Author: MMPA

NOVI, Mich.—Fifty-three MMPA members were recognized with 35 or 50 year member awards at the MMPA 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting, March 24, 2016. MMPA has traditionally recognized 35- year members and this year added the new MMPA Milestone award to honor those holding membership for 50 years or more.

MMPA President Ken Nobis congratulated and praised the 35-year members for their dedication to the cooperative: “We commend you for your dedication and loyalty to MMPA and the dairy industry over the last 35 years.”

After the 35-year members were recognized, Nobis recognized the inaugural group of MMPA Milestone award winners who joined MMPA in the year 1966 or earlier. In 2017 and in the years to come, MMPA will continue to honor those who reach the 50 year membership mark.

“Across the 1,200 member farms, there are a select few who have remained loyal to our cooperative for half of MMPA’s existence or more,” Nobis explained before presenting the awards. “Twenty-six members have achieved 50 or more years of membership including one member who signed his contract 62 years ago in 1954.”

A video presentation showcased the vast changes the Michigan dairy industry has undergone the past several years and since these members began dairy farming.

The presentation highlighted information from 1981 and 1966, when these members joined MMPA. In 1981, there were 6,225 MMPA members in who marketed a total of 3.36 billion pounds of milk, while in 1966 membership totaled 8,539 and marketed 2.97 billion pounds of milk. Today, MMPA has approximately 1,200 members and marketed over 4.63 billion pounds of milk in the 2015 fiscal year.

MMPA—established in 1916—is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

NOVI, Mich.—Delegates attending the 100th annual meeting of the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) on March 24 reelected Ken Nobis, of St. Johns, to an at-large, three-year term on the board of directors. Delegates also elected Gertie van den Goor of Marlette, Michigan to her first three-year term in an at-large position.

During the board’s reorganizational meeting, held after the delegate meeting, the following officers were elected: President: Ken Nobis, St. Johns; Vice President: Mark Halbert, Battle Creek; Treasurer: Eric Frahm, Frankenmuth.

Board members elected at the district level were: Doug Chapin of Remus, District 5 and Scott Lamb of Jeddo, District 8.

Delegates also elected representatives to the MMPA Advisory Committee. Members of this committee serve as a liaison between the membership and the board of directors and management.

Advisory Committee members elected this year to a two-year term are:

District 1: Bruce Lewis, Jonesville; Jeff Horning, Manchester
District 2: Michael Oesch, Middlebury, IN; Mark Crandall, Battle Creek
District 3: Tim Butler, Sand Lake; Bill Gruppen, Zeeland
District 4: Marvin Rubingh, Ellsworth; Jeremy Werth, Herron
District 5: Mike Rasmussen, Edmore; Lyle Vanderwal, Lake City
District 6: David Reed, Owosso; Jamie Meyer, Ionia
District 7: Mark Iciek, Gladwin; John Bennett, Prescott
District 8: Darwin Sneller, Sebewaing; Bill Blumerich, Berlin

MMPA—established in 1916—is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

NOVI, Mich.—Jacob and Elaine Jahfetson and family of Baraga, Mich. were named Michigan Milk Producers Association’s (MMPA) Top Quality Award Winners for the third consecutive year at MMPA’s annual meeting in Lansing on March 24, 2016.

The Jahfetsons run a 24-cow dairy that obtained the highest quality records in 2013, 2014 and 2015 among the nearly 1,200 farms belonging to MMPA. To qualify, a producer must meet MMPA’s quality premium requirements for an entire year.

“The member who receives the Top Quality Award is an inspiration to all MMPA members. If one member can do it, it shows what is possible for others to achieve,” MMPA Director of Member Services Dean Letter said. “The Jahfetsons are an excellent example of quality producers and continual improvement. The family pays incredibly close attention to every detail, they know exactly what their cows are doing and address any problems immediately.”

Since 1990, MMPA has recognized the farm that produces the highest quality milk for the year. The Jahfestons’ have received MMPA quality awards for the past 15 years and are a testament to the power of a long-term commitment to milk quality. Their persistent attention to cow cleanliness, cow comfort and a detailed, correct, consistent milking procedure helped them achieve the prestigious award.

Read more about the Jahfetsons in the April issue of the Michigan Milk Messenger.

MMPA—established in 1916—is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Novi, MICH.—The 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting of the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) was held on March 24 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan. The meeting included an appearance by Gov. Rick Snyder and the announcement of a sizable milk donation to the Food Bank Council of Michigan.

“Michigan’s food and agriculture industry is one of our state’s largest, contributing $101.2 billion annually to our state’s economy,” Snyder said. “The dairy industry plays a critical role in this success, and I thank all of Michigan’s dedicated dairy farmers and leaders for their contributions to making Michigan grow stronger.”

