Posted: January 9, 2013 at 2:55 pm
By Talia
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative board of directors recently unveiled its new logo. The identity symbolizes the newly formed cooperative’s vision and commitment to its members.
The logo and brand identity were approved by the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative’s board of directors and will be integrated throughout membership and marketing efforts as the new cooperative establishes its presence in the industry.
Posted: December 19, 2012 at 8:49 am
By Melissa
Members of Family Dairies USA, Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative and Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers successfully voted to merge the three cooperatives, creating the largest dairy marketing cooperative in the Midwest. The new, combined cooperative, known as FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, will begin business function as a unified entity on Jan. 1, 2013.
Votes on the historic merger were counted today during a pair of special meetings at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point, Wis. and the Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers office in Brookfield, Wis. The membership vote follows a unanimous board vote to recommend the unified merger for the membership and several information-sharing opportunities this fall.
Under FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, the combined member representation will be divided into a total of nine districts, based on membership within each district. The current directors from each of the three cooperatives will transition into the new organization, helping ensure consistency in leadership and membership voice. Dennis Donohue will assume the role of general manager of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative. David Cooper and Jim Bird will assume the roles of assistant general manager and director of lab services and special projects, respectively.
Family Dairies USA Milk Program and the Fox Valley Quality Control Laboratory will continue to operate as subsidiaries of the new cooperative.
Posted: November 28, 2012 at 8:28 pm
By News Editor
The board of directors for Family Dairies USA, Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative and Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers have called for a membership vote on the proposed merger of the three cooperatives. Members of the cooperatives are asked to mail votes into their respective cooperative by December 18, 2012.
The call for member votes comes after a series of information sharing opportunities. Following the announcement of a unanimous board vote to recommend a unified merger for the membership earlier this fall, all cooperative members received additional information on the merger through regional meetings. Detailed literature and a voting ballot via mail were also distributed to all cooperative members.
If passed by the membership vote, the three cooperatives could become the largest Midwest dairy marketing cooperative – offering immense collaborative opportunities to all members.
Membership votes on the proposed merger must be received by the member’s respective cooperative by 4:00 p.m. on December 17, 2012, if sent via mail. Members are encouraged to mail their ballots to the listed office within their information packet in advance to meet the deadline. Members may also hand deliver their vote on December 18, 2012 to their respective cooperatives’ special meeting being held to approve the merger and count ballots. If the merger passes, the new, combined cooperative will begin business function January 1, 2013.
Source: Your CoOpportunity
Posted: November 2, 2012 at 8:53 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
The board of directors for Family Dairies USA, Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative and Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers have unanimously voted to recommend a unified merger for their membership. Combined, these three cooperatives could soon become the largest Midwest dairy marketing cooperative under the new name of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative.
“We are extremely excited about the future this effort will offer our members,” says David Cooper, general manager for Family Dairies USA. “The combined size and strength of the new cooperative will provide all of our members with a deeper and broader voice in policy-making decisions, both locally and nationally. And, by combining the resources of three independent organizations, we will be able to improve efficiencies and effectiveness.”
“The timing of coming together could not be better,” adds Dennis Donohue, general manager of Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative. “The current, individual financial status of all three cooperatives is outstanding. This allows the new organization to start out on very strong footing, so that we can immediately focus on growing and improving member benefits.”
“Considerable due diligence has been done by each board,” says Jim Bird, general manager of Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers. “Our cooperatives have shared common goals and even collaborated in business together over the years. It is a natural progression. Now, we can combine efforts that will allow us to put more resources into critical member areas that will continue to build upon the 200-plus years of combined history we have.”
Informational meetings will be held by each cooperative’s membership over the next six weeks. The proposal to merge will be voted on by each membership in mid-December. If the merger passes, the new, combined cooperative will begin business function January 1, 2013.
Under the new cooperative, the combined member representation will be divided into a total of nine districts, based on membership within each district. The current directors from each of the three cooperatives will transition into the new organization, helping ensure consistency in leadership and membership voice.
Family Dairies USA Milk Program and the Fox Valley Quality Control Laboratory will continue to operate as subsidiaries of the new cooperative.
Listen to this morning’s press conference with reps from each co-op answering questions about the merger:
FarmFirst Cooperative Announcement
Posted: October 10, 2012 at 11:50 am
By Melissa
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, ” What cooperatives play a role in your life/business?”
Our poll results: Ten percent said Electric/water/utilities; ten percent said Farm Credit/credit union; five percent said Farm supplies; twenty percent said Energy/biofuels; three percent said Farm commodity; three percent said Other; thirty-five percent said Two or more of the above; and fifteen percent said None.
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What is most important for feeding growing world population?” As of today, it is estimated at a little over 7 billion; by 2050 it is estimated it will be slightly over 9 billion. With a steadily increasing population, how do we feed everyone? What do you think?
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Posted: October 2, 2012 at 10:10 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
October is National Cooperative Month and 2012 is the the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives, so it is extra special to celebrate record farm cooperative income in 2011 and dairy co-ops did very well indeed.
USDA released the latest statistics today, showing that farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives posted record sales of $213 billion and $5.4 billion in net income, surpassing the previous record sales year of 2008 by $10 billion while besting the old income record by $500 million.
“These new cooperative sales and income records for 2011 underscore the strength and productivity of the nation’s farmer- and rancher-owned cooperatives, and the vital role they play in the nation’s economy,” said Dallas Tonsager, under secretary for Rural Development. “Primarily because of mergers, the number of farm co-ops continued to decline, but memberships and asset values are up.” Tonsager also noted that co-op employment levels remained strong, with cooperatives employing 184,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers, up slightly from 2010.
USDA’s annual list of the nation’s 100 largest agricultural cooperatives, also released today, shows that they also had record sales and income in 2011. The 100 largest ag co-ops reported revenue of $148 billion in 2011, an increase of almost 30 percent over 2010, when revenue totaled $113 billion. Net income for the 100 top co-ops was $3.17 billion, up from $2.35 billion in 2010. The previous top 100 co-op records were $130 billion for sales and $2.42 billion for income, both marks set in 2008.
The top ten agricultural cooperatives include four dairy cooperatives. Dairy Farmers of America of Kansas City with $12.9 billion in revenue was number two on the list again, topping 2010 revenue by 20%. Ranking 6th on the list was California Dairies with $3.66 billion, up 20% from 2010. The 9th and 10th largest cooperatives were Northwest Dairy Association of Seattle and Associated Milk Producers of Minnesota, both with approximately $2 billion in revenue, up 30% and 20% respectively from 2010.
Listen to or download Tonsager’s press conference here: USDA Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative board of directors recently unveiled its new logo. The identity symbolizes the newly formed cooperative’s vision and commitment to its members.