As I tried to learn more, I realized that many different groups were trying to change the federal milk marketing orders that determined the prices – and they often didn’t agree. I would sit at my table, wishing all the groups would get together and fix the system so farmers like me could get a fair price for our milk.
Well, it might have taken a few decades, but a couple of weeks ago, that finally happened. Farm Bureau brought together farmers with representatives from co-ops, processors, and other milk organizations to find a way forward. Two years ago, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told me and our state Farm Bureau presidents that USDA wouldn’t change federal milk marketing orders until we could all come together to find a proposal that worked for everyone.
After two days of long discussions, we found common ground that could help us modernize milk marketing.
When we gathered in Kansas City, we weren’t sure what common ground we might find. But sitting down at the table is what needed to be done if we wanted to make any progress that would help farmers. After two days of long discussions, we found common ground that could help us modernize milk marketing. We need to update federal milk marketing orders and make them more resilient, so we don’t face the same problems we did at the start of the pandemic. We also agreed that we must improve price transparency and ensure timely payments to farmers.
