Sustainability Spotlight: Frank Burkett

MMPA is committed to cooperative social responsibility and sustainable business practices throughout our entire supply chain. At the farm level, MMPA members are also on a sustainability journey. We’re checking in with a handful of member farmers leading the charge with this sustainability spotlight series.

Frank Burkett, a fifth-generation dairy farmer has sustainability at the core of his farming philosophy. “When I consider sustainability, I ask myself, ‘Could what we’re doing on a day-to-day basis today be repeated for perpetuity?’” Burkett said. It’s this philosophy that drives his decision making on Clardale Farms in Canal Fulton, Ohio.

“When we look at sustainability on our farm and what we’re most proud of, it’s definitely the fact that we farm in a very developed area amongst a lot of people and we try to be as open as possible, giving tours and telling the story of agriculture, sharing what we’re doing here.”

Burkett is a firm believer in agriculture’s sustainability story and along with sharing it with neighbors and those in his community, he recommends all farms invite local regulatory agencies to visit and tour farm operations. Building relationships and instilling trust in farming is critical to solving the larger sustainability issues at play.

“As we look to the world’s growing global population and analyze the fact that the United States dairy industry continues to expand exports, there is an opportunity for American dairy farmers to lead the sustainability dialogue within the dairy industry on a global scale,” Burkett said. “I am fortunate to know dairymen across the United States and I have a high degree of confidence that they’ll continue to innovate, and they’ll continue to actually show our global competitors how it should be done.”

His passion and confidence in dairy’s sustainability journey, recognizing that “agriculture is the beacon of sustainability,” comes with witnessing improvements through the decades.

“When you look at farming and what we’ve accomplished, the efficiencies that have been gained in agriculture over the decades, it’s impressive,” Burkett said. “It takes a lot fewer cows to produce safe dairy products for consumers today than it did 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. It’s only possible because we continue to adopt and learn and put new technologies into practice.”

On Clardale Farms, these technologies start in the parlor where cow health is at the forefront of the data they collect. Using daily milk weights and cow activity monitors, Burkett and his team use the data to ensure the cows are healthy, happy and cared for.

“We focus on putting healthy animals into great facilities and really getting out of their way,” Burkett said. “We let them do what they do best and then surround them with an incredible team of people.”

The team of 13 full-time staff at Clardale Farms take animal wellbeing and environmental sustainability seriously and are critical to driving the future of the farm forward, one sustainable business decision at a time.

“I think there’s an educational component of sustainability. Are we learning from what we’re doing and making adjustments from there?” Burkett said. “We have technology and innovation coming at us continually, and if we’re not adapting and changing to meet that, then I don’t know if we’re going to be sustainable one year from now.”

Burkett humbly recognizes though that working with nature and making sustainable business decisions isn’t always as crystal clear and simple as it seems it should be, so he relies on peers to help guarantee success in the many innovations and technologies he encounters every day.

“I don’t have the ability to make the right decision every time,” Burkett recognizes. “Most of us hope we make more right decisions than wrong decisions, but I guarantee you, most of us, if we’re honest, we’ve made some bad ones. The more that we can share those bad decisions with others, we can hopefully try to accomplish the same sustainable outcomes just in a different way.”

But to achieve those sustainable outcomes, Burkett knows that profitability is critical to be able to invest in sustainable practices, technologies and innovations.

“Profitability isn’t a dirty word, it’s something that needs to happen for sustainability to be there, for the communities that thrive around us,” Burkett said. “The dairy farms that exist today, across the country are vital to their communities. The jobs that they enable have a huge impact and as family-owned businesses, we care about the community and where we are at. We live here too.”

KEYWORD

Cow Activity Monitors: Cow activity monitors measure cow activity or movement. The computer takes this information and compares it to previously collected data to determine when a cow’s activity is increasing or decreasing. In addition to activity, many of these systems also monitor cow temperature, eating time and cow position (standing vs. lying). Cow activity and these other measurements are often combined to provide an overall indication of cow health.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania State University Extension

FARM

Clardale Farm
Canal Fulton, Ohio

HERD

699 milking

LAND

1,900 acres of corn, alfalfa and soybeans

VERIFICATIONS

MMPA Sustainability Survey, Nutrient Management Plan, Farmers Assuring
Responsible Management Animal Care, Farmers Assuring Responsible
Management Environmental Stewardship

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Driving the Future: Wilson Centennial Farm, 2023 Dairy Farm of the Year

There’s no shortage of passion involved in agriculture, a consequence of generations worth of work being passed down and the nobleness of feeding communities around the globe. Passion is at the forefront of Wilson Centennial Farm, driving business decisions and growth strategies and earning them the coveted title of 2023 Dairy Farm of the Year awarded by Michigan State University (MSU).

Owned and operated by Brent and Nancy Wilson, alongside their sons, Ben and Tyler, Wilson Centennial Farm in Carson City, Michigan, is grounded in their faith and family is at the foundation of what they do. “We’re a very close-knit family and the number one thing we do is get along. Everybody loves each other,” Nancy says. Milking 1,000 cows, Brent recognizes that with their team of sixteen employees and a growing number of grandkids, “we’re still small enough where we can feel like a family.”

Relying on each other, the Wilsons use each of their unique skillsets to advance the farm. While Brent focuses predominantly on herd health, Nancy handles accounting and payroll, Tyler manages herd breeding and nutrition, and Ben tackles crops and fieldwork.

“Tyler and Ben have honored Nancy and I greatly by choosing this occupation and they didn’t choose it lightly,” Brent said. “We required them to go someplace else to get work experience before driving a John Deere around here. When they returned to the farm, we wanted them to have management experience because if you’re going to run this farm, you’re going to take it to the next generation.”

The drive to advance and move forward is a cornerstone of their business operation. Anything done on Wilson Centennial Farm is done with excellence and the future in mind.

