Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we’re all set for our District Appreciation Dinners taking place in November and December. (If you haven’t made your reservations to attend a dinner near you that has yet to take place, do so today! You won’t want to miss out on this event with great food and even better company.)
As you may have noticed that instead of promoting ‘District Meetings,’ we are now calling them ‘District Appreciation Dinners’, which is far more appropriate because Appreciation” captures the spirit of the event. District Meetings have always been more than just a meeting, but an opportunity to share our appreciation with you, our members, over a great meal and intriguing conversation. The title now more accurately reflects this.
Secondly, another new wrinkle is that we’re welcoming all members to participate in a virtual policy development session which will take place on Tuesday, December 13 at 1 p.m. (More details inside.)
Policy advocacy is more than a cornerstone to the cooperative, it is a solid layer in the foundation of the work we do for our members. We always incorporate some highlights of our work and accomplishments while sharing our goals for the year ahead, but we recognize that there are many individuals with a deeper passion for policy related issues. With so many of us communicating virtually now, we thought it was appropriate to provide an opportunity for these like-minded individuals to share their ideas, and a virtual session will allow any member, regardless of where they live to participate.
The timing of this virtual policy session is ideal, as there will be 18 days following the session for members to submit resolutions, which will then be considered by the Districting & Resolutions Committee in early January. The deadline for policy resolutions is December 31st. Members do not need to wait to submit their resolutions, which they can submit using the online form at www.FarmFirstDairyCooperative.com.
These changes might be subtle but they reflect the fact that we are keeping a listening ear and a desire to best to serve our members.
While small changes can have a profound impact, so can big changes. Inside this edition of MilkLine is a summary of the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) changes being proposed by the National Milk Producers Federation. The process to come up with a proposal has been taking place for more than a year, with dairy cooperatives from across the U.S., including FarmFirst, working alongside economists to make improvements to the program that began in the 1940s. I encourage you to read what is being proposed on page 3.
This Thanksgiving season, my gratitude and appreciation are focused on the small things. No matter how subtle an improvement or change might be, I have witnessed the larger impact of small changes and their positive effect. Your attendance at a District Appreciation Dinner might be a something small to do with your time, but in the end, it might have a greater impact than you realize.
