Tag: Brian Rexing

Rexing Elected New NMPF Chairman

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF chose Brian Rexing, an Indiana dairy farmer and a member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative, as it NMPF’s 15th chairman Nov. 10 at the organization’s Joint Annual Meeting.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your chairman,” said Rexing in his first remarks after NMPF’s board of governors approved his nomination.

“I may be stepping into this role, but it isn’t about me,” he said. “It’s about who we represent, and the future we’re building together.”

Rexing and his wife, Ranell, operate New Generation Dairy, near Owensville, IN, milking 1,200 cows and farming 3,500 acres of corn, beans, wheat, and alfalfa. Brian is a fourth-generation farmer. Brian and Ranell have four children. He is the Vice President of Evansville Young Dairymen and received the Indiana Dairy Producer of the Year award 2010. In 2021, Brian purchased a meat processing plant with a retail store. Brian is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee.

Rexing succeeds Randy Mooney, who has served as NMPF’s chairman for the past 17 years. Mooney, who also serves as chairman for Dairy Farmers of America, will remain on NMPF’s Executive Committee, which also was elected Nov. 10.

“It is one of the great honors of my life to work alongside so many dedicated farmer-leaders who care deeply about the future of dairy,” said Mooney. “I’m proud to pass the baton to Brian Rexing — a leader who carries forward the spirit of dedication, vision, and integrity that defines NMPF and our entire industry.”

NMPF’s Officers and Executive Committee will consist of:

  • Chairman Brian Rexing — Dairy Farmers of America
  • 1st Vice Chairman Cricket Jacquier — Agri-Mark, Inc.
  • 2nd Vice Chairman Simon Vander Woude — California Dairies, Inc.
  • Secretary Craig Caballero — United Dairymen of Arizona
  • Treasurer Pete Kappelman — Land O’Lakes
  • Sheryl Meshke — AMPI
  • Rob Vandenheuvel — California Dairies, Inc.
  • Melvin Medeiros — Dairy Farmers of America
  • Randy Mooney — Dairy Farmers of America
  • Joel Eigenbrood — Foremost Farms
  • Brian Hemann — Lone Star Milk Producers
  • Jon Cowell — Maola Local Dairies
  • Doug Chapin — Michigan Milk Producers Association
  • Frank Doll — Prairie Farms
  • Jacob Larson — Southeast Milk, Inc.

Also at the meeting, NMPF’s board of directors approved the organization’s policy positions and elected new members. New board members approved by NMPF delegates, a broader group than the board, include:

  • Amy Humphreys — Northwest Dairy Association
  • Kurt Williams — Lanco Pennland
  • Stephen Mancebo — Land O’Lakes
  • Brian Hemann — Lone Star Milk Producers
  • Will Dyt — California Dairies, Inc.

The members awarded Honorary Directors for Life recognition to former NMPF board members Jim Werkhoven of the Northwest Dairy Association and Joey Fernandes of Land O’Lakes.

NMPF, the National Dairy Board and the United Dairy Industry Association co-host the meeting. The meeting of roughly 750 farmers also featured breakout sessions on industry topics ranging from an economic outlook and the role of Artificial Intelligence in communications to dairy labor challenges.

The Guard Changes at NMPF

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF elected Indiana dairy farmer Brian Rexing as its 15th chairman at its annual meeting last week, succeeding Randy Mooney of Rogersville, MO, who had served in the position for the past 17 years.

This week’s Dairy Defined Podcast is taken from their remarks at the meeting in Arlington, TX, with Mooney reflecting on his tenure and dairy’s future and Rexing outlining his hope for the years to come.

To hear more Dairy Defined podcasts, you can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.”

NMPF Annual Meeting Spotlights Farmer Progress

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

U.S. dairy farmers are thriving in the marketplace even as labor shortages and a volatile policy environment remain challenges, dairy industry leaders stressed at NMPF’s annual meeting.

U.S. dairy is well-positioned for growth, NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud said in remarks at the meeting held jointly by NMPF, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association, which concluded today.

“I love where we are in this industry right now, today, folks,” he said, noting $11 billion in new dairy-plant investment currently underway nationwide. “Yes, there’s going to be uncertainty. My goodness, there’s uncertainty. But we’re in expansion mode. And I love it.”

Dairy producers in the past year have grappled with workforce instability and a shifting trade environment even as consumer demand has remained strong and the benefits of dairy are increasingly recognized in the nutrition and policy communities. But the firm foundation built for dairy over the past several years bodes well for the industry’s future, said outgoing NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney, who used his remarks to reflect on 17 years leading NMPF’s Board of Directors.

“We’ve built a stronger foundation for dairy farmers across the country by ensuring that each and every day, farmers, no matter the size of their operation are where they call home, have the tools, the support, and the representation they need to succeed on their operation for generations to come,” he said. “We’ve moved the industry forward on major policy fronts, and together, we’ve made collective voice stronger in Washington.”

NMPF’s Board of Directors selected Brian Rexing, an Indiana dairy farmer and a member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative, as NMPF’s next chairman on Monday. Also highlighting the meeting was USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, who addressed the meeting Tuesday.

Featured panelists at the meeting’s general session included Doud, who appeared with fellow dairy CEOs Barb O’Brien of Dairy Management Inc. and Krysta Harden of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. A session on revenue opportunities for dairy farmers featuring Katie Cook, Vice President, Farm Animal Sustainability, Elanco Animal Health; Mark Purdy, Director of Product and Portfolio Management, Meristem; and Joel Ysselstein, General Manager, Meadowvale Dairy, also highlighted the event.

The meeting, which ran Nov. 9-12, included discussions of dairy workforce challenges, how the MAHA movement is shaping consumer taste and how AI is upending agriculture.

The annual meeting is held in conjunction with NMPF’s Young Cooperators annual meeting for younger dairy leaders, as well as NMPF’s annual cheese and dairy products competition. In the contest, the top prize was taken by Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery for its Habanero Ghost Jack, while Lanco Pennland took the overall Reserve Chairman’s award with its Sweet Cheddar. A full list of winners is here.