“We have grown here in a step-by-step process year after year after year,” Brent explained. “We don’t go to Greenstone and say, ‘we’re going to build a barn’ or ‘we’re going to build a parlor.’ We just grow and we build a barn when we have enough cows to fill it. And once we fill it, we think about what we’re going to do next.”

In order to determine what’s next, the entire family works with consultants and outside experts and in their initial meetings, the groundwork is laid. “I take our DHIA sheets out and I say, “We’re number one or number two or number four in the state. How are you going to take us to the next level?”

Achieving the next level time and time again is what’s made the farm the success that it is today. Brent is adamant on not settling and is now relying on his sons to continue the precedent he’s set.

“Since I’ve been managing the herd and living here at the home farm, I have not bred to a Holstein bull that has been negative on protein or butterfat,” Brent said. “We have the genetics for high protein and high butterfat, and then Tyler as a dairy nutritionist knows what to feed to maximize milk production.”

Brent’s drive for a challenge is only fueled by his involvement in serving in leadership roles and attending meetings and conferences off the farm.

“I discovered that for me to get my mind engaged, I have to get off this farm. I need to be challenged,” Brent said. “One of my first years being on the MMPA board of directors, I went to the National Mastitis Council (NMC) meeting, and it made me wonder if I could get my somatic cell count down. So, I started paying attention to cows and mastitis.”

The attention paid off with his herd going on to receive numerous milk quality awards, including receiving National Platinum Milk Quality Award by NMC for each of the past six years, which Brent credits to opening the door for opportunities.

“Having one of the top herds in Michigan for dollar value because of our high components and winning national awards for somatic cell counts, I have served on all kinds of boards and committees,” Brent said. His explanation may be an understatement with experience serving as a district board member for the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) and on the boards of directors for Isabella Bank, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Gratiot County Farm Bureau, Gratiot County Development and as board chair of the Sparrow Carson Hospital.

Brent’s off-farm experience started after graduating from Michigan State University (MSU) with a dairy science degree and beginning his career as a member representative with Michigan Milk Producers Association. After serving cooperative members for five years, Brent went on to work as a dairy agent with Michigan State University Extension for over a decade.

“We are always interested in helping Michigan State University with research studies and projects,” Nancy said, as a connection to Brent’s continued devotion to MSU. “They bring students out here to evaluate as part of a class and we’ve maintained a partnership with Michigan State University.”

The partnership is one of many for the Wilsons who are continuing to advance for the future. Currently, they have a 44-stall rotary parlor in construction, and they continue to implement sustainable cropping practices that work hand-in-hand with their business’s drive to succeed.

“We farm with the least amount of tillage, working with the manure we have and always planting a cover crop to scavenge those nutrients,” Brent said. “The exciting thing to me is that we’re leaving this soil in better shape than what we did when I started, when my dad started, when my grandpa started. We’re building it up and it’s doing better than ever before.”

Now carrying on the seventh generation, Brent’s personal drive and dedication to agriculture is what ultimately led him to returning to his family’s farm full-time, and he’s never looked back. “I was trained from the time I was small for hard work, and here I am,” he says. “In my lifetime, I’ve tried to take what I know and affect change for the betterment of agriculture.” Working with partners and his family, Brent has used Wilson Centennial Farm to drive the future of Michigan’s dairy industry.

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Ordinary Details. Extraordinary Results.

Like most dairy farms, Bon-Dale Farms reviews the ordinary details: somatic cell counts in Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) cow records, herd milk urea nitrogen (MUN) counts in milk quality reports and milk production averages for bulls’ sire summaries. Yet attention to the details and the trends they cause is what has set their milk quality apart from Michigan Milk Producers Association’s membership, earning them the cooperative’s coveted title of Top Quality Award Winner in 2022.

“I always fall back on trends that I see,” Kurt Brinks said, the cow person on Bon-Dale Farms. “We’ve had employees here in the past who we have had scheduled to work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, the somatic cell counts kind of come up and then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, they’re kind of coming back down. That’s when I know that something’s going on.”

Somatic cell count, a common milk quality indicator, is one of the many details Kurt and his parents, Dale and Bonnie Brinks, pay attention to on their farm in McBain, Michigan. They also encourage their employees to pay attention because milk quality and attention to detail begins in the parlor.

In The Parlor

“We try to get the milkers to pay attention to cow health in the parlor,” Bonnie said. “If they have a question, we’d rather have them catch a cow than let her go and tell you the next morning that they didn’t think she was feeling good last night.”

They set their employees up for success in the way that they manage their farm. In addition to spending a lot of time milking alongside their employees, the Brinks also separate their milking herd into high production and low production groups, allowing employees to easily monitor daily milk production in comparison to cows they should be performing similar with.

“I don’t know how many dairy farmers in my position are in the parlor as much as I am,” Kurt said. As someone who milks at least five times a week, he recognizes that time spent in the parlor is “a very good way to monitor people and how they’re following through on protocols.”

When there is a deviation from proper practices or a change in trends on reports, the Brinks are quick to provide refreshers on training and work alongside their employees to get milk quality and cow health back on track, ensuring they “get the details back where you want them.”

“I don’t necessarily think that there’s a right or wrong procedure to follow in the parlor, but I think cattle are such creatures of habit that if the timing of things isn’t right, then you’re going to start having issues,” Kurt said. “I know you can get udders clean by wiping them faster than I wiped them, but there’s a stimulation aspect there and if that cow isn’t properly stimulated then you aren’t going to get a complete milk out and that allows for the potential that bacteria is built up following the milking.”

In The Barn

The attention to detail also translates to making artificial insemination breeding decisions. From considering leg set to prevent cow slips and falls to evaluating bulls’ milk components and milk production, the Brinks select bulls that are robot ready, despite milking in a traditional double-8 parlor.

