National Dairy Producers Organization

Checkoff Referendum (Karina Jones)& Transparency legislation (Marty Irby) Story # 2 in this week’s Farmshine.net (pg 15 & 24) Recording... https://genskemulder.sharefile.com/share//a9f56f8aa9b84cee

Worth a watch or listen at this link https://policy.pasenategop.com/mp-061621/ It was an honor to be able to testify at the Pennsylvania State Senate Policy Co...mmittee hearing yesterday at the Capitol on the federal prohibition of whole milk in schools. It is a privilege to work over the past several years with a great group of thoughtful and dedicated people who have not given up on this issue so critical for our children and our farmers. Some of them were also invited to testify yesterday, including Bernie Morrissey, Nelson Troutman, Jackie Behr, Krista Byler, Tricia Adams, and Mike Eby. Mike also represented National Dairy Producers Organization and Organization for Competitive Markets as well as serving on the board of the PA Farmers Union. In addition Christine Ebersole, RN, BSN, CSN of Martinsburg, testified as a school nurse who has looked into this and was going to present data when our committee was planning a Washington presentation that got canceled last April by Covid. It feels good to see the PA Farm Bureau was represented in this hearing -- on record -- supporting whole milk choice in schools as well as the Center for Dairy Excellence director Jayne Sebright and Pa. Milk Marketing Board chairman Rob Barley. The Senate Committee Chairman, Mario Scavello, serving PA's 40th district in Monroe and Northamption counties, had many important observations and feedback throughout the hearing at the above link, as did Senator David Argall of PA's 29th district in Schuylkill and Berks, Sen. Cris Dush of PA's 13th district in Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Mckean, Potter and Tioga counties, and Chairman of the Senate Education Committee Scott Martin of the 13th district serving most of Lancaster County. Others were also in attendance in person and by zoom. They get it. Glaringly missing from the proceedings was the PA Ag Secretary Russell Redding and any representation from the Dept. of Agriculture, though they were invited. The purpose of the hearing was to focus on the economic impact to dairy farmers, but also and most important, to speak for the kids and the health benefits lost when they discard the skimmed milk they don't like at school and buy drinks specially formulated to meet USDA's federal dictates on calories and fat, using a blend of high fructose corn syrup and sucralose. Huge global beverage and foodservice companies profit pushing drinks such as diet soda, Gatorade and Mountain Dew Kickstart to teens at school when the skimmed milk serving is ditched in the trash. These drinks have no fat, but also no nutrition. Many of the important vitamins and minerals for kids and adults are fat soluble, another reason the 3.25% fat content of whole milk is beneficial. Even the boxed apple juice and flavored water options at school have more sugar than whole milk or they are artificially sweetened instead of natural without the natural powerhouse of nutrition via 21 vitamins, 13 minerals and 8 grams of protein in an 8 ounce cup of whole milk. The amount of fat-free and 1% low-fat milk thrown away at school is huge, and the impact of losing a generation of milk drinkers since 2010 is seen in reports of early onset osteoporosis, increased bone fractures among youth, plus the economic toll of even more rapid consolidation as the loss of fresh fluid milk sales puts dairy farms out of business at an alarming rate since the fat-free / low-fat rules were put in place. (If you haven't read the Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz, you should. She exposes the truth.) Fluid milk sales return a higher value to how farmers are paid, and it is the most locally produced product in the dairy sector. Pennsylvania is a fluid milk state. We don't have the huge cheese and ingredient plants that strip out milk components for use in other products. Moreover, one of the base component values as the foundation of farm milk checks is the fat, and the rules create a situation where the healthy matrix of natural monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats, including omegas, is treated as a byproduct, which undervalues fat in the milk payment to farmers to then become a cheaper ingredient for processors of other products. The federal government, through the flawed USDA Dietary Guidelines is controlling more and more of what our kids eat and drink with a climate agenda in the background, which does not look at the whole scientific picture when it comes to cows and climate -- paving the way for billionaire-invested fake dairy and meat to ramp up sales based on "sustainability" goals. Logic and science are truly no where to be found in the present circumstance affecting not just whole milk and full fat dairy products, but also beef. The very organization dairy farmers are forced to pay into for dairy promotion, the dairy checkoff, has actively participated in brainwashing school foodservice directors to embrace the fat-free / low-fat dogma of the federal bureaucracy. DMI, in fact, signed a memorandum of understanding with then USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to advance the department's Dietary Guidelines in schools -- two years before these rules were etched in stone. Yesterday, Pennsylvania Senators were motivated and engaged throughout this hearing. Several initial steps our state can take on this federal issue were identified. You can read the first part of coverage of the hearing and outcomes in tomorrow's Farmshine -- with more coverage to follow in the coming weeks. Yesterday was a good day. The Senate Committee Chairman was moved by what he called "the breadth and depth of what we learned today" including hearing from Christine Ebersole, a school nurse who testified on body mass index comparisons rising 13% since the fat-free / low-fat edicts; and Krista Byler, a school foodservice director who did a school milk choice trial and reported on the results in terms of 52% more milk sales, 95% less milk waste (HUGE), and 3 to 1 choice being whole milk with students pretty upset when the trial was over and the school had to go back to offering only fat-free and 1% low-fat. One thing the Senators mentioned was to do a similar trial in one school for every PA County to gather widespread data and create awareness because most people don't even know their kids can't choose whole milk -- or even 2% milk -- at school, though they get 1 or 2 meals a day at school and now Congress is looking at a bill to universally give 3 meals and a snack to all students through their schools. The Senate Committee is also writing to federal lawmakers representing PA in Washington asking their support of Congressman Glenn Thompson's Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. A joint-resolution from PA to the Federal Government was also mentioned, with the caveat that if nothing changes, the state could look at the cost and what would be involved legislatively to act on its own to back schools so the schools can choose whether to offer the choice of whole milk to students. They also plan to find out where the PA Dept. of Ag stands on this issue in the hopes that administrative departments can work together for the good of kids and farms. And they plan to bring this to state lawmakers in other parts of the country through the National Conference of State Legislatures. For the grassroots group I assist to have had this opportunity in front of a state senate policy committee is nothing short of a miracle, and how it all came together is an amazing story. As for my testimony, I have followed this deteriorating school lunch issue for 3 decades as an ag journalist, former school board member, wife, mom and nana. For me, yesterday was amazing.

