National Milk Producers Federation

Dairy Producer Leaders Applaud Industry Collaboration to Grow Sales and Enhance Image

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:36:14 GMT

Checkoff’s partnership with McDonald’s directly contributed to an additional 1.7 billion pounds of milk sold between 2009 and 2011.

Source: Dairy Management Inc. news release

ORLANDO, Fla. – The dairy checkoff’s strategy of working with powerful partners is helping to “secure dairy’s future” by contributing to billions of additional pounds of milk sales and enhancing dairy’s image.

Dairy producer promotion leaders delivered this message to nearly 1,000 producer and industry representatives at the 2012 National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB)/National Milk Producers Federation/United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) Joint Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 29-31.

Working with industry leaders McDonald’s® and Domino’s® represents a business strategy that helps the dairy checkoff “do more with less,” said California producer Steve Maddox, NDB chairman. NDB carries out coordinated promotion and research programs to help build demand and expand domestic and international markets for dairy products.

“In the past, checkoff efforts were largely focused on generic promotion to help raise consumer awareness through generic advertising,” Maddox said. “We had some great ads that producers were extremely proud of, but we didn’t grow sustained dairy sales.”

Maddox said the checkoff’s partnership with McDonald’s directly contributed to an additional 1.7 billion pounds of milk sold between 2009 and 2011. Producers can expect continued growth in McDonald’s dairy sales, he said, pointing to menu development efforts driven by checkoff employees who work at McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill.

Beyond McDonald’s, the checkoff’s partnerships with Domino’s and other pizza companies and suppliers have moved more than 6 billion pounds of milk since 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pizza innovation continues with the recent introduction of Domino’s Handmade Pan Pizza, which uses up to 40 percent more cheese than the chain’s two-topping, hand-tossed pizzas.

Innovation Center Unifies Industry on Common Goals

Another example of checkoff partnerships to grow sales is focused on working with and through the dairy industry.

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®, created by producers in 2008, allows the checkoff to partner with processors, manufacturers and others to leverage their financial and other resources. More than 800 professionals representing 300 companies dedicate their time and expertise to help advance checkoff goals and priorities.

“Our checkoff program cannot do it alone,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy checkoff through funding from NDB and UDIA. “We need the added muscle and backing of powerful partners through an industry-wide approach.”

Rovey said the Innovation Center is one of the most groundbreaking partnership concepts the checkoff has created, and its successes benefit the entire industry. In the area of food safety, the Innovation Center has facilitated an industry-funded training program to help reduce the risk of pathogen contamination in dairy foods. It also has conducted a greenhouse gas life cycle assessment for fluid milk to set the record straight about milk’s environmental impact.

Fuel Up to Play 60 Positively Impacting Future Consumers

Other checkoff partnerships are aimed at youth to help reverse the alarming obesity epidemic that is putting the health of future generations at risk.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is a partnership between the dairy checkoff and the National Football League®, with support from USDA. State and regional checkoff staffs have implemented it in more than 73,000 schools.

Schools are important to producers because 55 million students across the country are in class an average of 180 days a year. These students account for 7 percent of total fluid milk consumption.

“Children represent 100 percent of our future consumers,” said Bill Siebenborn, Missouri producer and UDIA chair. “We have a tremendous opportunity to positively impact these youngsters’ diets with healthy, nutritious dairy products.”

Local checkoff organizations also remain critical to protecting and promoting dairy’s image. Image efforts are focused on having more conversations – especially through social media channels – with consumers who are generations removed from food production. These consumers are interested in learning more about the work that occurs on dairy farms. Research shows they will be more loyal to products whose values – real or perceived – mirror their own.

Dairy’s story is one that “consumers tell us they want to hear,” Siebenborn said. “It’s a story about our commitment to provide safe, nutritious foods to feed our country and the world. It’s a story about our dedication to environmental stewardship and caring for our animals. It’s about our involvement and leadership in local communities across this nation.”

At the core of these efforts is the partnership between national and local organizations that form UDIA, a federation of 19 state and regional dairy promotion organizations that collaborate to develop and implement strategies to grow sales.

