13 minute read
FIVE TAKES FROM OYDC FINALISTS
2019 OYDC FINALIST
Jason Elenbaum
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HOMEFIELD:
Mayville, Michigan
THE FACTS:
Jason always has his eye on the future, planning on adding robots, improving milk components and doing whatever it takes to stay in the dairy business. He’s a leader within MMPA, serving as a delegate and member of the advisory committee where he contributes to the decisions influencing the future of the cooperative.
THE FARM:
Jason milks 75 cows and farms 250 acres on Elenbaum Farms. He capitalizes on the resources he has, breeding with bulls during planting and harvesting, working on his own silos, chopping his own forage and hauling his own milk. Jason is a member of the Deford/Clifford-Mayville Local in District 7.
THE FIVE:
How do you make a difference on your farm?
1. Milk hauling “Last year, I started truck driving and got my samplers license to haul my farm’s own milk. The transition wasn’t easy, but it was a move required for me to be able to continue in the dairy business.”
2. Silo repair service “To save money on service calls and labor, I began learning how to service my own silos. My skills ended up turning into a part time job working on other people’s silos to keep cattle fed. The part-time hustle provides secondary income and allows me to give back to my community.”
3. Custom harvesting “I love running chopper! On our farm I do all the harvest work. I have gone as far as to do the corn and hay harvest for others now too.”
4. Crossing beef with dairy “To be honest, I came across crossing beef with dairy all by accident. I used a beef clean-up bull one time and now we use it regularly for management and to keep cow numbers in check.”
5. General farm management “I play a role on the farm in everything management, from efficiencies to book work. On most farms, you typically don’t see the young kid calling the shots and his decisions being final, but that’s the way it is here.”
2019 OYDC FINALISTS
Andrew & Rebecca Bahrman
HOMEFIELD:
Skandia, Michigan
THE FACTS:
Andrew (Andy) and Rebecca (Becca) are passionate about educating others about the dairy lifestyle and the benefits of consuming dairy. They are both employed off the farm. Andy is a certified welder by trade and works at the MSU Chatham Experiment Station, while Becca is a licensed practical nurse employed at DLP Health System in Marquette, Michigan.
THE FARM:
Andy and Becca have a goal of opening a cheese processing plant on their 65- cow farm, Pirman Corner Dairy Farm. Owned and operated by them and their family, they have the goal of providing a safe and quality supply of milk for their community. Andy and Becca are members of the UP West Central Local in District 4.
THE FIVE:
How do you promote dairy on your farm?
1. Host local students “Every spring, we invite the local high school to visit our farm and learn all about the dairy industry. We educate them about the health benefits of milk, the daily schedule of a dairy farmer and the science behind making feed and providing safe, healthy bedding.”
2. Join in community events “We participate in MSU Harvest Days and Agri-palooza, events that bring the farm to consumers. These events give the community an opportunity to ask questions about dairy farming and test their knowledge of cattle facts in jeopardy-style games.”
3. Engage on social media “We post almost daily on our farm’s Facebook and Instagram channels, providing knowledge about cows, milk or operational information. Sometimes it’s silly facts, sometimes serious topics, but we always get lots of engagement this way.”
4. Talk to the media “Every June we invite the local news station out to the farm for Dairy Month. We have the news anchor milk cows, feed cows and interview our family members on their role on the farm or topics regarding dairy farming.”
5. Host farm tours “Our farm is open to all who want to come and learn about farming or show their grandkids what a cow is. We love watching the kids’, and often the adults’, eyes light up while feeding a calf or learning about what goes on behind the scenes before the milk hits their cereal bowl.”
104th Annual State Delegate Meeting The MMPA 104th Annual State Delegate Meeting was held on March 12 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan. The meeting, conducted in accordance with MMPA bylaws, was condensed with limited attendance to protect the health and safety of attendees in response to the spread of COVID-19 (the coronavirus).
ABOVE: MMPA PRESIDENT AND CEO JOE DIGLIO COMMENTED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG TEAM AND NOTED MANY ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES THAT WERE MADE IN 2019. “THE MORE YOU LEARN AND ADAPT TO THE CHALLENGES AHEAD THE MORE SUCCESS YOU WILL HAVE. AND TO LEARN AND ADAPT MEANS YOU MUST TRUST EACH OTHER ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES.”
