DBMMC... Working for You. - Dairy Business Milk Marketing

DBMMC... Working for You.
March 2015
DBMMC provides leadership and influence on federal policy issues, ensuring positive results
for today and tomorrow’s dairy producers.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact the DBMMC office at
(920) 493-2697 or smunes@dbmmc.com.
Upcoming Events: 2015
March 24-26, 2015
August 25-27, 2015
april 7, 8, 10, 2015
September 29October 3, 2015
• Dairy Care365™
Workshops
Various locations
• Farm Technology Days
Sun Prairie, WI
• World Dairy Expo
Madison, WI
In the 1960s, U.S. per capita consumption
of milk began to decline primarily due to
increased marketing by soft drinks and the
changing lifestyles of Americans. In the early
1990s, the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF)
conducted extensive research on why people
move away from drinking milk. It found that
milk carried some negative perceptions and
had product and distribution challenges;
however, people still had high respect for
milk’s nutritional benefits. The results served
as the basis for launching the Milk Processor
Education Program (MilkPEP) and the
impactful national campaigns continue to be
steeped in research and consumer insights
that benefit processors’ brands and industry
health.
MilkPEP is funded by the nation’s milk
companies, and dedicated to educating
consumers and increasing consumption
of fluid milk. MilkPEP activities are led by
a 20-member board and monitored by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Agricultural Marketing Service.
continued on page 2
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@dbmmcoop
P.O. Box 10625 • Green Bay, WI 54307-0625
(920) 493-COWS (2697) | www.dbmmc.com
• Central Plains Dairy Expo
Sioux Falls, SD
What is MilkPEP?
Letter From Leadership
As the snow and
perfect example of DBMMC’s ability
ice continue to
to deliver programs that will benefit
Tim Trotter
melt away and we our members in short order.
enter into the
spring season, it brings a sense of
Keeping apprised on these issues and
renewed energy and optimism
challenges that arise each day
and responding quickly is our
towards life, especially our
dairy operations.
“...we have a commitment to our members
and industry. After all, we all
shared
Sure, there will always be that
have shared responsibility to
sense of uncertainty, but we responsibility to do our part in providing a
find a way to move forward
better future for your farms and
with confidence. DBMMC has do our part in the dairy industry to continue
to be successful.
those same challenges. We
look at the current situation, providing a
assess our options and make better future for In closing, I purposely wrote
plans to best advance our
this article on “National
your farms...” Agricultural Day” so I could
mission.
salute you, our farmers, for all
the hard work, passion and
One reason our organization
has been successful is our ability to
care you take in providing the world
respond to these challenges in our
with only the highest quality food, fuel
industry. We hear your needs, assess
and fiber. Thank you for all that you
do!
our options, and swiftly take action.
The upcoming Dairy Care365™
workshops being offered to you, our
To our success,
members, as well as non-members. is a Tim
In This Issue
(920) 493-COWS (2697) | www.dbmmc.com
• Letter from Leadership.......1
• MilkPEP...........................1
• Legislative Update...........2
• Dairy Workshops.............3
• Member Profile................3
• Upcoming Events............4
Join us for Dairy Care365™ Workshops!
MilkPEP
continued from page 1
MilkPEP’s robust campaign efforts aim to
increase awareness for milk’s nutritional
benefits and safeguard milk’s reputation
against competitive claims and anti-milk
messages that impact consumers’ purchasing
decisions. MilkPEP’s groundbreaking
programs include:
• Milk Life, a cross-platform campaign to
reinforce milk’s many nutrition benefits –
including high-quality protein – and show
how starting every morning with milk can help
power the potential of every day.
• The Great American Milk Drive, a partnership
between the nation’s milk companies, dairy
farmers and Feeding America, addresses the
critical need for nutrient-rich milk in America’s
food banks.
• BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK, a longterm, multi-million dollar, multi-channel
program to inspire athletes to perform at their
best and recover with lowfat chocolate milk.
Through these long-term, strategic campaigns,
MilkPEP offers turnkey tools and resources
that processors can put into action to engage
consumers across its programs and help drive
sales. MilkPEP
is
uniquely
positioned to drive
positive category
messages
to benefit all
processors and
the category as
a whole.
By driving receptivity
to milk in general and
defending brand messages
while tackling tough issues,
MilkPEP is committed to
driving milk consumption,
changing consumer behavior, and
rebuilding consumers’ confidence
in milk in collaboration with the
united dairy industry.
Tuesday April 7, Monroe, WI
The Ludlow Mansion
1421 Mansion Dr.
Monroe, WI 53566
LEGISLATIVE Update
Ensuring EPA Follows the Rules
The firestorm that erupted over the EPA’s proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS)
rule was a good example of what the agency is doing wrong. The proposed rule could
have changed how certain irrigation ditches and other man-made agricultural water bodies
would be regulated. It was still disturbing how the EPA failed to involve agricultural
stakeholders in the decision making process and was defensive, instead of interested,
when farmers sought to make their concerns known.