“When selecting bulls, I pay quite a bit of attention to udder composition,” Kurt said. “If the udder isn’t right, the cow won’t last you very long, so proper spacing, four udder attachment, and teat length are important. A lot of the bull books have these robot ready cows, which means it’s a nice uddered cow. That’s what I’m going to lean towards whether we have robots or not.”

The attention to their herds’ udders is another reason that Kurt does most of his cow evaluation in the parlor, rather than in the barns. A benefit he recognizes that comes with the size herd he has and his involvement.

“I don’t like disturbing the cow barn a whole lot,” Kurt said. “Getting out in the cow barn and getting cows on their feet, running, walking around when it’s not really necessary is an opportunity for them to get their udders dirty. Cows that are running, can slip and fall and an udder injury of any kind is going to increase your chances of bacteria issues.”

The Brinks rely on limited amounts of technology for day-to-day farm operations. For monitoring their herd’s breeding cycles, they rely on an old-fashioned breeding wheel posted inside their milk house.

Throughout the Farm

Looking throughout the entire operation, Kurt will be the first to recognize that their success isn’t a result of just one thing, but many different things that affect milk quality. The biggest key to success though is consistency in the parlor and communication between everyone on the farm, including external partners.

“Our feed nutritionist does a really good job and has helped our rations be more fine-tuned than they used to be,” Dale says. “We do a lot of moisture checking, making sure that the dry matter state in our feed is the consistent.” As a result, Kurt recognizes that, “We’re shipping a higher pounds per cow than we ever have.” And Bon-Dale Farm’s components in their milk is also improved.

The small adjustments are part of an ongoing effort to improve their farm’s efficiencies. With an adjustment to genetics to reduce the number of heifer calves and the tweaks in cow nutrition to improve milk production, they’re on a mission to do more with the 210 cows they milk and the 600 acres they operate

“Our goal the last three to five years has been trying to improve our efficiency and make the most out of what we have,” Kurt says. “We really have less cows today than we had a year or two ago, but the cooler is just as full now as it was then. We’re making more milk with fewer cows.”

The improvements in efficiencies and the gradual small changes the Brinks have made overtime may have contributed to their success, but Dale humbly recognizes, “We don’t do anything out of the ordinary, we just pay attention to the details.”

This article was originally published in the March/April 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Milk Minute: Changing. Growing. Doing.

By Doug Chapin, MMPA Board Chairman

2022 was a year of record milk prices, with an average price of $25.60/cwt. It’s important to mention though that inflation was also at historic levels. Even with record prices, we saw the Dairy Margin Coverage program pay out two diﬀerent months and we saw milk production fall under the previous year’s production. That trend has reversed. We are trending up in cow numbers and milk production. The production trend up is modest, about 1% ahead of 2022, however, with our consumers facing inflation shock at the grocery store, we are seeing some headwinds in domestic consumption.

I encourage everyone to stay optimistic. The production trends are still trailing normal growth, and culling numbers are strong. Exports set a record in 2022 and are expected to maintain strength in 2023. As producers, we have managed these volatile markets in the past, and Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is definitely prepared to manage them going forward. We realize that record prices can’t last.

MMPA has completed its second year since the acquisition of Superior Dairy. The management team has worked hard to align MMPA operations with Superior Dairy operations, resulting in improved coordination and collaboration among staff. Today, the two entities are one. We have doubled the number of employees, added retail sales activities in multiple states, and achieved alignment through human resources, accounting, laboratories, field staff and other areas.

The acquisition has also allowed us to develop new relationships and partnerships with those businesses that deal directly with consumers. These conversations are essential to meet our goal of adding value to our milk and growing beyond ingredients and commodities. Another asset that came with the acquisition is Creative Edge, an innovation and research team. They’re continuously working on solutions for customers, improving plant operations and developing new products for the marketplace. While it’s hard to put an exact value on these efforts, I guarantee they’re providing more opportunities for increased value and efficiencies for MMPA.

In the past year, MMPA has also successfully participated in and led donations to local food banks. Utilizing the United States Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Donation Program, MMPA has donated over 275,000 gallons with the Food Bank Council of Michigan, and recently donated an additional 10,000 gallons to Palestine, Ohio in their efforts to overcome the devistating train derailment facing their community. The Ohio donation reminds us of how we started our donation program during the Flint water crisis.

I’d like to thank Joe Diglio, MMPA President and CEO for his commitment and leadership to our organization. Thank you to our management team and employees for all their efforts this past year. They work hard for members every day. Finally, I’d like to thank my fellow board members. As a board, we function with a level of professionalism, trust and integrity that is critical for our ability to continue changing, growing and doing. We don’t take our commitment lightly and we appreciate the opportunity to serve you, our members.

This article was originally published in the March/April 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

107th Annual Meeting: MMPA delegates gather to conduct essential business

The world as we know it has changed dramatically in the last few years. There’s an increased reliance on technology from the farm level to the plants, innovation in the dairy sector is responding to a new generation of consumers, and consolidation in the industry is accelerating. MMPA delegates gathered in Novi, Michigan for the 107th Annual Meeting at Suburban Collection Showplace Center on March 23, 2023, to conduct business that will propel the cooperative into the future.

During the meeting, MMPA delegates and guests learned how in 2022, the acquisition of Superior Dairy grew MMPA’s footprint and expanded their presence in the Ohio market. This growth was credited to MMPA members and employees linking arms and working together for the betterment of all cooperative stakeholders.

Thanks to the business conducted by MMPA delegates during the Annual Meeting, MMPA has never been more ready for the future. Delegates took action to help the cooperative change with the world around us, grow strategically to provide value for members and customers, and reaffirm their commitment to doing what they do best – producing quality milk and dairy products for the enjoyment of everyone.

Milestone Members

During the Annual Meeting, MMPA members reaching 35 and 50 years of membership were recognized.