RIGHT:MMPA BOARD CHAIRMAN KRIS WARDIN SHARED HIS EXCITEMENT FOR THE FUTURE AND HOW MMPA IS CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS AND DRIVING INNOVATION. “BY CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS – WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, OTHER CO-OPS, CUSTOMERS AND ULTIMATELY OUR END-USER CONSUMERS – WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD AN EVEN STRONGER CO-OP THAT WILL LAST ANOTHER 100+ YEARS. BUT WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE! WE MUST DRIVE INNOVATION WITH NEW PRODUCTS AND LOOK FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT FIT OUR CORE VALUES.”
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS DRIVING INNOVATION
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS DRIVING INNOVATION
LEFT: MMPA TREASURER ERIC FRAHM PRESENTED MMPA DELEGATES WITH A REPORT ON THE CO-OP’S FINANCIALS RESULTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2019. THE REPORT EMPHASIZED THE CONTINUATION OF MMPA’S STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION.
BELOW: JAMES WEBER (CENTER, LEFT) WITH GIRLFRIEND KYLIE SCHUH (CENTER, RIGHT) WERE PRESENTED THE 2019 OUTSTANDING YOUNG DAIRY COOPERATOR AWARD BY SCOTT LAMB (LEFT) AND KRIS WARDIN (RIGHT).
RIGHT: SARAH MICHALEK, MMPA MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE AREA SUPERVISOR, SPOKE ON BEHALF OF TOP QUALITY AWARD WINNER LEROY ZIMMERMAN OF CARSON CITY. WITH AN AVERAGE SOMATIC CELL COUNT OF AROUND 53,000, ZIMMERMAN'S FARM PRODUCED THE HIGHEST QUALITY MILK OF ALL MMPA FARMS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2019.
BELOW: BUSINESS CONDUCTED BY THE DELEGATES INCLUDED THE ELECTION OF BRUCE LEWIS (PICTURED) AND KRIS WARDIN TO THREEYEAR, AT-LARGE TERMS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
BOTTOM: MMPA BOARD MEMBER SCOTT LAMB INTRODUCED THE 2019 OUTSTANDING YOUNG DAIRY COOPERATORS (OYDC) FINALISTS AT THE MEETING, INCLUDING THE 2019 RUNNERS-UP BRAD & NICOLE WREN AND 2019 WINNER JAMES WEBER.
TOP: MMPA PRESIDENT AND CEO JOE DIGLIO THANKED GARY TRIMNER, RETIRED MMPA DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES, AND HIS WIFE, CAROLYN, FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT INTERNS IN THE MSU FOOD SYSTEMS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
LEFT: 2019 OYDC JAMES WEBER SHARED ABOUT HIS FARM AND FAMILY WITH MMPA DELEGATES AND GAVE A FERVENT SPEECH ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY AND HIS HOPE TO BE A PART OF IT.
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS DRIVING INNOVATION
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS DRIVING INNOVATION
ABOVE: MMPA BOARD CHAIRMAN KRIS WARDIN RECOGNIZED
35-YEAR MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE ANNUAL STATE
DELEGATE MEETING. (SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF 50-YEAR
AND 35-YEAR MMPA MEMBERS ON PAGE 25.)
RIGHT: DURING THE BOARD REORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
FOLLOWING THE DELEGATE MEETING, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SELECTED DOUG CHAPIN (PICTURED) AS BOARD CHAIRMAN,
TONY JANDERNOA AS BOARD VICE CHAIRMAN AND ERIC FRAHM
AS TREASURER.
50-Year and 35-Year MMPA Members
50-YEAR MEMBER
DALE E. WEIDMAYER SALINE-ANN ARBOR LOCAL DISTRICT 1
35-YEAR MEMBERS
ROBERT W. COULOMBE JACKSON COUNTY PLUS LOCAL DISTRICT 1
DANIEL & DOROTHY RITTER LANSING LOCAL DISTRICT 2
RANDY G. DRAGT ALMA LOCAL DISTRICT 5
BRENT & NANCY WILSON ALMA LOCAL DISTRICT 5
DAVID ADKINSON MID-MICHIGAN LOCAL DISTRICT 6
RAYMOND BUCHOLZ CLARE-MT. PLEASANT LOCAL DISTRICT 7
JANE M. WOOD DEFORD/CLIFFORD-MAYVILLE LOCAL DISTRICT 7
MARK S. RAU SUNRISE LOCAL DISTRICT 7
ROBERT A. RAU SUNRISE LOCAL DISTRICT 7
JAMES R. RICHMOND HURON LOCAL DISTRICT 8
KEITH M. RICHMOND HURON LOCAL DISTRICT 8
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Get A Grip on Your Business
HOW PROGRESSIVE DAIRY FARMERS WILL STAY COMPETITIVE ACCORDING TO DR. KOHL
BY MELISSA HART
“Y our business is like a chess board, with a series of moves. The most important player on that chess board is the queen. Cash and working capital are the queen,” began Dr. David Kohl,
Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech, as he addressed a room of dairy producers at the recent Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth, Michigan .