I serve on the board of Pennsylvania Farmers Union. At the national level, I serve as chairman of National Dairy Producers Organization, and I’m also the execut...ive director of the Organization for Competitive Markets. In my interactions with farmers and consumers, having done many outreach programs through my industry involvement, I see the divide that keeps farmers and consumers aparton knowledge, markets fairness and choice. Mike Eby. Here is the link to watch the recorded hearing https://policy.pasenategop.com/mp-061621/

Co-op dairy farmer owner members deserve more than they are getting from their existing co-op management.Co-op dairy farmer owner members deserve more than they are getting from their existing co-op management.

It’s about empowering dairy farmers; reigning in cooperatives Zoom meeting recording https://genskemulder.sharefile.com/share//a9f56f8aa9b84cee... Farmshine.net April 30, Pg 25

Lots of school gardens and tastings, that’s great, BUT, no dairy mentioned at all in these PA Farm Bill Farm to School grants announced by PA Ag Secretary Redding... plus, here’s a kicker: one of the larger grants is for a Dubois project involving Danone. But before you are duped into thinking Danone = dairy, think again. Did you know the Danone yogurt plant in Dubois is all plant-based, the largest completely plant-based fake yogurt, fake cheese and fake beverage powder manu...facturing facility in the U.S.? Not one thing dairy that I could find in the PA FARM BILL Farm to School grants list totaling $400,000. And yet dairy is 37% of PA’s Ag industry and Ag is PA’s top industry with tourism (yep in my county anyway they come to see farms and cows) is number two. Wonder where the coconuts, almonds and such for Danone plant based yogurt come from? Hint: Not PA. And still, Agriculture Secretary Redding is mum on the multi-year effort to simply LEGALIZE the CHOICE of whole milk (3.25% fat) or even 2% milk in schools (for CHILDREN!), instead bowing blindly to the poorly substantiated fat free / low fat milk mandate. No help, not even a favorable word about one thing that would help PA kids and PA farms: legalization of the choice of whole milk in schools. Yep, doesn’t get more year-round local than whole milk. Sherry Bunting See more