DBMMC has been consistently supportive of efforts to make EPA’s rulemaking process
more transparent. That is why our cooperative has joined with other agricultural groups
to support the newly introduced EPA Accountability Act, which is being championed
by Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy.
This bill reemphasizes existing federal rulemaking standards that the EPA often overlooks.
The goal is to limit unchecked rulemaking and to ensure that it is done in a more
thoughtful way with full consideration of the impacts that a proposed rule could have.
Most significantly, the bill also includes a provision that would penalize the EPA should
it continue to flaunt existing rulemaking standards. The existing federal standards that
are reiterated by Congressman Duffy’s legislation include:
• Agencies should always consider the least restrictive means possible to accomplish
regulation, e.g. the use of warnings and public education campaigns instead of strict
enforcement and fines;
• Agencies should only promulgate regulations required by law, necessary to interpret
law, or in other very limited circumstances to protect the public;
• Agencies must participate in a biannual reporting requirement to increase awareness
about what regulations they are working on;
• Agencies must carefully consider whether a regulation interferes with the idea that
most powers are delegated to the states, not the federal government. In all circumstances,
a new regulation must show that federalism was properly considered;
• Agencies are to publish statements describing and assessing state, local, and tribal
compliance costs before giving any general notice of proposed rulemaking.
These are existing requirements, but they are often ignored. This bill would give these
existing standards teeth. Within 30 days of enactment, the EPA would have to stop
flaunting these existing rules. If it does not, the agency will have its budget docked $20,000
for each week it fails to comply. This would continue until the agency complies with all
of the rulemaking requirements or seven percent of its budget has been shaved off as a
penalty. The end result should be a more responsive and accountable agency that produces
more thoughtful and accommodating rules.
Wednesday April 8, Marshfield, WI
Holiday Inn
750 S Central Ave
Marshfield, WI 54449
Friday April 10, Green Bay, WI
Rock Garden Comfort Suites
1951 Bond Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
Date TBA-Southwestern Minnesota
DBMMC has teamed up with Merck
Animal Health to bring you several Dairy
Care365™ workshops. The Merck Animal
Health Dairy C.A.R.E. initiative was
developed with input on best practices
and tools from leading veterinarians,
university experts and dairy producers. It
provides the resources you need to
maintain sound policies, hire the right
people and make sure they are properly
trained.
All meetings will be from 11 am – 5 pm
with lunch and refreshments. It is
important to plan to attend the entire
meeting in order to go home with the four
deliverables, which will be developed
during the workshop:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Animal care commitment statement
Non-ambulatory cow SOP
Euthanasia SOP
Crisis response team
You are strongly encouraged to bring
your veterinarian and a computer.
These workshops are FREE for all dairy
producers to attend!
Questions? Call us! If you plan to attend,
please RSVP to lbrey@dbmmc.com or
920-392-1220 by March 30, 2015. We
look forward to helping you be proactive
and prepared to protect your dairy!
Go to www.dairycare365.com for more
information about the program.
MEMBER Profile
DBMMC Board Member
Mitch Davis
How did you get started in dairy farming?
After several decades in processing, our
family started a dairy farm to supplement
the shrinking milk supply.
What is your favorite part about your job?
Any personal goals you have for the farm?
Learning new information that helps the
business improve – that’s what’s fun. Our
goal is to get better and master what we have built. We try to
be a well-run business that people enjoy working with, visiting,
or being a neighbor to. We want to be considered an asset to
our community and known as a farm that takes care of cows,
people, and the environment.
What do you find most challenging about being in the dairy
industry? Most rewarding?
The magnitude and frequency of the ups and downs on these
fundamentals, milk over feed costs, is a challenge. Another
challenge is on the regulatory side, both environmental and
immigration. Most rewarding in the dairy industry is the
people. There is a unique human quality in farming and
agribusiness where the integrity and ethics are above average.
What is your advice to young people interested in dairy and
farming?
Have an energy to learn new things and think unconventionally.
Try to understand that things aren’t as bad OR as good as
they seem. Don’t get complacent and know you always need
to be improving!
Why do you like being on the Board of Directors for DBMMC?
We’re a cooperative that has had, and will continue to have,
an impact on policies and direction of our industry. It is great
to have a place at the table when decisions are being made.
We have an opportunity to express our opinion here. On the
DBMMC Board you are respected by your peers no matter
what your opinion is.
Where would you like to see
DBMMC in future years?
I would like to see DBMMC
be the preferred verification
cooperative for the Midwest
and see it continue to grow.