35- Year Members

Roger A Burgess of Mid-Sanilac Local, District 8
Wayne R Burgess of Mid-Sanilac Local, District 8
Robert L Cnossen of Evart Local, District 5
Norman Hammond of Barry-Eaton Local, District 2
Gerald D Hoolsema of Chippewa County Local, District 4
Debra K Krafft of Frankenmuth Local, District 7
Charles N Nelkie of Sunrise Local, District 7
Thomas C Schultz of Mid-Sanilac Local, District 8
Carl P Stakenas of West Michigan Local, District 3
William J Stakenas of West Michigan Local, District 3
Gary T Thelen of Mid-Michigan Local, District 6
Mary M Wagner of Blossomland Local, District 2
Larry Werth of Hillman Local, District 4
Fred Werth of Hillman Local, District 4
Toby E Yoder of Constantine Local, District 2

50-Year Members

Gerald C Cottle of Chippewa County Local, District 4
Gary L Protzman of Huron Local, District 8
Michael W Zagata of Huron Local, District 8
Lorene J Zagata of Huron Local, District 8

History was made during MMPA’s 107^th Annual Meeting. For the first time in the association’s history, delegates gathered at the Suburban Collection Showplace Center in Novi, Michigan. During the meeting, MMPA delegates conducted regular business, along with laying the foundation for continued change and growth.

The members of the MMPA Membership Structure Task Force, initially formed during the 106^th Annual Meeting, were recognized and their proposal to modernize MMPA’s governance structure was unanimously approved by the delegate body. These changes pave the way to better serve a changing membership, be nimble in response to an expanding geographic footprint and allow for an evolving milk marketing strategy.

The delegates also unanimously approved a new district map that facilitates future growth, while providing further opportunity in the new governance structure.

Also for the first time, MMPA delegates representing the newly formed Superior Local were in attendance. The local’s members reside in Ohio and are a result of MMPA’s acquisition of Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio last year. MMPA’s growth outside of Michigan was also solidified with the election of Kurt Steiner, an Ohio member, to a three-year term as an at-large director on the MMPA board of directors.

In addition to Steiner, Kris Wardin was re-elected as an at-large member during the meeting to serve a three-year term on the board of directors. During district meetings in February, Brian DeMann was elected to serve a three-year term as the District 2 director. DeMann replaces Tim Hood who served on the board for 18 years. Also re-elected at district meetings were Bill Stakenas, District 3, and Tony Jandernoa, District 6. MMPA board members will be reassigned to new districts following delegate approval of the new district map.

Following the Annual Meeting, the MMPA board of directors met for a reorganizational meeting. The following officers were re-elected: Doug Chapin, Board Chairman; Tony Jandernoa, Board Vice Chairman; Eric Frahm, Treasurer; Joe Diglio, President & CEO; Sheila Burkhardt, Board Secretary; Tom Downey , Assistant Treasurer; Greg Soehnlen, Chief Operations and Business Development Officer.

This article was originally published in the March/April 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

2022 OYDC Finalists: Jordan and Erin Booms

Jordan and Erin Booms

Hometown: Lake City, Michigan
Local: Evart
District: 5

Jordan and Erin Booms are do-gooders in their community. Along with farming on Booms Dairy LLC, Jordan is lieutenant of two area fire departments and Erin works full time off the farm as a nurse practitioner. Being the kind of people who run into fires, they take efficiency and profitability seriously, all while managing the ups and downs that come with the industry and raising their two kids Isaiah (7) and Edison (3) on the farm.

Q&A:

Q: What’s your farms greatest achievement?
J: Weathering the hard years and still going strong

Q: What’s the key to running a dairy farm?
J: Efficiency
E: Being flexible

Q: How can someone easily improve their milk quality?
J: Consistency

Q: What’s your favorite chore? Why?
J: Mowing hay.
E: Hauling hay. It’s enjoyable and the whole family can partake.

Q: Why do you milk cows?
J: It’s in my blood

Q: What’s one practice you’d try on your farm if you knew it was impossible to fail?
J: Robots

Q: What does your farm look like in 30 years?
E: Jordan and our boys working together for the next generation.

On their farm:

If you visit their farm in Lake City, Michigan, you’ll directly see the impact of Jordan and Erin’s mission to be as efficient as possible while remaining profitable. They recognize the challenges facing the dairy industry today and are proactively managing potential risks by working on their short comings and strategically growing over time.

This article was originally published in the January/February 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Milk Minute: A Strong Balance Sheet For A Strong Future

By Tom Downey, MMPA Chief Financial Officer

Fiscal year 2023 was my first full year with MMPA serving as chief financial officer and I am proud to report your cooperative continues to have a strong balance sheet poised for future growth. Working alongside the entire MMPA team, board of directors and independent auditors to market our members’ milk to the greatest advantage possible has been the most personally rewarding experience I have had in my career.

While acquiring Superior Dairy on January 1, 2022, was a significant milestone for MMPA, the hard work really started after the purchase was announced. Integrating two companies that are both over 100 years old is a complicated process that has required a significant amount of effort across both organizations. While those efforts will continue into the foreseeable future, I am excited about all that we have accomplished around the integration to date. We have made significant headway in combining the organizations across several teams (human resources, IT, accounting, quality, operations, etc.) and have prioritized ensuring our colleagues in Canton feel connected to MMPA and our member owners.

We continued to see a tight milk market in fiscal year 2022, marketing 4.7 billion pounds of milk (flat to prior year). These tighter markets drove elevated milk pricing and product margin throughout the year but that was partially offset by elevated input costs which I know our member owners had to navigate at the farm level as well. Despite the current inflationary environment, I am pleased with the synergies we have achieved bringing Superior into our manufacturing footprint that helped negate some of those cost headwinds.

This year’s audit presented a unique challenge as Superior Dairy transitioned from an MMPA customer to being MMPA owned. Combining the books and records of two large organizations is a complex process and I’d like to thank everyone that was involved for ensuring that the audit was completed on time with an unqualified or “clean” audit opinion. We had a lot of staff go above and beyond the normal call of duty to make that happen and their efforts are very much appreciated.