“There is no more important relationship than the one between our national and state and regional dairy promotion organizations,” Siebenborn said. “Through DMI, dairy producers are able to implement programs nationally so that we have a consistent, unified approach to protect and promote dairy. Our staffs at the state and regional level bring our programs to life.”

For more information, visit www.dairycheckoff.com .

Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is the nonprofit domestic and international planning and management organization response for increasing demand for dairy products and ingredients. DMI manages the American Dairy Association® and National Dairy Council®. DMI also has established affiliate organizations, including the U.S. Dairy Export Council®, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the Dairy Research Institute.

Report Questions EPA Regulation of Chesapeake Pollution

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:22:20 GMT

Source: National Milk Producers Federation news release

The Agriculture Nutrient Policy Council (ANPC) released a new report today that raises significant questions regarding the accuracy of the data used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set pollution limits for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The ANPC, a coalition of agricultural groups including National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), commissioned the report to illustrate the contrasts between EPA’s estimate of the Bay’s “nutrient diet” – particularly phosphorus and nitrogen – with those of USDA. In the end, it was clear that the EPA needed to delay its implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program until the modeling is developed with sound science and factual data.

“The ANPC report provides a clear view of the major discrepancies between the EPA’s data and that of the NRCS,” said David Hickey, NMPF’s director of government gelations. “With the anticipated costs that will ultimately be levied on agriculture in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, it is critical the EPA takes another look at their data and modeling in their development of the TMDL.”

The report was prepared by LimnoTech, a leading water sciences and environmental engineering consulting firm. It compared EPA’s Total Maximum Daily Loads with those in the draft USDA report Assessment of the Effects of Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Inconsistencies in data and modeling were found for:

· Land use and total acreage of the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
· Hydrology;
· Assumptions about conservation practices;
· Model frameworks; and
· Model results.

“The dairy industry in the Chesapeake Bay region, which consists of thousands of dairies of widely varying sizes, has made significant investments and changes in their production practices over the recent decades to ensure a clean and healthy environment,” Hickey said. “We are fully supportive of new, increased efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay; however, it is vital to ensure the program is based on sound-science and factual data.”

The report is available on the ANPC website .

Dairy Care Initiative Rapidly Being Adopted

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:26:54 GMT

Nearly 50% of U.S. milk supply now under FARM umbrella.

Source: National Milk Producers Federation

Today’s consumers want to know that the food they purchase is safe, wholesome, nutritious, and produced with integrity.

U.S. milk producers are demonstrating that commitment by enrolling at a rapid pace in the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM). In fact, since enrollment began in September 2010, 45% of the nation’s milk supply now comes from farmers, cooperatives, and proprietary processors implementing the FARM program.

Voluntary and open to all producers, FARM is a national dairy animal care, third-party verified program designed to demonstrate dairy farmers’ commitment to outstanding animal care and a quality milk supply. Independent dairy producers, proprietary processors, and cooperatives are quickly coming on board.

“Telling this story is essential at a time when consumers want to know how their food is produced,” said John Miles, Land O’Lakes FARM implementation leader. “The FARM program helps us reach out to customers, consumers, and the entire marketing chain. It sends a strong message that Land O’Lakes member producers work hard caring for their animals and producing quality milk.”

FARM was created by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), along with support from Dairy Management, Inc. FARM provides thorough animal care education for producers, on-farm evaluations, and objective third-party verification, giving customers and consumers the assurances they deserve.

“Dairy farmers are passionate about the care they provide to their animals and have an excellent track record of responsible management practices,” said Jamie Jonker, Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at NMPF. “This program quantifies that passion and allows them to speak with one voice as they market nationally and internationally. The pace of participation has surpassed our expectations.”

Developed in partnership with producers, veterinarians, and animal care experts, FARM is a comprehensive program that incorporates the latest innovations in animal care from birth to marketing.

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 improvement.

To protect the integrity and credibility of the program, a certain number of participating dairy farms will be randomly selected for objective third-party verification. Validus, an Iowa-based certified auditing company with more than 10 years of experience verifying on-farm animal care, has been selected to conduct all third-party evaluations and will begin that process this summer.

