Farmer Feels Dumped by Co-op
Published: Friday, June 21, 2019
An Allegan County dairy farmer is locked out of the local milk market after his membership agreement with his former cooperative wasn't renewed this spring. The farmer, Glenn Berens, believes the reason he was dropped from the ranks of Michigan Milk Producers Assn. is because the cooperative has decided to purge itself of smaller farms like his.
With just 23 cows in his milking herd, Berens is a third-generation dairy farmer who, along with his son Ryan, produces quality milk from top-rated show cattle in a small tie-stall barn. Berens has been an MMPA member for a long time, but without a market to ship to, he has been dumping his milk since the first of May.
While not addressing Berens' case specifically, MMPA issued a statement this week to the Exchange saying that the decision to renew or not renew a member's contract is usually based on that member's ability to comply with various requirements relating to milk quality and animal welfare. MMPA says those requirements are in place to ensure a safe, wholesome product and to ensure that cows receive the highest level of care.
For his part, Berens provided documentation showing that he earned quality premiums in nine out of the final 12 months that he was an MMPA member. His herd's somatic cell count for the month of April was well below the co-op's maximum level of 300,000. In addition, the farm regularly has passed state sanitation inspections.
Of his herd of 23 Holstein and Guernsey cows, he has five that are rated as Excellent and 12 that are Very Good. Berens and his son Ryan, who represents the fourth generation, regularly take their cattle to major shows in Wisconsin, Louisville and to several state fair exhibitions.
However, the sticking point appears to be the animal care requirements of one of MMPA's customers, Leprino Foods, which reflect the standards of the National FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program. Berens says these standards can be burdensome.
For example, one of the requirements is that calves must have access to feed at all times. Berens said he provides feed 24/7 for his cattle, but the inspection report says he failed to do that.
Another Leprino requirement is that calves be dehorned before 8 weeks of age. Berens says he performs dehorning and vaccinations all at one time in order to minimize stress on the calves, but this rule means he would have to handle them a second time.
He was also told that his cows are too thin, but he said judges on the show circuit have told him that his cows are too fat.
"It's a no-win situation for us," he said.
Berens said there is inequity in MMPA's inspection system that favors larger farms. For example, when an inspector visits his farm, all 23 of Berens' cattle are checked for welfare issues. However, when an inspector visits a larger farm, they don't check every cow and it's easier for the inspector to miss a potential problem.
Berens says he has one high-quality cow that has a swollen hock. He says his only option is to sell the cow in order to get a clean inspection, but Ryan says the cow represents the farm's best breeding efforts that were developed over decades. He refuses to sell the cow just to satisfy MMPA's inspectors.
According to Glenn, the farm was placed on probation for four months. After another inspection, they received a letter saying MMPA would not be renewing their membership.
Both men point out that milk cooperatives are farmer-owned entities that should work on behalf of their members to find the best possible market for the milk which they produce. They expected MMPA to be more willing to help them fix their problems. However, the Berens feel as though MMPA wants to squeeze out smaller farms.
Glenn Berens and his son say they have few options at this point. None of the other local cooperatives are taking on new farms at the present time, and as a result, the Berenses have been dumping their milk since the beginning of May.
According to its statement, MMPA said it works closely with member farms to help them meet its standards and to provide assistance.
"MMPA values farms of all sizes and strives to maintain strong partnerships with each member farm to uphold these high standards," the statement said.
"If a farm fails to improve in areas in which it is not meeting MMPA's standards, the MMPA board of directors has the authority to review the farm's membership in our cooperative," the statement reads. "MMPA does not take any membership separation decision lightly; such a decision is only made after careful review of the individual farm's situation and after that farm has had ample time to take corrective actions."
MMPA said the decision not to renew a membership agreement doesn't happen very often. However, "MMPA may decide not to renew a membership agreement when a member proves unable or unwilling to meet membership standards. Members are notified well in advance so they may seek other outlets for their milk."
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