Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley discusses the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee report’s findings with committee leaders Erick Coolidge and Andy Novakovic. This online article contains more of the interview than what was printed in the May 2 issue of the magazine. Q. Tell me about the name of your farm. – Le-Ma-Re Farm. That’s a unique name. A. COOLIDGE: My father desired to attach a prefix to any animals that we would register. He thought he would like to include the first names of our family as the base for the prefix. Lynn, my father, and Erick, myself, make up the “Le” in Le-Ma-Re Farms. “Ma” stands for Mary, my mother, and “Re” is for Reba, my sister.

This issue contains an interesting interview with a dairy producer who is also actively involved in politics. He and others made a few headlines after passing new state legislation in May. Attention soon died away, but I think it will be back again.

Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley discusses with Utah dairyman and state legislator Bill Wright of Double Tree Dairy in Holden, Utah, the state’s new immigration enforcement and reform bills. The bill that Wright sponsored, which was recently signed into law, will petition the federal government to allow Utah to create a legalized state guest worker program for illegal immigrants who hold a current job, have health insurance, have not committed a felony and pay a one-time fine as well as current taxes.

As is tradition with our annual State of the Dairy Industry issue, the cover of this issue was drawn by an industry stakeholder. In this case, she is an important one and represents the primary audience of this magazine – dairy producers.

Flashback one year ago. The sting of 2009’s equity loss inflamed many in the industry who called for dairy reform. Ideas were plentiful, and support groups had formed around a few of them. When Foundation for the Future was first announced early in 2010, it didn’t have its current name, or even its own logo. We started calling it NMPF's plan.

Jerry Slominski (at right) is the senior vice president for legislative affairs and economy policy of the International Dairy Foods Association. Read his responses to Progressive Dairyman's questions about IDFA's research studies on supply management. Q. How would you introduce yourself and your work? SLOMINSKI: My job is to run our legislative policy and lobbying operation. I have seven people who work for me, a couple lobbyists who go to Capitol Hill and two economic specialists. Our primary priority is dairy policy.

A new report analyzing the proposed Dairy Market Stabilization Program is a thorough lesson in dairy economics. The purpose of the study, as sponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association, was to analyze the regional and farm-level impacts of the potential temporary supply management program if it had been in place from 2000 to 2009. It also highlights the unknown and unpredictable economic aspects of its implementation.