Marketing order to be webinar's focus

   Proposed changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order will be the focus of an Oct. 16 webinar with the dairy team from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

   The webinar will run from noon to 1 p.m. and will cover what some are calling the most important changes in two decades, potentially affecting milk prices and dairy farm profitability for years.

   Dairy farmers and their cooperatives will vote on whether to accept the proposed changes once they are finalized in November.

Presenters include two experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Charles Nicholson, associate professor; and Leonard Polzin, dairy markets and policy outreach specialist.

   Nicholson’s work focuses on analyzing dairy markets, policy and supply chains and is supported by the University of Wisconsin Dairy Innovation Hub.

   Nicholson teaches undergraduate courses on food systems and supply chains. He also maintains an affiliation with the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University and contributes to research on the economics and environmental impacts of controlled-environment agriculture (greenhouses, vertical farms).

   Polzin grew up on a century-old Wisconsin dairy farm. He has held positions in both the public and private sectors and takes pleasure in applying research to industry scenarios. An experienced educator and analyst, he has developed and delivered programs covering a wide range of topics, including market analysis, outlook, market expectations, risk management and policy analysis.

   Producers, dairy consultants and industry representatives are encouraged to attend the free webinar from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 16, and should register at least one hour prior.

   For more information, contact the ISU Extension and Outreach dairy specialist in your area. In northeast Iowa that is Jennifer Bentley, 563-382-2949 or jbentley@iastate.edu; in east central Iowa, it is Larry Tranel, 563-583-6496 or tranel@iastate.edu.