MMPA’s long-term debt to equity ratio, an industry standard used by lenders to determine the risk associated with lending to an entity, is extremely strong relative to other market participants. You can think of this value as how much of the cooperative’s assets are owned by our members, versus how much is owned by our lenders. While the membership percentage has decreased from the prior year, we are still well positioned to move forward on future growth opportunities based on our financial strength.

The example our member owners set with their tireless work ethic and unwavering commitment to doing the right thing is an inspiration to me and the MMPA team. Thank you to all MMPA members for the opportunity to work for and serve you. I am excited for what the future has in store.

This article was originally published in the January/February 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Ag Rallies to Lead Investment into MSU Dairy Research, Teaching and Outreach

In a state where dairy ranks No. 1 in farm receipts among state agricultural commodities, accounts for nearly 5 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, supports 111,000-plus jobs and generates $24 billion in revenue annually, it makes sense that Michigan’s land-grant university would have state-of-the-art dairy research and teaching facilities. That was the consensus of Michigan State University and more than 40 commodity groups when they rallied to raise $30 million to date for a new dairy facility – toward the goal of raising an additional $15-20 million.

When a fire broke out in the feed facility on MSU’s dairy in May 2021, the need for a new facility was accelerated, not to mention the 60-year-old setup fails to support the long list of desired research projects, veterinary school needs and basic education of current dairy trends and technologies. A big team of supporters began to brainstorm and put feet to the project.

“Leadership at Michigan State organized a planning committee with faculty from several departments in early 2021. Our aim was to determine what research, teaching and outreach infrastructure needs our program would have over the next 20 years,” explained Dr. Barry Bradford, MSU professor in dairy management and nutrition. “The work of this committee was accelerated in May 2021, when a major fire at the dairy facility made it clear that we couldn’t continue to play the long game.”

Bradford explained from there, the stakeholders were essential. “We had conversations with many agricultural groups, as well as environmental groups, to explain the need for a new dairy facility and the problems we could address with an investment by the state. Our friends in agriculture came through in a big way, advocating with elected officials about the importance of the dairy for Michigan agriculture and rural economies. Achieving state funding in July 2022 was a result of all of those conversations, and we are extremely grateful to our stakeholders and legislators who saw the value proposition.”

He singled out Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) and its staff as an extremely important cog in the wheel of progress on funding. “MMPA was one of our strongest allies, with Doug Chapin and Sheila Burkhardt spending a lot of time helping with meetings and getting feedback on the project.”

Interim Michigan State University President Teresa K. Woodruff pointed to the importance of the ag community in securing the funding, “Michigan’s agricultural community is unique in its willingness to advocate for common goals with one voice, and we saw that sense of shared purpose play out with the dairy facility funding. Every phone call, every email, and every endorsement truly mattered in securing this transformational investment, and Michigan State University is so grateful for the support of our partners. This new facility will have a tremendous impact on Michigan agriculture – and we are proud that it is happening on our MSU campus.”

MSU AgBioResearch Director George Smith agreed it was a collaborative effort in the true sense of the word, involving the College of Agriculture and Natural Resource’s Department of Animal Science and Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) , MSU AgBioResearch, Extension, the state’s dairy industry, the entire Michigan agricultural community and state government. Smith added that Bradford, Dr. Annette O’Connor and Dr. Wei Liao were the faculty leads and played an indispensable role in developing the vision and justification for the new facility.

“The vision for this project epitomizes the land-grant mission of Michigan State University and our goal to provide teaching, research and Extension efforts that make a difference for the Michigan dairy industry now and into the future,” Smith noted. “Our hope would be this project would help lead to growth in and a better trained dairy workforce in the future, increased rate of research progress in addressing issues of importance to the dairy industry (e.g. nutrition, genetics, reproduction, animal health and welfare and management) and in solving problems of the future related to environmental sustainability.”

The current trend of undergraduate students from non-farm backgrounds underscores the need for state-of-the-art facilities. He said, “A quality educational experience at a dairy facility that more closely mimics the modern dairy industry versus the industry of the 1960s and 1970s will provide a more positive experience. Increased herd size linked to the new facility and accompanying infrastructure will increase throughput on research linked to industry needs and provide further opportunities for long-term research linked to environmental sustainability, such as anaerobic digestion and nutrient recovery.”

“This investment in the state is also essential to helping CVM fulfill their mission to train the veterinary medicine workforce (DVM and veterinary nurses), who are able to meet the needs of the modern dairy industry “ said Dr. Annette O’Connor, Chairperson of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “This facility will be one where students will have full access to the physical spaces, technologies, and access to data associated with the modern dairy industry. In addition to workforce development, our research teams will have access to facilities to answer questions about maintaining the health, welfare, and production of dairy cattle as part of sustainable dairy production.”

The present farm provides access to 200 cows in a tie-stall barn for teaching and research, and that’s not adequate for the research projects on the docket. While all the specifics have not been pinpointed, the new facility will be built directly south of the present dairy and will likely accommodate 500 milking cows, with 700 head total. This will allow researchers to perform their projects and still facilitate educational opportunities for vet students and animal science majors.

Both a robotic milking system and a parallel parlor are being planned for the new project. The robots would provide training and research on new milking systems, while the parallel parlor would be beneficial for research that includes milking at fixed intervals.

Additionally, Bradford said, “We have a great deal of mastitis expertise here, and it makes sense to keep the parlor simple and have the cows more accessible and available for individual quarter sampling or infusions.” He pointed to environmental challenges in dairy and the need for cutting-edge research to provide solutions for nutrient management and emissions reduction.

Having a new facility with modern housing will also bolster valuable information for Michigan dairy producers. “The new facility will allow us to actually do controlled nutrition research in free-housed cows by using technology that detects what cow is there and basically open access to feed if it’s the right cow, and that will provide meaningful data for the industry,” Bradford explained.