Dairy farmers have lost a generation of milk drinkers since whole milk was removed in schools in 2010, this effected Pennsylvania, explains Mike Eby with the Pa. Farmer’s Union. https://wjactv.com//activists-push-for-return-of-whole-mil

An 8 ounce glass of milk, flavored or not, provides nutrients our growing kids need. As a mother I know if we are going to ask our kids to eat or drink somethi...ng healthy, they need to like it. Give your kids a drink that is satisfying, tasty and packed full of nutrients (MILK alone serves as a great snack option too). #ChooseWholeMilk #wholemilk4healthykids #DrinkMilk #JuneDairyMonth

Can you imagine being a member of a group in which your vote counts, but you can’t cast your own ballot? Sadly, this very situation exists today within America’s dairy industry. Specifically, I’m referring to bloc voting, which USDA allows to dairy co-ops. Farmers are smart, resourceful people. They care about the industry and the issues impacting them. Let’s allow dairy farmers themselves to cast their own votes based on their farms’ individual financial interests. https://www.sidneydailynews.com//co-op-can-vote-for-every-

Kids need to grow up able to choose the good milk whole milk not have that choice forbidden. That’s why the milk kids get to choose at school where they get 1, 2, even 3 meals a day is so important. Give them the choice of the good milk that is good for them, and the power of information, and they’ll remember feeling good about milk. https://agmoos.com/2021/06/15/feeling-good-about-milk/

... that parties do not need to demonstrate harm to competition in order to initiate legal action, said Mike Eby, the organization's executive director.

The United States has imported 970.9 million pounds of beef so far in 2021. The United States has imported the most beef so far in 2021 from Canada followed by Mexico and New Zealand. The United States has imported beef from 19 different countries so far in 2021. U.S. beef imports from Canada are up 17% so far in 2021.... U.S. beef imports from Brazil are up 110% so far in 2021. https://beef2live.com/story-united-states-beef-imports-204-

LINCOLN, NE: Recently, Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network in conjunction with KIWA Radio aired an interview with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Collin Woodall who misspoke saying, R-CALF USA and the Organization for Competitive Markets petitioned USDA to terminate the National Beef Checkoff program last July. Vaughn Meyer, president of OCM appreciates Mr. Woodall’s attempt to credit OCM with the noble initiation of requesting a referendum vote for the first ...Continue reading

‘Grant’ will start ‘measuring’ air, soil around dairy cropping practices in nine U.S. regions This is the third and final part of the multi-part series about DMI's Net Zero Initiative and Dairy Scale for Good implementation. Parts one and two in Farmshine covered some of the 12- to 13-year history, the ‘scale’ approach for getting the industry to net zero faster, and the impact of manure processing, digester models, and renewable energy policies and technologies in the NZI scheme.... http://agmoos.com//dmis-ds4g-sees-dairy-feed-cropping-cow/

Author’s Note: This is part two in a multi-part series about DMI's Net Zero Initiative and Dairy Scale for Good implementation. Part one previously covered some of the 12- to 13-year history as well as the ‘scale’ approach for getting the industry to net zero faster. By Sherry Bunting, Farmshine, April 30, 2021 ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The official launch of DMI’s Net Zero Initiative (NZI) in October 2020, and World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) dairy net zero case study published in January 2021 (and corrected in February for a math error that overestimated the industry’s total CO2 equivalent emissions) are two of the mile-markers in farm visits and partnership development since Caleb Harper was hired by checkoff in May 2020 as executive director of Dairy Scale for Good (DS4G).... http://agmoos.com//dmis-nzi-ds4g-eyes-climate-policies-su/

