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8 CapitalPress.com May 26, 2017 Subscribe to our weekly dairy or livestock email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Dairy/Livestock Industry launches campaign to reconnect with consumers By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy — in partner- ship with U.S. dairy farmers — have launched a multi- year campaign to reintroduce consumers to the undeniable goodness of dairy, from the enjoyment and nutrition dairy products bring to people to the responsible and sustainable way they are produced. The integrated, multi-me- dia campaign is the first of its kind, designed to bring the en- tire dairy industry together to “loudly and proudly” engage with consumers to build trust, Beth Engelmann, chief mar- keting and communications officer for Dairy Management Inc., said. Unlike the “Got Milk?” campaign, the new “Undeniably Dairy” campaign transcends multiple dairy products to consistently engage with consumers, who want to know where their food comes from, she said. The campaign is “focused first and foremost on con- sumers” with a two-way di- alogue to engage consumers, meet them where they are and show them the dairy industry is a community committed to making their lives better, she said. Consumers are three generations removed from the farm and receive confus- ing information about dairy products, non- dairy alterna- tive products and production practices. The campaign is de- signed to be nimble and re- sponsive to address consumers’ concerns about such things as food safety, nutrition, animal care and environmental im- pacts, she said. It will provide “the right stories in the right places” at the same time consumers are receiving misinformation, she said. A variety of multi-media content will showcase the unde- niable taste and enjoyment that comes from dairy and remind consumers of the starring role dairy plays in special moments. It will also share how the indus- try continues to evolve through innovation and technology to deliver exceptional animal care and nutrient-rich products and how it supports local communi- ties, according to DMI. It’s time to “open the barn doors and let people in,” said Amber Horn-Leiterman, a Wisconsin dairy farmer and chairwoman of the Na- tional Dairy Promotion and Online For more information: visit undeniablydairy.org Research Board. “Consumers have certain needs that need to be satisfied” about how dairy products are produced “and they need to trust us,” she said. “Each state has dairy farm- ers and they all do things a little differently, which makes it hard to reach consumers with a unified voice. But it all comes down to producing a quality product and ‘Undeni- ably Dairy’ is putting a name on that,” she said. “We can be trusted, and they can feel good about how dairy prod- ucts are produced.” Dairy families care for their animals and the environ- ment, provide jobs and con- tribute to their communities, she said. “We have so much to be proud of, and it’s time we show that,” she said. The campaign launched on Monday with an online video showcasing the joys of dairy in everyday life and two dozen videos and articles fea- turing everything from pro- duction practices to recipes. The campaign will also coor- dinate with the Food Network and Cooking Channel and hold national on-farm events during June to celebrate Na- tional Dairy Month. Fake milk? Pressure builds for FDA to address imitation dairy labels By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press Rancher, former House speaker receives award By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — Rancher Bruce Newcomb received a “Com- mitment to Idaho” award from Boise State Universi- ty’s School of Public Service May 9. Newcomb served 20 years in the legislature and his eight years as speaker of the House make him the longest-serving speaker in state history. School of Public Ser- vice Dean Corey Cook said Newcomb epitomizes what it means to be a legislator. “There’s no corner of the state or public policy issue that hasn’t been impacted by his leadership and service,” Cook said during the award ceremony. “He is a leader and a mentor.” Cook said that all across the state, “If you just say Bruce, people know who you’re talking about.” Newcomb, a life-long rancher from Buhl, held leadership positions in the legislature for 18 years and currently serves as special as- sistant to BSU president Bob Kustra and as the university’s director of government rela- tions. He is married to Celia Gould, who is director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and served 16 years in the legislature. “Together, what a team they’ve been for the state of Idaho,” Kustra said during the award ceremony. Lt. Gov. Brad Little, a rancher who served with Newcomb in the legisla- ture, told Capital Press that the former speaker “was al- ways about doing the right thing.” “I was in lots and lots of leadership meetings with Bruce and he was always a big-picture guy,” Little said. “He always wanted to know, how do we make Idaho a bet- ter place.” Newcomb, a Republican, said he was inspired to enter public service after hearing President John F. Kennedy’s famous, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” speech in 1961. “That’s when public ser- vice got into my heart,” he said. Newcomb quoted Ed- mund Burke — “The only thing necessary for the tri- umph of evil is that good men to do nothing” — as a way to encourage others to get in- volved. “So if you are not in- volved, get involved,” he said. This is the school’s sec- ond “Commitment to Idaho” award. Last year’s award went to Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. The award honors some- one