Improving the economics for dairy producers in Michigan is of vital importance to MSU, and he noted this improvement in the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. “A lot of the work we’ve done for many decades has helped producers with economic sustainability, like making the best decisions with reproduction and nutritional programs. But we haven’t been able to help as much with environmental decisions like capturing carbon and separating phosphorus and nitrogen from manure or other nutrient management decisions. And we would like to be able to chase some of these challenges in the new facility, particularly when we can do so in a way that generates new revenue streams for dairies.”

MSU has already been a leader in optimizing anaerobic digestion on dairy farms. The MSU Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center (ADREC) has been working on value-added utilization of dairy manure and other wastes streams to enable a carbon neutral and zero-discharging dairy industry. Dr. Wei Liao, the director of MSU ADREC, explained: “Numerous research studies have been done on manure utilization, particularly anaerobic digestion of manure for renewable electricity and natural gas production. However, the current economics do not make them viable for small and medium-sized dairies in the U.S. In addition, nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen) management of dairies needs to be further advanced to realize environmental sustainability for dairies”. With the new facility, plans are in place to integrate anaerobic digestion with electric vehicle charging stations to enable profitable systems to be implemented on smaller farms. Furthermore, MSU will work on finding cost-effective solutions to make phosphorus and ammonia removal from manure commercially viable.

Bradford described the third pillar of social sustainability with the goal of hosting consumers to give them an honest picture of the dairy industry and allowing them to see things for themselves. “But just as important, we think we can attract more students into the industry with a modern facility that has some cool technology, and help pipeline some students in that maybe that’s their calling – but they wouldn’t even give it a shot if they didn’t have something to draw their attention to it.”

“I can’t begin to express how much this means to MSU and, even more importantly, how much the transformational research made possible by this infrastructure investment will benefit Michigan farmers, their futures and livelihoods.” Smith said. “It’s been a collaborative approach, and one that we could never have endeavored on our own. Much appreciation is extended to the Governor’s office, Michigan legislature, commodity and farm organizations and our agricultural partners for assisting and providing support for these much-needed new research facilities, upgrades and improvements.”

With $30 million from the state, MSU will move forward with raising the remaining funds to complete the project. “We are excited for the future and grateful for what we have so far. We will continue to look for ways to raise the rest of the funds and to move the project forward,” Bradford concluded.

This article was originally published in the January/February 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Playing Cyber Defense

Cyberattacks continue to appear in headlines every week across the world. From hospitals to retail giants, there aren’t many organizations or industries shielded from the effects of bad digital actors with criminal intent. MMPA member, Frank Burkett, recognizes the threat it plays to his farm and the agriculture industry as a whole.

“You’ve seen entire companies experience prolonged shut downs because of cyberattacks,” Burkett said. “What’s the electrical grid’s sensitivity to cyberattacks? How does that impact everything from manufacturing to farms to all the other pieces. As we continue to digitalize, which we’re not reversing from, then we’re going to have to continue to focus on how we protect and secure it.”

Burkett is the fifth generation on Clardale Farms, operating 1,900 acres and milking 699 Holsteins in Canal Fulton, Ohio. In partnership with his uncles, Burkett manages employees, account receivables, account payables, project management, along with planting and spraying corn and soybeans.

phone in front of dairy equipment — Nearly all data collected on Clardale Farms can be accessed from a cellphone. From automatic calf feeders to parlor data to camera systems, Burkett has his phone in hand to make data driven decisions no matter where he is working from.

“I actually wear a couple hats right now,” Burkett said. “I am manager and owner here on the farm. My second role is as an owner at Hills Supply which is a DeLaval dairy equipment dealership that covers the state of Ohio and parts of Michigan, Indiana and surrounding states. And then last April I stepped down as president of Ohio Farm Bureau and continue to be engaged in the community.”

His experiences off the farm, along with a couple bad encounters on the farm, is what guides the decisions he makes about keeping his farm’s digital presence secure.

Financial Security

“Cybersecurity and online fraud have become huge from a business standpoint. It’s definitely changed how we do business – at Hills and everywhere,” Burkett said. “On the farm, we’re actually running on our third checking account since I returned here because of fraud.”

Surprisingly enough, despite farm-related data starting in the milking parlor and in the fields, Burkett knows firsthand that some of the most critical information to protect can actually be what’s on paper.

“We’ve had three fraud related incidents at the farm in the last three years, and they’ve been traced back to processing centers like power bills, electric bills, stuff that goes to a lock box where somebody’s processing it,” Burkett said. “All it took was for somebody in a processing center to snap a picture of one of our checks and decide to start making checks off of it.”

As a consequence, Clardale Farms is transitioning to direct ACH payment to prevent putting checks in the mail. Burkett’s word of advice to anyone just starting to think about their farm’s security begins with simply keeping your checks locked up because “they’re an open door to your bank account and one of the highest risk areas on the farm.” Burkett’s other words of advice for financial security is to make reviewing your bank account part of your daily routine.

“A major advantage to us from a financial security standpoint is that almost every bank has an app for your phone that allows you to take five minutes every day and just scroll through what’s cleared the day before,” Burkett said. “Through that process is where I identified the fraud on our farm at first, and that’s when I contacted the bank right away because there was a substantial check in the tens of thousands of dollars that had cleared the bank. I did not write that check and when I pulled the image up on it, it clearly wasn’t even our check. Somebody had just taken a check image and put our numbers on it.”

Border Security

TV screen displaying camera feed footage — Clardale Farms’ camera system currently retains 14 days of footage. This year, Burkett is planning on extending the retention time to 30 days to better aid employee training and farm monitoring.

Clardale Farms also maintains an extensive camera system that’s relied on by employees to help save time by allowing them to check on certain pens and areas of the farm without needing to walk there. Burkett reviews the footage regularly for employee training and farm security.

