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Task Force to Support Maine Commercial Dairy Farms (2024)
Resolve Language
LD 1274 Resolve, To Establish the Task Force to Support Maine Commercial Dairy Farms
Committee Members
The committee is comprised of the following members, who represent the breadth of experience required in the establishing resolve (L.D. 1274, Resolves 2024, ch. 146, Sec. 2).
| Board Member | Organization | Representing Section |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner Amanda Beal | Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry | Sec. 2 |
| Annie Watson | President of the Maine Dairy Industry Association (MDIA) | MDIA (Sec 2.1) |
| Julie-Marie Bickford | Executive Director of the Maine Milk Commission (MMC) | MMC (Sec 2.2) |
| Rebecca Wallick | HP Hood LLC | Milk Processor (Sec 2.3) |
| Leigh Chase | Hannaford Supermarkets | National Market Milk Retailer (Sec 2.4) |
| Steve Keene | Conant Acres Farm and Market | Tier 1 Farm (Sec 2.5) |
| Libby Bleakney | Highland Farms and Farm Market | Tier 2 Farm (Sec 2.5) |
| Heath Miller | Green Valle Farm | Tier 3 Farm (Sec 2.5) |
| John Stoughton | Misty Meadows Farm | Tier 4 Farm (Sec 2.5) |
| Ethan Robertson | Farm Credit East | Dairy Economist (Sec 2.6) |
| Steve Burger | Winter Hill Farm | At-large (Sec 2.7) |
| Randall Hall | Hall Farms | At-large (Sec 2.7) |
| Andy Smith | The Milkhouse Farm | At-large (Sec 2.7) |
| Bill Eldridge | At-large (Sec 2.7) |
Meeting Dates
Meeting Materials Archive
Resource Library
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| 2017 Consolidation Concentration and Competition in the Food System - James MacDonald (PDF) | Report on consolidation trends in the food system. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City |
| A Summative History of ME Dairy from 2000-2024 (PDF) | A brief, bulleted history of milk pricing and the Tier Program in ME 2000-2024. Compiled by Julie-Marie Bickford. |
| Basic Milk Pricing Concepts for Farmers (PDF) | Primer on how milk and dairy product prices are determined, mostly focused on federal scale, with some state call-outs. University of Wisconsin Extension. |
| Evaluating Maine Tier Program (PDF) | Academic study which uses simulations and modelling to investigate the effectiveness of the Tier Program in Maine. Journal: Sustainability (2018). |
| Maine Farmland Trust Dairy Sector Report 2020 (PDF) | Maine Farmland Trust's 2020 report on trends, challenges, and opportunities in the Dairy Sector in Maine. Includes pricing, cost of production, farmland, consolidation, and demographics. |
| Maine Milk 101 - June 2024 DTF (PDF) | Maine Milk Commission presentation on Dairy in Maine, including the role of MMC, state, regional and federal programs and regulation, and relevant dairy support programs including the Tier Program. April 2024 |
| Maine Milk Money Summary 2003-2023 (PDF) | Data on total and average cost of Tier, Pool, and Premium payments, 2003-2023. MMC |
| Maine Milk Production Vs Farm Numbers 1989-2023 (PDF) | Data on number of dairies and production by pound in Maine 1989-2023. MMC. |
| Maine Organic Milk Production v Farm Numbers 2000-2024 (PDF) | Data on number of organic dairies and production by pound in Maine 2000-2024. MMC |
| Tier Program levels history 2003-2024 (PDF) | Data on Tier Program target prices 2005-2024. MMC |
| Understanding Your Milk Check (PDF) | Resource for dairy farmers who are paid by the component pricing model. Describes how federal order pricing can be translated into actual payments. May be biased-- published by T.C. Jacoby & Co., a milk distributor. |
| USDA Dairy Farmer Retail Share 4-23 Edition (XLSX) | Estimates of the share of retail prices paid to dairy farmers by-product: whole milk, butter, cheddar, ice cream. Data source USDA-ERS w/ retail prices from DOL-BLS. |
| Consolidated Consumer Trend Slides (PDF) | Emerging preferences for dairy consumption in the U.S. (2024) |
| Maine Dairy Promotion Board – 2023 Year End (PDF) | 2023 U.S. and Maine milk, cheese and yogurt production, sales, and pricing |
| Maine Dairy Promotion Board – Q1 Snapshot 2024 (PDF) | First Quarter 2024 U.S. and Maine milk, cheese and yogurt production, sales, and pricing |
| Total US MULO – 2023 Year End (PDF) | 2023 snapshot of retail quarterly U.S milk, cheese, and yogurt sales |
| Total US MULO – Q1 Snapshot 2024 (PDF) | First quarter 2024 snapshot of retail quarterly U.S. milk, cheese, and yogurt sales |
| Cost of Production Report 2022 (PDF) | The goal of this study is to determine the cost of producing fluid milk for conventional dairy farmers in Maine. Maine Milk Commission, 2023. |
| Cost of Production Report 2019 (PDF) | The goal of this study is to determine the cost of producing fluid milk for conventional dairy farmers in Maine. Maine Milk Commission, 2021. |
| Design Build Proposal for Moo Milk (PDF) | MOO Milk new processing plant design created in 2013. |
| USDA Report: Structure, Costs, and Technology Used on U.S. Dairy Farms Summary (PDF) | USDA's Economic Research Service "Structure, Costs, and Technology Used on U.S. Dairy Farms" summary with 6 key points.. Full report available at USDA. |
| Draft Report Handling Fee Study Group Language (PDF) | Legislative Study/Review Expanding the Milk Handling Fee to Sales of All Dairy Products. December 2, 2010. |
| Resolve to Review Sales of Dairy Products - 124th Legislature LD1755 (PDF) | 2010. |
| Aroostook farm couple plan to fill void left by loss of Houlton dairy's milk (PDF) | Bangor Daily News article. September 28, 2024. |
| America’s dairy farms are disappearing, down 95% since the 1970s (PDF) | Dairy Business article. September 20, 2024. |
| Dairy Management Inc and National Milk Producers Federation. | |
| Northeast Dairy Workforce Impact Fund Designed to BolsterIndustry (PDF) | Lancaster Farming. October 2, 2024. |
| Dairy Farmers of America - Maine Factsheet (PDF) | 2023. |
| Dairy Farmers of America Feedback for Maine Dairy Task Force (PDF) | Oct.4, 2024 |