The Organization for Competitive Markets says the JBS cyberattack highlights the intense concentration within the meatpacking industry. Claiming our food security has been jeopardized, this group is calling on the Biden Administration to end the monopolization of agriculture. JBS is the world’s largest meat producer, account for nearly 25 percent of the beef packing capacity in the United States. https://www.rrfn.com//ocm-says-food-security-hurt-by-cybe/

IARN National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall says terminating the beef checkoff would hurt cattlemen. R-CALF USA and the Organization of Competitive Markets petitioned the USDA to terminate the National Beef Checkoff program last July. Woodall said the referendum is about killing, not improving, the checkoff. That’s something that we need to make very clear, Woodall said. The referendum is not about changing the checkoff, or improving the checkoff, the re...ferendum is about killing the checkoff, period. https://kiwaradio.com//two-groups-petition-for-terminatio/

Myth 4. COOL will add cost to beef and pork making it less competitive against other meats. Other meats such as poultry, lamb and seafood already require COOL. The price of beef and pork did not change in the grocery store when COOL was repealed. However, the price received by Montana ranchers and feeders fell as packers recorded record profits.

Steak it’s what’s for dinner. BornRasiedHarvestedEatten #13cattlecompany #MCOOL #checkoffvote.com

All these Democrats had something in common: the playbook of former Obama administration Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Joe Biden’s so called rural whisperer. The strategy focuses on cozying up to corporate agribusiness, seeking endorsements from the Republican-aligned Farm Bureau, embracing Republican approaches to slashing environmental regulation, and supporting extractive rural industries.

21. Dairy Farmers of America Inc Headquarters: Kansas City, Kansas Bought By: Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd Headquarters: Hohhot, China A milk marketing collective called the Dairy Farmers of America most of us wouldn’t associate with China, but it’s true. In 2014, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group partnered up with DFA to produce milk powder in a brand-new processing plant.

11am (East) TODAY! Farmer initiated call with DMI board. (Dairy Checkoff) Everyone welcome! 712-432-0075... Pin 757143# See more

WE ARE NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL THE FARMER WINS Marty Irby Watch video.

NCBA’s Partnership with WWF and HSUS.

Are you wondering what a checkoff is? Today, I presented an update on the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, that help create transparency and create a system of checks and balances for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's corrupt Commodity Checkoff Programs. The bill's led by a raft of unlikely allies in Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV). The American family farmer has been sold out to multi-national corporations like Tyson and JBS by checkoffs like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) who've used farmers' own money to put them out of business. Check out the presentation here. #CheckoffReform #OCMSeeksJustice

I think there is a way that we can promote US beef. It has to be the right program. Obviously we have to overcome labeling issues. But I think, under the Act and Order, it may be possible to promote US beef, he said. If we had a process in which beef was labeled as US beef and there were regulations relating to the labeling of US beef, would we be able to promote it? There is that possibility, Watkinson said.

TONIGHT in Florida! We just got word that the president of the NCBA, Marty Smith will be sitting in the same room as Bill Bullard and we are going to get to hea...r from both heads of these national cattle associations on the issues that affect you. This will be live streamed from the Okeechobee Livestock Market's website as well as their fb page. If you have friends NOT on fb, send them this address: https://www.okeechobeelivestockmarket.com/ It is TIME that there is absolutely transparency in knowing where each cattle association stands! Tune in tonight 6:00pmET *Please SHARE!

Those who want to watch should go to: https://www.okeechobeelivestockmarket.com/ and click on live feed. Meeting Wednesday at 6 PM Eastern.

OCM Board in Tampa Florida!

30 in 30 Recheck our Checkoff!! We need your help!! Please get 30 signatures for the beef checkoff petition from your community in 30 days!! ... #RCALFUSA #recheckourcheckoff #weneedabeefcheckoffvote

TUESDAY NATIONAL CALL OCTOBER 20, 2020 National Dairy Producers Organization Inc. https://nationaldairyproducersorganization.com/tuesday-nat/