News

National Milk Producers welcome new members

The National Milk Producers Federation welcomed four new dairy cooperative members, two new board members and one new board officer, as the organization wrapped up its 2014 annual meeting here Wednesday.

The new cooperative members are Bongards’ Creameries, Norwood, Minnesota; Cortland Bulk Milk Producers Cooperative, Cortland, New York; Mount Joy Farmers Cooperative Association, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, and Oneida-Madison Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Sherrill, New York.  This brings NMPF membership to 31 cooperatives and more than 32,000 dairy producers.

Newly elected to the NMPF board: Michael Doyle, president and CEO of Foremost Farms USA and Scot Meyer from Ellsworth Cooperative in Wisconsin.  Keith Murfield of United Dairymen of Arizona was elected to serve as secretary of the organization.

In addition, NMPF recognized six outgoing board members for their service to the organization:

• William Blalock, Cooperative Milk Producers Association;
• Albert Knegendorf, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery;
• Dennis Donohue, FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative;
• David Newhouse, Farmers Cooperative Creamery;
• Dave Fuhrmann, Foremost Farms USA;
• Donald DeJong, Select Milk Producers.

The 2014 NMPF Communicator of the Year award was presented to Michelle Carter, communications specialist with Northwest Dairy Association/Darigold in Seattle.

The incoming 2015 Young Cooperator council elected its leadership for the upcoming year. Brian and Carrie Preston, Michigan Milk Producers Association, were chosen to serve as the YC Chaircouple. Tommy and Anna Watkins, Southeast Milk, will serve as the Vice Chaircouple, and Donald and Bernadette Harwood, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, will be the Secretary Couple.