In addition to Land O’Lakes, participating cooperatives and proprietary producers include Agri-Mark, Inc., Hilmar Cheese Company, Foremost Farms USA, and Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers (MDVA) Cooperative.

“In today’s society we have to prove that animal care is important to all dairy farmers in a manner that our neighbors and customers can understand and respect. The best solution is FARM,” said Kevin Satterwhite, a dairy farmer and MDVA member from Newberry, S.C., who is an active participant in the FARM program.

A complete list of participants and all training materials in both English and Spanish can be found at www.nationaldairyfarm.com .

The National Milk Producers Federation , 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 31 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 40,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

Dairy Management Inc., based in Rosemont, IL, is the domestic and international planning and management organization that builds demand for dairy products on behalf of America’s 60,000-plus dairy producers. DMI works with state and regional dairy promotion organizations to integrate marketing, promotion, advertising, public relations, nutrition education, and nutrition, product and technology research programs.

NMPF Releases A Farmer-Friendly Tool to Assist Dairy Producers in Developing Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:20:44 GMT

Source: NMPF news release

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has completed the development of a self-certification template tool to assist dairy producers in developing Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans that covers all fuel and oil storage on the farm.

The template, developed with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is available on the NMPF website .

“Dairy farmers want to do the right thing on environmental regulations, but in many cases lack readily available tools to assist with the complex regulations,” said Shawn Reiersgaard, Chair NMPF Environmental Issues Task Force. “The SPCC template provides dairy producers with a valuable tool to successfully implement SPCC plans on their farms and continue to be excellent stewards of our environmental resources.”

The template was unveiled at the NMPF Environmental Issues Task Force meeting yesterday in Rosemont, Ill.

The goal of the SPCC program is to prevent oil spills into waters of the U.S. and adjoining shorelines. A key element of the program calls for farmers and other facilities to have an oil spill prevention plan, called an SPCC plan.

The SPCC plans are required for farms which have an aggregate storage capacity of oil products of 1,320 gallons, or more, counting every storage container larger than 55 gallons. A farm with less than 10,000 gallons of total storage capacity and no single storage greater than 5,000 gallons can self-certify its SPCC plan.

Farms that do not meet this exemption must have a plan certified by a professional engineer. In August, EPA proposed to extend the compliance deadline for the bulk milk storage requirements until the SPCC exemption for bulk milk storage is finalized. Dairy producers are still required to comply with SPCC regulations for all other fuel and oil storage.

NMPF is producing an online tutorial and anticipates conducting a series of webinars this fall to train dairy producers in the use of the self-certification template. Additionally, NRCS will work with NMPF to evaluate how NRCS can most effectively provide technical assistance to dairy producers to comply with the SPCC regulations.

New Roadmap Will Help Stimulate the Emerging Biogas Market

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:47:25 GMT

White House plan highlights opportunities expected to foster innovation, revenue for dairy farms.

Source: National Milk Producers Federation/Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy

The White House on Friday released a Biogas Opportunities Roadmap highlighting the economic and environmental benefits and potential for biogas systems in the U.S.

According to the Roadmap, biogas systems offer a wide range of potential revenue streams, growing jobs and boosting economic development for communities, businesses and dairy farms. The systems work by recycling organic material — including cow manure and food waste — into valuable co-products such as renewable energy, fertilizer, separated nutrients and cow bedding.

To develop the Roadmap, The White House worked with the dairy industry through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, which was established under the leadership of dairy farmers, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Innovation Center brings together leaders of dairy farmer organizations, including NMPF, along with cooperatives, processors, manufacturers, and brands, to foster innovation and help dairy farmers and importers sell more milk and dairy products. Biogas initiatives completed by the Innovation Center helped inform the Roadmap, including 2013 research that identifies a $2.9 billion market potential for anaerobic digester systems that co-digest dairy cow manure and food waste.

“The Biogas Roadmap will help stimulate the emerging biogas market in ways that could provide revenue-generating opportunities for dairy farms of all sizes,” said Jim Mulhern, president and chief executive officer of the National Milk Producers Federation, which develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own.

