May 8, 2021 Dairy Star - 1st section - 2 star

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Pages 8 - 9 of the Second Section!

DAIRY ST R

Volume 23, No. 6

Dairy groups unveil Class III Plus proposal Plan would create pricing reform for FMMO By Jennifer coyne

krista.k@dairystar.com

Four Midwest dairy farmer organizations are proposing a change to the Federal Milk Marketing Order pricing formula. In a press conference April 27, the Dairy Business Association, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Minnesota Milk Producers Association and Nebraska State Dairy Association unveiled the Class III Plus – a reform proposal for FMMO, specically targeting uid milk pricing. “We’re tying the ultimate price of Class I to what the price of Class III is, with Class III becoming the primary mover of Class I,” said John Holevoet, director of government affairs at DBA. “Both class prices will still exist but in a linear relationship that is more predictable and stable.” The proposal would revise how Class I is calculated in the FMMO formula. In short, the Class I skim milk price would be calculated as the Class III skim milk price plus the Class I skim milk price adjuster. Using the average of the monthly differences between the higher of Class III and Class IV skim milk prices plus the Class III skim milk price during the prior 36 months of August through July will result in the adjuster. It is intended for the United States Department of Agriculture to publish a revised adjuster each September for the upcoming year. To facilitate a quick move toward revenue-neutrality after the pandemic, the Class I skim milk price adjuster will not be lower than $0.36 per hundredweight for 2021-25. The proposal would also replace advanced pricing with announced prices. This shift may reduce the likelihood of depooling and negative producer price differentials. “The pandemic brought to light what could happen with milk prices. It discovered areas that needed improvement,” said Wisconsin dairy farmer and DBA President Amy Penterman. “Hopefully this will level Turn to PRICING | Page 5

“All dairy, all the time”™

May 8, 2021

Nothing stands in his way

Faust farms with spina bida, two prosthetic legs By Stacey Smart

stacey.s@dairystar.com

CHILTON, Wis. – Dairy farmer Adam Faust has never lived a life without challenges. Born with spina bida, Faust wore braces on his feet as a child and has issues with walking and balance. To complicate matters, he also has two prosthetic legs after losing both limbs from the knee down within seven years. Because of the spina bida, Faust has limited feeling in his legs, which makes walking on prosthetics even more challenging. Despite the burdens piled on Faust over time, including two near-death experiences, he never lost his drive to farm. Faust milks 70 registered Holsteins and farms 200 acres near Chilton. He is a second-generation farmer, who purchased Faust Farms from his parents in 2016. The year prior, he and his father gutted the tiestall barn and put in longer and wider stalls, manger tile and a DeLaval carrier rail to make milking easier for Faust. “You never carry a unit with this system,” Faust said. “You don’t have to physically pick anything up. You slide the unit in and all around the barn on the track. It saves on shoulders as well as knees. Carrying heavy units across a gutter is very hard on knees. To me, this is the only way to milk, short of robots.”

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Adam Faust milks 70 cows and farms 200 acres near Chilton, Wisconsin. Faust was born with spina bida which causes weakness in his legs and problems with walking and balance. He also has two prostheƟc legs aŌer losing both limbs from the knee down. The track begins in the milkhouse and runs around the barn, extending into every stall. Faust’s system includes eight milking units featuring Wi-Fi capabilities to record milk weights and other information. Faust also installed rubber ooring throughout the tiestall

barn, restructured and strengthened the building, put in an air intake system and added 72-inch fans to pull a 12 mph wind. “I’m prone to falling, so the rubber oor is nice,” Faust said. “It’s far superior to concrete.” Faust received a grant from AgrAbility for the carrier rail. DeLaval has an agreement with AgrAbility, offering a discount to farmers who wish to install the technology. Faust has been a member of AgrAbility since 2010 – an organization whose purpose is to assist farmers who have disabilities so they can keep farming. AgrAbility is a national program, and each state has its STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR own version feaManger Ɵle was added to the Ɵestall barn when it was remodeled in 2015 at Faust Farms near Chilton, Wisconsin. To make feeding easier and safer for Faust, he uses a custom feed cart featuring a Turn to FAUST | plaƞorm for riding which he got from AgrAbility in 2011. Page 6

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