Tag: NMPF Board meeting

NMPF Heads West for Board Meeting Tackling Labor, Celebrating Whole Milk

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF’s first March Board of Directors Meeting outside the Beltway brought fresh Arizona air — and innovative ideas — to critical discussions for the future of days March 9–10.

Committee and full-board discussions on labor, economics and animal health highlighted the two-day format of intense discussions and presentations held in Scottsdale. The successful new format both reduced travel burdens and costs for members while providing new opportunities to share staff updates and expertise with dairy leaders.

“We have a great team that’s doing a great job,” said NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud. “We are not letting off of the gas.”

Attendees had much to celebrate in terms of wins over the past few months, including the enactment of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and favorable recognition of dairy’s nutritional benefits in the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Still, critical work remains on contentious topics including agricultural labor, a special focus at the meeting.

Key outcomes and action items from the meeting included:

  • The Board approved the establishment of a Membership Committee to explore affiliate membership qualification, dues and benefits. The committee will present recommendations at the June meeting.
  • The Board approved the development of an Enhanced Livestock Coverage Option with further economic analysis to be presented at the June meeting.
  • NMPF moved toward common member goals on ag labor policy based on discussion with the Immigration Task Force led by Agri-Mark Chairman and executive committee member Cricket Jacquier.
  • Charles Krause of Minnesota and Jennifer Leech of Virginia were welcomed as new board members representing Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.

If any board members or cooperatives need targeted talking points on ag labor or other issues as they engage their elected officials, reach out to Trey Forsyth (tforsyth@nmpf.org) and Maria Brockamp (mbrockamp@nmpf.org).

The next board meeting is set for June 8–10 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in Arlington, VA. NMPF will send registration and hotel details in early April. The plan is for board members to attend committee meetings June 8, with the board meeting the next day and Capitol Hill visits the final day. NMPF’s Animal Health and Well-Being Committee is also meeting June 10–11.

Board Meeting Gathers Farmers Ready to Face Policy Challenges

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Dairy farmers from across the nation celebrated fairer milk prices for farmers and pledged to work together to meet challenges on labor, trade and other issues at the National Milk Producers Federation’s Board of Directors meeting in Arlington March 4-5.

“We’re in a fast-moving environment, with a new administration and things changing every day,” said NMPF Board Chairman Randy Mooney, a farmer from Rogersville, MO, in remarks at the meeting. “We are happy to have NMPF watching out for us here in Washington.”

The meeting brought together more than 50 farmers and dairy-cooperative leaders to hear presentations updating pressing dairy issues, including agricultural labor, trade and H5N1 bird flu, which has now been circulating in dairy cattle for one year.

Milk producers also celebrated a policy win – nationwide adoption of a new Federal Milk Marketing Order that begins taking effect on June 1. The plan, spearheaded by NMPF, culminates a four-year process of seeking fairer pricing for farmers and cooperatives.

“The top two issues we have today are immigration and tariffs,” Mooney said. “Nothing else means anything else to us if we don’t have anyone to milk our cows.” On trade, he said day-to-day turbulence doesn’t change dairy’s commitment to building exports. “We intend to play in the world market, and we will invest in the world market to do it,” he said.

NMPF’s board also charted a path toward a successor organization to the Cooperatives Working Together export assistance program, which has helped dairy build overseas markets and welcomed two new directors, Mark Leichtfuss of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative in Wisconsin and Richard Hill of Upstate Niagara Cooperative in New York.