“Cameras are a recent addition within the past year, and it keeps expanding to more and more cameras,” Burkett said. “We keep finding more and more things we want to monitor, like the freshening and holding pens. The team here has a dozen more cameras that they want added yet.”

The addition of cameras is driven by employees because of Burkett’s approach to using them for training, rather than catching people in the act.

“We don’t use the cameras as a gotcha type thing, but we do use it to look at procedures and then we will tailor our training to it,” Burkett explained. “For example, our cell count is a little higher right now than we want to see it and we’ve been looking at videos and we see some things we don’t like, so we’ll do some general training with everybody.”

In addition, the cameras serve the obvious benefit of giving Burkett and his team the ability to monitor the farm for security purposes. Living in a densely populated area and with the farm being a staple in the community, they often receive a lot of visitors both scheduled and unscheduled. The camera system that Clardale Farms uses allows Burkett and the team to view the live video feeds and replay clips from them to monitor what’s happening on the farm from anywhere and at any time.

Digital Improvements

As for what’s next, Burkett is always reviewing current best practices that he experiences in leadership roles off the farm and his next project is setting up emails for his farm employees.

“Right now, everybody’s just using their personal email for farm business, but now we’re transitioning to an Outlook account with an administrator,” Burkett said. “From a liability standpoint, it makes a lot of sense that if your business, even as a dairy farm, if your employees are doing farm related business, they’re using farm emails.”

The step is in response to realizing Hills made the transition to Outlook a long time ago, and now recently even added multifactor authentication, where a secondary pin must be entered to prove your identity before logging in. Burkett recognizes that when it comes to multifactor authentication, “I use it everywhere else now. This is the only place I don’t use it.” And while it can be annoying to get the pin sent via email or text and to enter it in, a farm is a business too and Burkett is playing a game of chess with bad actors in the cyberspace.

“There’s always somebody trying to disrupt your business, whether it’s for financial reasons or they just think it’s fun, and then there’s always somebody trying to prevent that disruption. How are those two interacting and ultimately who’s winning? I think in our business, whether it’s Hills Supply or Clardale Farms, at some point you ask, what level of disruption am I comfortable with? I personally like to manage it.”

This article was originally published in the January/February 2023 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Milk Minute: 2022 In Review

By Joe Diglio, MMPA President & CEO

For years, the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) has navigated our member-owners growth while maintaining financial strength in order to react to the evolving dairy environment. It’s critically important to have a strong, fiscally responsible cooperative that is capable of being there for members by looking for opportunities to enhance value.

One great example from this year is the acquisition of Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio. With our shared values and vision, the acquisition has allowed us to come together to actively engage in the process of servicing an industry in need of continuous advancement. We will accomplish this by exploring and creating added-value products and technologies through innovations. By having an engaged and active board of directors who constantly seek new opportunities, all members should have confidence in the direction of our cooperative. As we move forward, we are continuing to look for more ways to service the marketplace, utilizing the creativity and different organizational aptitudes that came with the acquisition.

We can’t capitalize on serving the marketplace without dedicated employees committed to our shared goals. MMPA’s key assets aren’t just our manufacturing presence and equipment used to produce the products, but also the many employees who work on our members’ behalf. Just like the dedication we witnessed during the pandemic, we’ve seen a seamless transition throughout the acquisition with our employees staying committed to our mission and our vision. While we’ve had challenges like anybody in the marketplace with securing labor, we’ve also seen remarkable commitment from the employees who have been a part of this organization to keep our business moving forward. As we look into the future, it will not only take employees to advance our organization, but the innovations they seek out and deliver to achieve our desired results.

In the marketplace, 2022 has been a different year. We have transitioned from a market saturated with excess milk to a tighter milk supply causing increased competition in the dairy landscape. Today’s environment has given us the ability to relook at how we service the marketplace, including reviewing the use of our new assets: Creative Edge and Superior Dairy. As we move forward, with the many consolidations that have taken place over the last couple years, servicing the market will be much different than it has been in the past.

Through efforts in 2022, we’ve grown our footprint to accommodate voids caused by consolidation, diversified our product mix to rely less on volatile commodity markets, and addressed consumer desires in the process. We’re looking forward to continuing those efforts in 2023, along with investing in technology and product mixes that require us to think outside of the box, take some risks and make room for further growth. Partnerships will be key for our success in the future and I’m excited for what’s to come. I can’t say enough how important it is to be mindful and thankful for all of those that work together to generate the results that we have. The team that works on behalf of MMPA members and owners is a great team and I’m excited to share more of the good work with you in the future and for many years to come.

This article was originally published in the November/December 2022 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Duane Farmer Named 2022 Michigan Fieldperson of the Year

A Lifetime Career

Life has a way of working itself out in some of the most unexpected ways. For Duane Farmer, his job out of high school turned into a lifelong career that’s recently culminated with being named 2022 Michigan Fieldperson of the Year.

While a 40-year career for the same organization could have been a direct straight path, Duane’s experience was anything but. His long-time supervisor, Gary Trimner, set most of the trajectory, but the chaos that would ensue began on Duane’s very first day at Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) in 1983.

“On my first day, I went into the office and the clerical staff had gone on strike. It was crazy,” Duane recalled. “I remember walking out of the office with Gary Trimner that day to the strike line to help people get out safely.”

From there, Duane’s career never slowed. He spent the first two weeks training as a sample van driver, and after being turned lose for the first time in Detroit, he got lost.

“I got lost down on Grand River south of Eight Mile with the sample van,” Duane said. “It was a little nerve wracking for a small-town kid. I wasn’t sure where I was going and it took me awhile, but it worked out and I survived.”

The experiences Duane had under his belt just within six months of working at MMPA left him thinking that that was enough.

“I thought, ‘Six months in, that’s a long time…’” Duane said. “I’ll give Gary Trimner credit for why I never left. He was very good at finding roles or finding people for certain roles. He put people in a role that would really make them succeed. Here I am 40 years later.”