The Roadmap strategies are entirely voluntary, not regulatory. “This validates the proactive and voluntary path the industry is already taking to reduce methane emissions, and provides direction for future actions and opportunities,” said Mulhern. NMPF sits on the Board of Directors for the Innovation Center.

The USDA, DOE and EPA will take these steps to promote the development of biogas systems:

• Fostering investment in biogas systems: To help overcome barriers to the widespread investment in biogas systems, USDA will lead efforts to better understand and track the performance of anaerobic digesters, seek opportunities to broaden financing options, and review Federal procurement guidelines.

• Strengthening markets for biogas systems and system products: The Roadmap identifies activities that could strengthen the market for biogas systems and system products including energy and other value-added products. For example, dairy farms of all sizes could enhance their revenues through nitrogen and phosphorus recovery.

• Improving communication and coordination: USDA will establish a Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Working Group, including the dairy industry, to implement the strategies in the Roadmap, with a goal to identify and prioritize policies and technology opportunities by August 2015.

• Promoting biogas use through existing agency programs: Leveraging existing programs will provide a way to enhance the use of biogas systems in the U.S. by ensuring existing criteria for technical and financial assistance considers the benefits of biogas system, leveraging research funding, and strengthening programs that support the use of biogas for clean energy, transportation fuel, and other biobased products.

“On dairy farms, digesters can increasingly be part of the solution to manure management challenges and enhance our ability to sustain our farms for the next generation,” said Jim Werkhoven, a dairy farmer in Monroe, Wash., and Chairman of Darigold, Inc.

Biogas systems could help the dairy industry, which contributes approximately 2% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, to further reduce its carbon footprint. In 2009, the dairy industry established a voluntary goal to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2020. The Dairy Power project is one of a portfolio of projects to help achieve that goal; it focuses on harnessing the value of manure and realizing the potential of biogas systems for U.S. dairy farmers.

“Dairy farmers are taking many steps to provide nourishing dairy foods and beverages that are responsibly produced,” said Tom Gallagher, chief executive officer of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “Biogas systems are one example of many technologies available to the industry today that help us continuously improve our stewardship and contribute to our communities.”

Visit USDairy.com/DairyPower for information and case studies about biogas projects on dairy farms, and watch this video to see how a coalition of urban and rural partners -- including the Cleveland Browns – used a biogas system to recycle cow manure and food waste.

NMPF Receives $25,000 Matching Funds from USDA to Educate Dairy Producers about Spill Prevention

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:55:58 GMT

Source: National Milk Producers Federation

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced that the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) will receive matching funds of $25,000 to inform and educate producers about revised regulations for oil storage and pending regulations for milk storage containers.

Funding will be used to help dairy producers understand the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulation, including development of a self-certification template.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires farms, under the SPCC, to have a plan in place to minimize any problems from oil spills. Later in the year, NMPF anticipates conducting a series of webinars to train dairy producers in the use of the self-certification template. Additionally, NRCS will work with NMPF to evaluate how NRCS can most effectively provide technical assistance to dairy producers to comply with the SPCC regulations.

The goal of the SPCC program is to prevent oil spills into waters of the U.S. and adjoining shorelines.

A key element of the program calls for farmers and other facilities to have an oil spill prevention plan, called an SPCC plan. The SPCC plans are required for farms which have an aggregate storage capacity of oil products of 1320 gallons, or more, for every storage container larger than 55 gallons.

A farm with less than 10,000 gallons of total storage capacity and no single storage greater than 5,000 gallons can self-certify its SPCC plan. Farms that do not meet this exemption must have a plan certified by a professional engineer.

In a letter to NMPF dated June 9, the EPA committed to finalizing the SPCC exemption for bulk milk storage “as expeditiously as possible…to have that process completed by early 2011.” In addition, EPA will be extending the compliance deadline for the revised regulation.

“Dairy farmers are excellent stewards of our natural resources,” said Jamie Jonker, NMPF vice president of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. “The USDA grant and NRCS technical assistance will provide dairy producers with valuable tools to successfully implement SPCC plans on their farms and continue that stewardship.”