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FarmFirst Co-op leans toward supporting milk marketing order changes

Leaders from the production and processing side of the dairy industry discussed what is and is not part of the USDA’s proposed changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order system. 

Economists from Cornell, the University of Wisconsin, and experts from the International Dairy Foods Association, the Milk Producer’s Council, and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association discussed USDA’s recommended changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order system, which is in the public comment period now. 

Sarah Sarbacker with Farm First Dairy Cooperative tells Brownfield the issues farmers and cooperatives will be voting on are complicated. “We’ve been really taking the opportunity to attend meetings like this just to make sure that we have all of the information and that we can explain it to our members in a very easy way to understand.”

Sarbacker says the Farm First board of directors  has not yet made a final decision but, “From what I’ve been hearing from our members and members of our board, we at this point are looking at voting in favor of the orders.” Sarbacker says USDA’s proposed changes were close to what the National Milk Producers Federation proposed, and they were involved in those discussions. Although she’s concerned about some of the provisions of USDA’s proposal, Sarbacker says not having the federal orders and the regulation that comes with them could be much worse for producers.

Sarbacker says Farm First Cooperative will be block voting on behalf of it’s nearly 23-hundred farmer members in seven states.

Sarbacker spoke to Brownfield during a Federal Milk Marketing Order workshop in Madison, Wisconsin Wednesday.

AUDIO: Sarah Sarbacker with FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative discusses the recommended changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders with Brownfield’s Larry Lee

Note: The Federal Milk Marketing Order Workshop held September 18th in Madison, Wisconsin was a collaboration between partners Cornell University, Dairy Markets and Policy, UW-Madison, UW-Extension, Professional Dairy Producers and Renk Agribusiness Institute. The entire program is available for viewing online through the Professional Dairy Producers website here. You will need to register at the site, but there is no fee.