An association for cooperative businesses in Minnesota and Wisconsin, called the Cooperative Network, plans to hold a Federal Milk Marketing Orders Forum on September 24 in Bloomington, Minn. The association believes California’s action to consider operating under a federal milk marketing order instead of the state’s current pricing system could open the door for additional reforms to the national system.

“With California’s recent petition and 2016 being an election year, we think there’s a good chance the federal milk marketing orders could soon be open to broader reform,” said David Ward, Cooperative Network director of government relations, who manages the association’s dairy program. “We want to be sure our milk producers and processors in the Upper Midwest proactively examine the current system and have the opportunity to offer their input to guide any future changes.”

Several national and regional dairy economists have been invited to the forum to discuss the federal milk marketing orders in the Upper Midwest, how the system works for other regions, what the addition of a California order could mean and the process for changing federal orders. According to Cheese Reporter, the economists include Bob Cropp and Mark Stephenson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, John Newton of the National Milk Producers Federation, Mike Brown of Glanbia and Gary Lee of Prairie Farms Dairy.

The forum will conclude with a panel discussion among dairy cooperative leaders.

For more information, contact Wendy Fassbind, Cooperative Network director of meetings and events, at wendy.fassbind@cooperativenetwork.coop or (608) 258-4401.