Ken Nobis, MMPA president, announced the donation of 100 gallons of milk per day for an entire year to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. The donation is in recognition of MMPA’s 100th anniversary and a continuation of several other milk donations MMPA has made over the past year.

Representatives from JPMorgan, Consumers Energy and CoBank congratulated MMPA on the anniversary, presenting commemorative plaques and awards to MMPA. Mike Schweickert of JPMorgan noted MMPA was the Chase bank’s ninth customer and has been the cooperative’s banking partner since 1933. Consumers Energy and CoBank also pledged monetary support of MMPA’s milk donation to assist with processing and packaging costs.

Nobis also addressed the approximately 500 attendees with his speech outlining the qualities necessary to become a long-lasting business, saying, “We have been in existence for 100 years but it doesn’t really feel like we have, and maybe that’s because we keep evolving. As markets change, we adapt. In 1916 our markets were close by and by comparison quite simple. Today we still deal locally but we are also cognizant of the global market place, and when appropriate we market globally. We are adapting to the changing playing field and developing markets and membership across the state line.”

MMPA General Manager Joe Diglio unveiled the cooperative’s core values—quality, integrity, progressive, community and leadership—to guide MMPA into the next century.

“As a grass roots organization where member-owners play an instrumental role in governance, trust and reputation become critical to our DNA. Continuing to operate in a manner that our founding members have established 100 years ago is important and relevant in maintaining relationships and strong leadership during a changing environment,” Diglio stated, explaining the role of “integrity” as a core value.

MMPA Treasurer Eric Frahm presented the financial status of the cooperative, reporting a net savings in fiscal year 2015 of $6 million.

Business conducted by the delegates included the adoption of the 2016 MMPA resolutions and reelection of Ken Nobis of St. Johns, Michigan to the board of directors in a three-year, at-large position. Delegates also elected Gertie van den Goor of Marlette, Michigan to her first three-year term in an at-large position. She is the second woman in MMPA history to hold a position on the board of directors.

Nobis recognized 28 individuals holding MMPA membership for 35 years. He honored these individuals for their commitment and hard work to the dairy industry and MMPA. Each 35-year member was presented with a plaque. MMPA also began recognizing members with over 50 years of MMPA membership with the MMPA Milestone Award. Twenty-six individuals were recognized with this award and were presented with a plaque at the meeting.

MMPA Board Member Hank Choate introduced the 2015 Top 10 Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators (OYDC) at the meeting, including Shawn and Beth VanDrie, of Lake City, who were officially recognized as MMPA’s 2015 OYDC.

Dean Letter, director of member services, and Frank Brazeau, member representative, presented Jacob and Elaine Jahfetson and family of Baraga, Michigan with the highest quality milk production award. The Jahfetsons achieved the best quality records in 2015, 2014 and 2013 among MMPA’s 1,200 farms. Along with a plaque from MMPA, the Jahfetsons received a $250 gift certificate for the MMPA Merchandise Program from Ecolab.

Michigan Milk Producers Association is a member owned and controlled milk-marketing cooperative serving over 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Consumers Energy, CoBank to assist with processing costs

Lansing, MICH.—The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) will donate 100 gallons of milk per day for an entire year to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. The donation—totaling 36,500 gallons—was announced at the MMPA Annual State Delegate Meeting last week and is a component of MMPA’s recognition of its 100th anniversary.

“We know that these days hunger doesn’t stop and neither does MMPA’s concern for community. In recognition of MMPA’s 100th anniversary, MMPA will be donating 100 gallons of milk per day for an entire year to the Food Bank Council of Michigan,” Ken Nobis, dairy farmer and president of MMPA said. “We are tremendously grateful for all the work the Food Bank does every day to provide families in need with wholesome, nutritious meals and we want to do our part to help in their efforts.”

“The tremendous generosity of the Michigan Milk Producers Association will help nourish thousands of children across Michigan,” said Dr. Phillip Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan. “This is another significant step toward our goal to solve hunger.”

Representatives from Consumers Energy and CoBank joined MMPA at the meeting, congratulating the cooperative on its anniversary and announcing monetary donations to the Food Bank Council of Michigan to assist with processing and packaging of the milk.

“We would like to congratulate MMPA for achieving their 100th anniversary, and extend our compliments for the exemplary way they’ve chosen to celebrate their milestone,” said Christopher Laird, director of business customer experience at Consumers Energy. “Their program aligns with our promise of caring for the Michigan communities we serve. We are excited to support their efforts to deliver milk to families in need across the state.”

Over the past year, MMPA has made three separate donations to the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, combating the shortage of milk at food banks and assisting with hunger-relief efforts. Two donations of 12,000 gallons of milk were made to directly assist those impacted by the Flint water crisis.

Michigan Milk Producers Association, established in 1916, is a member-owned and controlled milk-marketing cooperative serving over 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio.