who has gone above and beyond in their commitment to the state, said Jim Munk- res of the School of Public Service. Dairy prices rise then slip By LEE MIELKE For the Capital Press M 21-1/#4N Capital Press/Sean Ellis Former Idaho Speaker of the House Bruce Newcomb, a rancher, speaks during a ceremony where he received a “Commitment to Idaho” award from Boise State University on May 9. The battle over the mis- use of dairy terminology on products from plant sourc- es — such as almond milk and soy yogurt — is nothing new for the dairy industry and has only intensified in the last 20 years with the proliferation of such prod- ucts. But dairy industry repre- sentatives say the drive for the Food and Drug Admin- istration to enforce federal milklife.com labeling regulations that Dairy groups argue that the Food and Drug Administration needs to have been on the books ban the use of terms such as “milk” on non-dairy products. since the 1950s might now “From where we sit, it meetings to discuss the le- be gaining momentum. State milk regulators, hasn’t been a priority for gality of the product labels meeting at the National them,” he said. and the need for standards “The FDA takes enforce- of identity across their in- Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, last week ment action in accordance dustry, he said. voted unanimously to re- with public health priori- “Right now, it’s the Wild quest that FDA work with ties and agency resources,” West” as far as their claims them to clarify their role in Deborah Kotz, FDA press and labels, he said. They enforcing the proper use of officer, said in an email to recognize that puts them at milk and milk product la- Capital Press risk with consumers, and In February 2013, in a they’re taking steps to get beling terms when it comes to imitation dairy products. reply to a similar request everyone on the same page, FDA’s longstanding reg- by Capital Press, FDA Pub- he said. ulation specifies that milk lic Affairs Officer There- Nutritional value is at and milk products must sa Eisenman said,” FDA’s the heart of the labeling is- come from an animal source guidance has been that sue for the dairy industry. — “not from something terms such as ‘soy milk,’ There’s a reason plant-food you’d typically feed a cow,” ‘almond milk,’ etc., do not companies want to use dairy said Chris Galen, communi- meet standards to be identi- terminology — real milk cations director for the Na- fied as milk. This is an ac- and dairy products are val- tional Milk Producers Fed- tive issue that FDA contin- ued as nutritional products. ues to address.” eration. However, plant-based There is reason to hope products don’t match the NMPF first approached FDA with concerns over that FDA will finally act, nutritional value of milk, he plant-based products us- Galen said, adding that the said. ing dairy terms on their la- issue is becoming much Putting dairy terms on bels in 2000, warning FDA more visible and gaining their labels makes it easier that if it didn’t do anything momentum. to switch to those products Legislation addressing because consumers assume there’d be a proliferation of such products and the prob- the issue has been intro- they are nutritionally equiv- duced in the Senate and the alent or similar, he said. lem would grow. And that’s what hap- House this year, and now “If people for any reason pened, he said. “We’ve been state regulatory agencies … want to move away from seeing more and more of have weighed in with “a cow’s milk products, that’s very clear signal that FDA fine. But it harms our dairy these products.” Over the years, NMPF hasn’t been doing what it farmers when plant-based has renewed its request for should be doing,” he said. companies play fast and “I think it’s getting hard- loose with the rules,” label- FDA to enforce the regula- tion. Other dairy organiza- er for FDA to ignore the ing their products as dairy pressure,” he said. tions have done the same. products “when in fact they In addition, plant-food are just pale imitations,” he But FDA has failed to manufacturers recently had said. act, Galen said. ost mid-May CME dairy prices climbed higher, as trad- ers absorbed last Tuesday’s Global Dairy Trade auction and awaited Friday after- noon’s April Milk Production report and Monday’s April Cold Storage data. Buoyed in part by the GDT, CME butter shot up to $2.43 per pound Tuesday, the high- est price since Dec. 9, 2015, only to ease back Wednes- day, regain ground Thursday, then slip Friday to $2.3750, up 11 1/4-cents on the week after jumping 15 1/2-cents the previous week, and is 30 1/2-cents above a year ago. The butter eased back 1 1/4-cents Monday and held there Tuesday, at $2.3625. Butter production is active in the Central region, reports Dairy Market News, and some were taking discounted cream from the Southwest. Better-than-expected retail sales are reported; others re- port a seasonal slowdown. “Global tightness on milk fat Dairy Markets Lee Mielke has some buyers purchasing butter ahead of an increasing export demand.” Western butter output is generally steady but larg- er pulls of cream from ice cream manufacturers are al- lowing butter makers to ease output. The cheddar blocks hit $1.67 per pound Tuesday, then slipped back, recovered, and closed Friday at $1.67, up 3 1/2-cents on the week, 35 1/2-cents above a year ago, and the highest price since Feb. 6, 2017. The barrels finished at $1.47, down 6 cents on the week but 11 1/2-cents above a year ago. The blocks lost 2 cents Monday and a half-cent Tuesday, slipping to $1.6450. The barrels gained a pen- ny Monday but gave back three-quarters Tuesday, and were at $1.4725, a still-too- high 17 1/4-cents below the blocks.
