Sign up for our New Newsletter
Dairy St r Milk Break
Email andrea.b@dairystar.com to sign up.
DAIRY ST R
Volume 19, No. 7
rbST use in the hot seat again
Processors in Midwest pushed to ban tool By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
As of Jan. 1, 2018, most Midwest milk processors will not accept milk from dairy animals that have been treated with the synthetic growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST). Most announced this change in early May, notifying farms that rbST use must be discontinued by Dec. 1, 2017 in order to comply with the January deadline. “Because this is a condition of membership, it is a requirement for all of our members,” said AMPI Director of Public Affairs Sarah Schmidt. Customers have made it clear to processors that they will not accept uid milk for cheesemaking or other dairy product processing that has been treated with rbST. “We’ve been very active with our customers, highlighting the safety of milk with rbST,” Schmidt said. “Ultimately, it came down to customers working with their consumers; it’s denitely driven by public opinion.” Clint Fall, President of First District Association, agreed.
“The Midwest is the cheese basket of the United States, and if customers want rbSTfree cheese, it was only a matter of time before we had to do something.”
“All dairy, all the time”™
May 27, 2017
“This was denitely a dream of mine, and I’m so thankful it’s happening.” – Quinci Sherber
Dairy advocacy: A royal experience
12 named nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – On a dreary afternoon in May, a group of young ladies and their families beamed with joy and excitement. Dairy farmers and enthusiasts from across the state of Minnesota gathered on May 21 at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., for the announcement of 12 women who will vie for the 64th Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. The banquet concluded a weekend-long leadership workshop, which brought more than 50 dairy princesses from across the state, including representatives from Iowa. “This was denitely a dream of mine, and I’m so thankful it’s happening,” Quinci Scherber said. Scherber, 23, daughter of John and Staci Scherber of Rogers, Minn., represents dairy farmers from Hennepin County. Growing up on her family’s farm and now attaining a dairy science degree, Scherber is eager to begin her time as a nalist and represent an industry that provided her with childhood memories and now a future career. “Living so close to the Twin Cities, it’s really important to me that people know that there are still farms in Hennepin County,” Scherber said. “Representing dairy farmers in this capacity is a joy – to share our life, the importance of milk, and to show that the
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Quinci Scherber and her dad, John, milk cows near Rogers, Minn., in Hennepin County. Scherber was selected as a 2017 Princess Kay of the Milky Way Finalist May 21 in St. Joseph, Minn.
dairy family lifestyle is still present.” Scherber’s father was in awe as his daughter was announced a nalist. “She does everything on the farm and she gets excited for the workload,” he said. “I’m pretty proud of Quinci for this accomplishment.” Also named 2017 nalists are Emily Annexstad, 19, daughter of Rolf and Jean Annexstad of St. Peter, representing Nicollet County; Anna Broll, 19, Turn to FINALISTS | Page 7
SARAH SCHMIDT, AMPI DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
“The current oversupply of milk should not be blamed for this,” he said. “This was entirely consumer driven and our priority of maintaining current customers.” While First District Association has not previously recorded the exact number of patrons using rbST, Fall estimated less than 20 percent of the 916 members use the growth hormone. It is unknown just how many dairy farms will be impacted by this decision, but it is sending a strong message to the entire industry – a message that has many uneasy. “Farmers and co-ops are between a rock and a hard place – we have to choose between continuing to use an FDA-approved product or maintaining our customers,” said Chris Galen, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). “We’re working towards a more sustainable food supply, but with trends like this, you can argue we’re moving in the other direction.” This is not the rst time rbST has been under scrutiny. Turn to RBST | Page 6
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
At a banquet on May 21 at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., 12 young women from across the state of Minnesota were selected as nalist for the state’s official goodwill dairy ambassador, Princess Kay of the Milky Way.