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