After realizing that being a sample van driver wasn’t for him, Trimner encouraged Duane to work in plant quality and then later pushed him to become a member representative.

“I really didn’t have any farm experience,” Duane said. “I grew up around farms, but other than shovel manure for somebody or putting up hay for people, I really didn’t have a lot of experience. Thankfully, I worked with some really good people and they taught me a lot.”

Duane’s experiences gained both in the plants and as a member representative, troubleshooting quality issues on the farm and familiarizing himself with equipment, set him up for success working with members in his current role at the Farm Supply Store.

“We do a lot of special orders, we make sure customers have product on time, and we try to make sure if members have questions, that we can answer them,” Duane said about the Farm Supply Store. “Sometimes they throw us oddball questions about mastitis and other stuff so we try to steer them to people that know more, but some of that we can answer too.”

When Duane started at the Farm Supply Store, it was referred to as MMPA’s merchandise program and it was at a warehouse in St. Louis, Michigan. He was promoted from Member Rep/Merchandise Coordinator to his current title, Member Merchandise Supervisor, and led the transition to the current My. Pleasant location two years later.

“My greatest accomplishment is the relationships I’ve built with the farms and with the people that we provide service to,” Duane said. “We make sure that we give everyone good service and that we’re friendly and not hard to get along with.”

His dedication to members is one of the many reasons Duane was recognized as the 2022 Michigan Fieldperson of the Year during the Michigan Dairy Industry Conference held in May 2022. Duane received one of two awards announced there. His wife, Teresa Farmer, received the other, the Industry Service Award. Now, as Duane approaches 40 years with MMPA next year, his career has come full circle and he has his sights set on retirement.

“I’ve had a nice career as far as how varied it was with working with different people. I didn’t expect to be here 40 years. When I started, I thought, ‘Okay, I can do that job for a few years and I’ll move to something else,’” Duane said. “So far, it’s worked out.”

Worked out, in fact.

This article was originally published in the November/December 2022 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »

Teresa Farmer recipient of the 2022 Industry Service Award

A Humble Type of Extraordinary Service

The pandemic continues to shed light on the quiet reliance we have on each other to do our part. While shortages still abound and delivery times aren’t fast, the people in the dairy supply chain with boots on the ground have never stopped. Farmers, haulers and plant workers are some of the first to come to mind, but an often forgotten group is those who work in the labs to ensure a safe milk supply and accurate pay price for producers. One lab technician in particular, Teresa Farmer, was recently recognized with the 2022 Industry Service Award for her dedication to Michigan dairy farmers.

“Our lab results actually help producers,” Teresa said. “It helps determines their pay, but if they are having issues, we can also give them results to help them figure out what the issues are. The bottom line is if members don’t succeed, we don’t succeed. We want to do anything we can to help them.”

With 32 years of experience working at Michigan Milk Producers Association in the Novi laboratory, Teresa knows the importance of providing accurate and precise testing results for members.

“At the lab, we do member pay testing and we help them by allowing producers to send in special testing, which is a bulk of what we do,” Teresa said. “Because of our results, producers can monitor for antibiotics in their milk, along with their RAW, PI, lab pasteurized and coliform counts. If they have cows with mastitis, we can help give them a clue as to what might be causing it.”

The technical jargon comes from years of diagnosing problems and working with farmers to meet their testing needs. Teresa’s dedication to the industry would never have happened if she didn’t have an influential family member or professor in college.

“I was in college at Michigan State University (MSU) and I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Teresa confessed. “I was at a loss and my cousin, who was in food science, recommended I take a couple classes. I fell in love with dairy because of Dr. Partridge’s classes. It just stuck.”

Teresa graduated from MSU with a degree in food science and went on to work at Michigan Dairy in Livonia where she met her husband, Duane Farmer, named 2022 Fieldperson of the Year. She started working at MMPA in 1990 and since found her place in the industry.

“My first impression of MMPA was how friendly everybody was,” Teresa said. “The girls in the lab work so well together and because we rotate, we’re always doing something a little bit different.”

Because of the precision that is required for lab testing, the job can be routine, but Teresa and the others in the lab work to make every day slightly different. A big part of that is developing relationships with each other for the greater good of providing extraordinary service day in and day out.

“My favorite part about my job is the camaraderie and the people,” Teresa said. “It feels like it means so much for the producers to be able to do their job the best they can with the help of the results we provide.”

During Teresa’s service at MMPA she’s experienced the changes in the industry. In the past 30 years, she’s seen the lab expand, new tests be offered and advances in technology.

“When I started, we had eight or nine people working in the lab, now we have four because we have machines that do things that we used to do by hand,” Teresa said. “The greatest advancement I’ve seen is probably the Bactoscan. It’s a machine that gives you bacteria counts in raw milk. We used to have to plate samples, make the agar, autoclave it, plate it, pour the agar in, swirl it and then incubate it for 48 hours. Now the process is simple, we just run it through the machine and get results in about seven minutes.”

With technology though comes break downs and since milk is a perishable product, Teresa confesses that it’s a love-hate relationship. Fortunately, when breakdowns happen, Teresa and her team work together to find a solution.

“When things go wrong, it’s amazing how well we work together to solve the problem,” Teresa said about her coworkers. “We’ve worked together so long that we don’t even have to say anything. We just know what to do.”

For that reason, Teresa’s humbled by the recognition she received as the 2022 Industry Service Award recipient during the Michigan Dairy Industry Conference held in May 2022.

“The girls in the lab work so well together. The service to the industry is a group effort because we all work together. It’s not a one-person job,” Teresa said. “I come in and I do my job, but I don’t feel like I do anything extraordinary. We all do our job.”

Doing your job is enough, especially when it’s as critical to the industry as lab results and executed extraordinarily well.

This article was originally published in the November/December 2022 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »