Farm Bureau Releases Milk Program Recommendations

Oct 04, 2019

The American Farm Bureau Federation today released a proposal for the future of U.S. milk-pricing provisions and marketing-order reform. The recommendations aim to bring more democracy and a more equitable program for all dairy farmers. Although federal milk marketing orders have been a pillar of the dairy industry for more than 80 years, the program has not undergone substantial change in nearly two decades. A working group consisting of Farm Bureau grassroots leaders and other contributors from the Farm Bureau family prepared the report after broad consultation with industry and academia.

The Farm Bureau Federal Milk Marketing Order Working Group recommendations are contained in the report “Priorities, Principles and Policy Considerations for FMMO Reform.”

Key recommendations would:

Give every dairy farmer a voice by eliminating the ability of coops to vote on behalf of member-producers on changes to federal milk marketing orders (bloc voting);
Improve risk sharing across the supply chain in the product pricing formulas by adjusting the “make allowance” (a fixed deduction or credit for processing milk into finished dairy products) to be variable on a commodity-by-commodity basis;
Collect more robust pricing information by significantly expanding the Agriculture Department’s mandatory price reporting survey; and
Simplify milk pricing rules in the Southeast by aligning the qualifying criteria for pooling and eliminating transportation subsidies.

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Video: You Be The Judge: Evaluating 8 Breeding Rams!

It's time for some honest feedback here at Ewetopia Farms! Today, we’re showing you all eight rams we used for breeding this year. Instead of just presenting them, we thought it would be fun to create a “Ram Report Card” — where we point out both their strengths and areas for improvement.

But here’s the twist: you be the judge! In the comments, let us know what you like about each ram and what you think could be improved. No ram is ever perfect, but every one of them brings something valuable to the flock. By sharing perspectives, we all learn more about what to look for in good breeding stock.

At Ewetopia Farms, we raise registered Suffolk and Polled Dorset sheep, focusing on high-quality genetics, structure, and friendly temperaments. Evaluating breeding rams is part of the bigger picture of building stronger flocks — and we’re excited to share the process with you.

If you enjoy seeing how we evaluate our animals, follow along by subscribing to our channel. We share daily insights into the joys and challenges of sheep farming here in Canada.