed considerably by accurate, timely information. As 2024 approached its waning month, continued sporadic cases of H5N1 in dairy herds signaled that the virus wasn’t simply going to disappear, underscoring the need for continued vigilance.
NMPF this year significantly expanded its webinar offerings, providing members with valuable educational opportunities. NMPF offered 13 member webinars during the first eight months of the year, covering critical topics such as FMMO modernization, biosecurity, cybersecurity and farmer mental health. By broadening its educational resources, NMPF continues to provide tools to its members to help them navigate complex challenges, enhance operations and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
NMPF also developed and served the next generation of dairy-farmer leadership through its National Young Cooperators (YC) program, hosting its annual Dairy Policy and Legislative Forum in June. Forty-nine young dairy farmers and cooperative coordinators from 17 states representing ten member cooperatives participated in discussions about political engagement and dairy policy issues along with training on how to be an effective advocate and spokesperson for dairy. YCs then headed to Capitol Hill to speak with members of Congress and their staff about NMPF priorities including the 2024 Farm Bill, dairy labeling and foreign market access.