MMPA hosts the cooperative’s 100th Annual Meeting, celebrates anniversary

Lansing, MICH.—The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) today hosted its 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting, welcoming Governor Rick Snyder to launch the meeting in the morning. The governor commended MMPA on reaching one century of serving Michigan dairy farmers.

“Michigan’s food and agriculture industry is one of our state’s largest, contributing $101.2 billion annually to our state’s economy,” Snyder said. “The dairy industry plays a critical role in this success, and I thank all of Michigan’s dedicated dairy farmers and leaders for their contributions to making Michigan grow stronger.”

Snyder is a supporter of Michigan agriculture and has traveled around the globe to tell the story of Michigan’s food and agriculture products. The governor declared March “Michigan Food and Agriculture Month,” thanking farmers and noting the valued role of the agriculture sector to the state’s economy. He joined around 500 attendees which included agriculture industry stakeholders and MMPA members, employees and customers at the association’s annual meeting.

“Our goal is ‘to market our members’ milk to the greatest advantage possible’ and we must meet the challenge of making that happen in today’s complex world,” Ken Nobis, dairy farmer and president of MMPA said in his address today.

“We know that by working together, we are stronger than the sum of the parts, a reality that has not changed over time. We started with a firm foundation, we adapted as the world changed and I think we are well prepared for the next 100 years.”

MMPA was founded on May 23, 1916 at Michigan State University’s predecessor, the Michigan Agricultural College when 400 dairy farmers met at the college to establish a reliable market for their milk. Their foundation developed over 100 years into the cooperative it is today.

The cooperative recognized its anniversary today at the meeting, with plans for other celebrations throughout 2016 including publications and events. A notable item of celebration is MMPA’s release of a history book titled, Stronger. Together. Celebrating 100 Years of the Michigan Milk Producers Association.

Michigan Milk Producers Association is a member owned and controlled milk-marketing cooperative serving over 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio.

UDIM to provide transportation, education on dairy nutrition to those impacted by water crisis

FLINT, Mich.—The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA), The Kroger Co. of Michigan and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) today delivered over 12,000 gallons of milk to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan for distribution to families impacted by the Flint water crisis.

The action takes place on National Ag Day—a day to celebrate the abundance provided by U.S. agriculture—as the dairy farmers of MMPA share their product with those in need. The donation offers additional support to Flint families in continuation of a donation of milk by MMPA and Kroger completed in January.

“We are proud to make an additional contribution to the Flint community as it continues to recover from the water crisis. MMPA’s nearly 2,000 dairy farmers produce a wholesome, nutritious product able to protect those grappling with lead poisoning,” Ken Nobis, president of the MMPA said. “Our members were thrilled to hear how their cooperative was helping Flint with our donation in January and often asked how we could do more to help. I’m happy to announce today we are making an additional donation of 12,000 gallons of milk.”

Foods rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C, including calcium-rich dairy products, can help protect children and families from the harmful effects of lead poisoning.

“Overall good nutrition is important to families who are impacted by the effects of lead contamination,” explained Jeff Dwyer, interim director of Michigan State University Extension, which is a member of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative. “Our health and nutrition team has been vigilant in demonstrating the need for good nutrition during this public health crisis. Making sure that nutritious foods, such as milk, are available to the residents of Flint is key to recovery. We are proud that our partners in agriculture, including MMPA, are helping in that recovery.”

The donated milk was produced by members of MMPA, a dairy farmer-owned cooperative based in Novi, Michigan. The Kroger Co. of Michigan led processing of the milk and packaging into gallon jugs.

“The Kroger Co. of Michigan is pleased to be able to continue supporting the people of Flint with this donation of calcium-rich milk, and continues to work with our partners to raise funds and provide service to those impacted by this situation,” Ken McClure, Customer Communication Manager for the Kroger Co. of Michigan said.

Through the support of a grant from UDIM, The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan will distribute the milk to their network of partner agencies in the coming days, ensuring that it reaches families in need who are impacted by the Flint water crisis.

“On behalf of Michigan dairy farm families, UDIM is proud to provide a grant to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to help defray the cost of transportation and distribution, while educating consumers on the role of milk as part of a healthy diet,” added Sharon Toth, CEO of UDIM.

About Michigan Milk Producers Association:
Michigan Milk Producers Association, established in 1916, is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio. Each year, MMPA’s dairy farm families produce 4.5 billion pounds of milk for families in Michigan, the U.S. and the world. For more information about Michigan Milk Producers Association, visit our website or call 248-474-6672.

About The Kroger Co. of Michigan:
The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is one of the world’s largest grocery retailers, with fiscal 2014 sales of $108.5 billion. The Kroger Co. Family of Stores spans many states with store formats that include grocery and multi-department stores, discount, convenience stores and jewelry stores. We operate under nearly two dozen banners, all of which share the same belief in building strong local ties and brand loyalty with our customers.

About the United Dairy Industry of Michigan:
The United Dairy Industry of Michigan is the umbrella organization for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of Michigan. These non-profit organizations provide dairy product promotion and nutrition education service on behalf of funding members.

About the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan:
Serving local families in need since 1981, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan has grown to provide over 25 million pounds of food each year through more than 415 partner agencies in 22 counties. Partner agencies consist of local soup kitchens, homeless shelters and food pantries who strive to feed more than 300,000 people who struggle with hunger throughout eastern Michigan. For more information, visit www.fbem.org

About the Pediatric Public Health Initiative:
The Pediatric Public Health Initiative is a joint venture between Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital to address the Flint community’s population-wide lead exposure and help all Flint children grow up healthy and strong. The initiative brings together experts in pediatrics, child development, psychology, epidemiology, nutrition, toxicology, geography and education. Partners include MSU Extension, the Genesee County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Supported by the MSU College of Human Medicine Division of Public Health in downtown Flint, the initiative is led by Mona HannaAttisha MD, MPH, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Residency at Hurley Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at MSU College of Human Medicine. For more information, visit humanmedicine.msu.edu/PPHI.

NOVI, Mich.—Michigan Milk Producers Association recently paid $1.6 million in cash patronage refunds to its dairy farmer members. This cash allocation represents 25 percent of the $6 million net earnings generated by the cooperative in fiscal year 2015.

“The nearly $6 million in patronage refunds and equity retirements we’ve recently returned to our member-owners speak to the financial viability of MMPA,” Joe Diglio, MMPA general manager said. “Our cooperative has served Michigan dairy farmers for an entire century—through all the ups and downs of the industry—due to our high-quality milk supply, responsible financial management and competitive member value return.”

The cash patronage returned includes 100 percent of the farm supply earnings and 25 percent of the milk marketing earnings. All members who marketed milk through MMPA for fiscal year 2015 received a portion of the $1.6 million.

MMPA members received other cash payments in April 2015 of $3.6 million through retirement of the cooperative’s 2006 equities. With the current payment of $1.6 million, cash payments in the last 10 months total over $5.2 million.

Cash patronage funds and equity allocations are based on the amount of milk each individual member farm marketed and on the supplies purchased through the cooperative during the year in which the earnings were achieved. Under the current board policy, the non-cash balance of the equity allocation will be revolved back to the members in future years.

Michigan Milk Producers Association is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

NOVI, Mich.—MMPA members were awarded half of all 2015 National Dairy Quality Platinum Awards, with three of the six platinum winners belonging to MMPA farms. In total, 12 MMPA members were among 36 nationally recognized farms in the annual National Dairy Quality Award program. In addition to the three platinum winners, four of the gold awards and five of the silver awards were earned by MMPA members.

“Every day on their farms, our member-owners do their best to produce the highest quality milk possible. We are proud to see their accomplishments recognized on a national level,” Joe Diglio, MMPA General Manager said. “We are the 10th largest dairy cooperative in the United States, yet our members captured half of the platinum awards and over 30 percent of the total National Dairy Quality Awards this year. This achievement demonstrates the superior quality of our members’ milk and each farm’s dedication and commitment to excellence.”

MMPA offers a portfolio of member services to help members produce the highest quality milk possible. Christy Dinsmoore, MMPA Northeast Area supervisor and mastitis management specialist, explains, “From nationally recognized Milker Training Schools to on-farm equipment evaluation and individual mastitis management programs, MMPA works closely with members to achieve high quality milk.”

MMPA also offers a quality premium incentive for its members producing higher quality milk. This past year, MMPA paid $16.3 million in quality premiums to its dairy farmer members.

The winners were selected from a pool of over 140 applicants nationwide. The winning operations stood out for having produced high-quality milk consistently. Applications were evaluated for measures of quality, systems of monitoring udder health, milking routine, protocols for detection and treatment of clinical and subclinical cases of mastitis and strategies for overall herd health and welfare. MMPA winners were nominated by their member representatives.

Platinum Winners:

• Jeremy Beebe, Whittemore
• David and Karen Vander Zanden, Casnovia
• Brent, Nancy, Tyler and Ben Wilson, Carson City

Gold Winners:

• Michael and Andrew Hogan, Muir
• Brad and Debbie Kartes, West Branch
• Larry, Therese, Brent and Emily Simon, Westphalia
• Duane, Laurie, Ken and Anna Vanpolen, Marion

Silver Winners:

• Charles, Susan, Albert and Perter Anscheutz, Twas City
• Randy and Cindy Dragt, Howard City
• Jacob and Elaine Jahfetson, Baraga
• Mark and Robert Rau, West Branch
• Dough, Jacob and Andrew Wirth, Evart