Michigan dairy farmer, Ashley Kennedy, grabbed the opportunity to have a front-seat voice to testify on behalf of Michigan Milk Producers Association and National Milk Producers Federation at the Senate Agriculture Committee’s first hearing committed to the upcoming Farm Bill at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
“I couldn’t have come back to the family farm if it were not for many of these programs,” Kennedy shared during the hearings. “Being a part of the conversation is essential to see a future that reflects opportunity and success.”
Along with family, Kennedy milks 240 cows in east-central Michigan. She shared her perspective as a third-generation farmer on both the successes and shortcomings of current dairy policies and programs Congress needs to address in the next Farm Bill.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman, Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who presided over the hearing, was joined by ranking member, John Boozman from Arkansas. Altogether, testimony from 16 witnesses was heard – from farmers, food processors and commodity organizations, to food banks, land conservancies and agribusinesses — provided opinions on USDA programs, which are reauthorized every five years.
Kennedy praised the Dairy Margin Coverage program and called attention to recent improvements that accounted for modest production increases and better reflect dairy farmer feed costs.
The Michigan dairy farmer shared two areas that need to be incorporated into the next reauthorization of federal farm programs. Kennedy shared in her testimony that the effects of federal programs on milk pricing deserve special attention.
“The combined effects of the change made to the Class I mover in the last farm bill, and the government’s heavy cheese purchases, cost dairy farmers over $750 million in Class I skim revenue during the last six months of 2020,” she says.
The dairy industry, under NMPF leadership, is seeking consensus on a range of improvements to the Federal Milk Marketing Order system, including but not limited to the Class I mover, that can be taken to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for consideration in a national order hearing.
In addition, Kennedy also advocated for additional investments in conservation programs to help dairy farmers build on their ongoing sustainability work.
“We must find ways for farmers to be credited for what they’re already doing,” she says.
Kennedy closed by thanking the committee for reauthorizing the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network in the last farm bill but urged that even more robust resources be provided.
“Stress in rural America is not talked about enough, which is unfortunate, because it’s a problem we can only solve by working together,” she shared.
