MilkLine Newsletter

Farmers in Newhall, Iowa weren’t very familiar with the term ‘derecho’ and what kind of impact it could have on their dairy farming operations. However, on what was seemingly a typical August day, a few dairy farmers quickly realized the power and fury of a ‘derecho’ as their farms experienced unprecedented damage from the summer […]

All the FarmFirst staff are surely going to miss the opportunity to visit with all the FarmFirst members and Family Dairies USA patrons that attend World Dairy Expo and stop by our booth each year. World Dairy Expo is always a great time to recap what happened over the spring and summer and discuss what

One of the most interesting things I have observed during this pandemic is how so many consumers returned to the basics. Their decision was not always a personal choice or desire, but perhaps out of necessity. Take bread, for example. Not only were shelves cleared out during the panic buying that ensued when states issued

On March 10, I flew to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors meeting and do my normal lobbying after the meeting to discuss dairy issues with Congressional members from the Upper Midwest. When I first got to D.C., the coronavirus was just starting to become a concern to the

This is one of my favorite quotes from the beloved Harry Potter book series, and its sentiment is particularly true during these current times. I’m sure there’s a group of people in this world that have found a great amount of happiness from social distancing and being able to stay home with their family. To

Plain and simple, COVID-19 has more than upset the apple cart of supply and demand in dairy markets,it has chopped the whole orchard down. Videos of milk being dumped and vegetables being plowed under leave us in agriculture speechless. We know the work, long-term plans and coordinated effort that is required to produce the food

For as long as I have been working for and advocating for farmers, I’ve heard this so many times and while I’ve always agreed and appreciated your hard work, I generally shrugged my shoulders because Americans have enjoyed an abundant supply of high- quality, nutritious, convenient, safe and – let’s not forget, tasty – food.

In preparing my remarks for the 2020 Annual Meeting a few weeks ago, I looked back on the past year within the cooperative and realized that while there were several challenges in 2019, there were also ample opportunities.

As FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative prepares for its 2020 Annual Meeting, I look back on 2019 and can’t help but laugh. It was a year full of situations that I had never experienced before. I had never chopped hay with snow on it. I had never dried beans in a corn dryer. And I had never

Cover Story: FarmFirst Disaster Benefit Pays Following Derecho CFAP 2.0 Funds Now Available Ensuring Dairy Trade Benefits Ledecky Makes Dairy Splash Board Feature: John Rettler District Meetings Go Virtual Dairy Consumption at 60-Year High