“If you have cash and working capital you have blocking moves and then on the other side it helps you to be proactive,” he said.
The landscape of agriculture is in an accelerated change mode. Macro factors such as tariffs, trade wars, global and domestic economics are creating a surprise around every corner. According to Kohl, the farmer of the new decade will experience more change than in the past seventy years driven by consumers, technology and management. To stay competitive, the producers of the future will require a high business IQ and be proactive in positioning the business for success.
A Fresh Look at 2020
Looking at a fresh start for 2020, Kohl presented five positives in agriculture: 1. low, stable interest rates, 2. stable energy costs, 3. proactive base hits, 4. land value stability, and 5. accelerated generational transfer.
“Take the equity of the older generation and the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of the younger generation, and that will take your family business to a new level,” commented Kohl.
He added that the ego of the older generation has the potential to kill any new business ideas of the younger generation because the fathers or grandfathers want to make all the decisions. “When this happens the only winners are Uncle Sam, the lawyers and McDonalds,” he said.
Kohl outlined the challenges facing agriculture in 2020: dependence on government income, loss of international markets, global political posturing, alternative agriculture and consumer demand shifts, and consolidation backlash.
“Alternative agriculture hit me harder and faster than anything else,” Kohl said. As alternative meat and dairy products are developed and fine-tuned, Kohl said it’s not the share of the marketplace that matters, it’s the rate of change. Momentum matters with these products and as they gain favor, and gain 10-15 percent of the marketplace, they can sway the urban public.
There will be more change in the next ten years than in the last seventy years maintains Kohl. There will be more technology, the consumers will continue to change and management will need to be fine-tuned. “There will be more advisory teams,” Kohl said. “They are just like assistant coaches, constantly feeding information to the head coach so they can make better decisions.”
The business IQ will increase over the next decade. It will be the common denominator of success. “If you stay focused and follow the fundamentals you will be successful 80 percent of the time,” he said.
Kohl also mentioned the domination of technology. “I can tell someone is a good leader or manager if they stay off their technology at least two-three hours a day,” he said. He mentioned that one important skill is to avoid being distracted, do not let technology control your life. According to Kohl, when a phone receives a notification every four to seven minutes this leads to losing your attention span for a half hour.
Looking at the economic radar screen, Kohl said one of the most important policies passed was the United States Mexico Canada Trade agreement (USMCA). The U.S., Mexico and Canada make up 28 percent of the world economy, making it imperative to have a working trade agreement with our neighbors.
“Farmland is like having a baby, you know you can’t afford it, but you do it anyway,” Kohl said Farmland values have gone up or stayed the same from 1910 – 2017 and it’s a good investment and can be a great bridge over economic troubled waters. But he warns young farmers that buying farmland will “stretch you.”
As an industry, Kohl stressed the importance of being proactive rather than reactive. He says dairy needs to be three products and services ahead of the curve when it comes to plant based milk substitutes. According to Kohl, there are several critical questions for crucial conversations that progressive businesses need to ask: • Know the cost of production by enterprise • Know how changes in price, production, cost and/or interest rates affect the bottom line • Understand financial ratios • Work with an advisory team consisting of a lender, crop or livestock consultant and possibly a financial planner. • Attend or take five educational seminars or courses a year.
A struggling business attempting to turnaround w ill have done the following: • Written business, family and personal goals • Projected cash flow • Worked with an advisory team and exhibit a willingness to be coached by an advisory team and lender • Taken modest family withdrawals and have a family living budget • Developed and executed a one-page written plan on how they will improve cash flows, profits and what is the likelihood of the turnaround of business.
Management strategies in the 2020s will include writing down core values, remembering that a business plan is not set in concrete and when executing the plan, you need to hear, understand, take action and evaluate consequences. Kohl concluded that being a leader and in leadership is about uplifting others, quoting Hall of Fame Basketball Coach, Tom Murphy: “Watch how people in position of power treat the front line people.”
