Prairie Farms takes top communications honors in NMPF contest

REMUS, Mich. — Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. took top honors in the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual cooperative communications contest, winning five categories and the competition’s Best in Show: Writing award.

A farmer-owner of Michigan Milk Producers Association, Doug Chapin, received NMPF’s Farmer Communicator of the Year award.

Edwardsville, Illinois-based Prairie Farms also took one second-place finish and two third-place finishes in the competition, which recognizes the top communications efforts among NMPF’s member cooperatives.

The Best of Show: Writing award was given for Prairie Farms’ article, “R-Homestead Holsteins — 150 Years of Family Tradition.”

“This was a good feature showing the history of a small Illinois dairy with the father, Dave, having a long history of activism in Illinois boards and commissions,” the competition review wrote.

“The story also touches on challenges such as why an 80-head dairy hasn’t expanded like others. It also highlights Dave’s interest in genetics with his herd, as well. It’s a good, rounded, thorough story of a single family farm.”

Chapin was recognized for his leadership in communicating farmer and co-op perspectives on challenging issues that were of top priority to dairy farmers and the entire industry throughout 2024, including dairy’s response to the discovery of the H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cattle and efforts to modernize the Federal Milk Marketing Order system.

At a time when simply speaking out on H5N1 invited additional scrutiny, Chapin ably represented dairy farmers and the cooperatives they owned by addressing consumer and industry concerns during moments of great uncertainty early in the H5N1 outbreak.

“During the H5N1 crisis in Michigan, Doug was instrumental in advocating to legislators for a science-based regulatory approach, representing dairy interests to the media and maintaining critical industry relations within the agriculture community,” Michigan Milk Producers Association said in its nomination letter.

“His efforts ensured that the dairy community’s perspective was front and center, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the industry and the health and safety of workers and cattle.”

Chapin also “played a crucial role in the Federal Milk Marketing Order reform by testifying on behalf of NMPF and the Michigan Milk Producers Association,” MMPA continued.

“He advocated for the higher of Class 3 or 4 proposal for the Class I skim milk price mover, supporting his testimony with data and his farm’s experience during the pandemic. His participation ensured that his peers’ voices were heard in the reform process.”

Chapin is the chairman of the board for MMPA and a member of NMPF’s executive committee. He farms near Remus in west-central Michigan.

In an NMPF Farmer Focus article to be published later this month, he said that in the early days of H5N1, dealing with uncertainty about the virus and the necessity of a response by state and federal officials.

“Our objective was to make sure that the response made sense and was manageable by our dairy producers, to make sure that they could operate within the guidance that Michigan was putting out and work with the USDA,” he said.

“It’s important to remember that there is still a lot we don’t know about the virus, and early on, there was even less,” he continued. “So, we wanted to make sure we were using real facts and the best science we had to make sure we were making good decisions.”

The Best of Show award is selected from the first-place entries in the contest’s main areas: publication, writing, graphics and special projects.

In addition to Prairie Farms’ recognition in the writing category, Upstate Niagara Cooperative won publications for its annual report; Dairy Farmers of America won graphics for its photo, “Dairy Fountain at Sunset;” and Land O’Lakes won the special projects category with its video series, “Rural is Incredible.”

Winners were announced at a meeting of NMPF member cooperative communicators. All the winners will also be recognized Oct. 21-23 at NMPF’s annual meeting in Phoenix.