Fifty-three MMPA members were recognized with 35 or 50 year member awards at the MMPA 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting, March 24. MMPA has traditionally recognized 35-year members and this year added the new MMPA Milestone award to honor those holding membership for 50 years or more.

MMPA President Ken Nobis congratulated and praised the 35-year members for their dedication to the cooperative: “We commend you for your dedication and loyalty to MMPA and the dairy industry over the last 35 years.”

35-year members: Thirty-five year members honored in 2016 gathered onstage during the 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting of the Michigan Milk Producers Association on March 24 to share stories about their tenure in the dairy industry.

After the 35-year members were recognized, Nobis recognized the inaugural group of MMPA Milestone award winners who joined MMPA in the year 1966 or earlier. In 2017 and in the years to come, MMPA will continue to honor those who reach the 50 year membership mark.

“Across the 1,200 member farms, there are a select few who have remained loyal to our cooperative for half of MMPA’s existence or more,” Nobis explained before presenting the awards. “Twenty-six members have achieved 50 or more years of membership including one member who signed his contract 62 years ago in 1954.”

A video presentation showcased the vast changes the Michigan dairy industry has undergone the past several years and since these members began dairy farming.

The presentation highlighted information from 1981 and 1966, when these members joined MMPA.  In 1981, there were 6,225 MMPA members in who marketed a total of 3.36 billion pounds of milk, while in 1966 membership totaled 8,539 and marketed 2.97 billion pounds of milk. Today, MMPA has approximately 1,200 members and marketed over 4.63 billion pounds of milk in the 2015 fiscal year.

50 -year members: The inaugural class of MMPA Milestone award winners were introduced during the 100th Annual State Delegate Meeting of the Michigan Milk Producers Association on March 24. These dairy farmers have all been members of MMPA for at least 50 years.

MMPA—established in 1916—is a member owned and operated dairy cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.