U.S. representatives discuss dairy at Chobani
NEW BERLIN – New York 22nd Congressional District Congressman Anthony Brindisi and United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited Chobani’s plant in New Berlin and discussed issues dairy farmers are currently facing in the United States.
The meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon, at the Chobani plant. Agriculture representatives that attended the panel included Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers, Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Ken Smith, Farm Credit East Vice President Tom Cosgrove, IDFA President Michael Dykes, Dairy Farmers of American Senior Director Jennifer Huson, and Chobani Senior Director of Government Affairs Mark Broadhurst.
“It is an honor to bring Secretary Perdue to Upstate New York,” said Brindisi. “We make the finest agriculture products in the world and we need to make sure these producers can bring those products to market. We had a great discussion today and I think both the Secretary and I have some good ideas on how to improve the situation for our producers.”
At the event, Brindisi urged Perdue to recognize the high nutritional value of Greek yogurt in the school lunch program and led a bipartisan effort to crack down on the false labeling of plant-based products.
Chobani representative Broadhurst also spoke about the dairy industry and the needs of dairy farmers at the event.
“Our communities are at the heart of everything we do,” said Broadhurst. “We’re proud to call Central New York home, and continuously do our part to shed light on the needs of dairy farmers and advocate for this important American industry. We applaud the Secretary and Congressman Brindisi’s focus on agricultural communities, and look forward to continued work with our partners in government to make meaningful progress towards supporting dairy in New York, and promoting it across the country.”
Chenango County officials, Smith and Vickers spoke at the event, highlighting concerns they have for the growing need for more agriculture business throughout the world, and getting whole milk into schools.
"According to the latest statistics, by 2050 it is projected that there will be 9.2 billion people on the planet, and recent estimates suggest that food production will have to increase by 70 percent if we are to feed everyone," said Vickers. "To feed the world in the next 50 years farmers will need to produce more food than was produced in the last 10,000 years combined."
Vickers said the majority of the dairy farms in the United States are family owned, and agriculture is the number one industry in Chenango County.
"We'd like to see whole milk in the schools, and stop pushing the negative image of whole milk fat," he said. "Whole milk has proven to be healthy, and we need to get it into our school systems."
Smith backed Vicker's concerns of whole milk's reputation, and asked Brindisi and Perdue to acknowledge that need for whole milk in schools.
"There's still this kind of legacy that milk fat is bad," he said. "We need to openly talk about milk fat and at least acknowledge that it isn't bad."
Perdue responded, "Can we at least acknowledge where we've come from?"
He said two years ago schools were only allowing skim milk in schools, and now one percent is allowed in schools.
"When we talk about educating people, this is not just a regulatory barrier; we have to lead people in the democratic society," said Perdue. "We buy these internet myths so much, that's why dietary guidelines are so important."
He said there is so much pseudoscience and political science behind nutrition, which is why need to have dietary science leading the way. He added that the agriculture department will continue to push towards whole milk in schools, but the concept is facing strong opposition from advocacy groups that are against milk being served in schools.
Pictured: United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and New York 22nd Congressional District Congressman Anthony Brindisi visited Chobani’s plant in New Berlin and discussed issues dairy farmers are currently fac- ing in the United States. Also pictured Chobani Senior Vice President of Operations Jason Blaisure. (Zachary Meseck photo)
The meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon, at the Chobani plant. Agriculture representatives that attended the panel included Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers, Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Ken Smith, Farm Credit East Vice President Tom Cosgrove, IDFA President Michael Dykes, Dairy Farmers of American Senior Director Jennifer Huson, and Chobani Senior Director of Government Affairs Mark Broadhurst.
“It is an honor to bring Secretary Perdue to Upstate New York,” said Brindisi. “We make the finest agriculture products in the world and we need to make sure these producers can bring those products to market. We had a great discussion today and I think both the Secretary and I have some good ideas on how to improve the situation for our producers.”
At the event, Brindisi urged Perdue to recognize the high nutritional value of Greek yogurt in the school lunch program and led a bipartisan effort to crack down on the false labeling of plant-based products.
Chobani representative Broadhurst also spoke about the dairy industry and the needs of dairy farmers at the event.
“Our communities are at the heart of everything we do,” said Broadhurst. “We’re proud to call Central New York home, and continuously do our part to shed light on the needs of dairy farmers and advocate for this important American industry. We applaud the Secretary and Congressman Brindisi’s focus on agricultural communities, and look forward to continued work with our partners in government to make meaningful progress towards supporting dairy in New York, and promoting it across the country.”
Chenango County officials, Smith and Vickers spoke at the event, highlighting concerns they have for the growing need for more agriculture business throughout the world, and getting whole milk into schools.
"According to the latest statistics, by 2050 it is projected that there will be 9.2 billion people on the planet, and recent estimates suggest that food production will have to increase by 70 percent if we are to feed everyone," said Vickers. "To feed the world in the next 50 years farmers will need to produce more food than was produced in the last 10,000 years combined."
Vickers said the majority of the dairy farms in the United States are family owned, and agriculture is the number one industry in Chenango County.
"We'd like to see whole milk in the schools, and stop pushing the negative image of whole milk fat," he said. "Whole milk has proven to be healthy, and we need to get it into our school systems."
Smith backed Vicker's concerns of whole milk's reputation, and asked Brindisi and Perdue to acknowledge that need for whole milk in schools.
"There's still this kind of legacy that milk fat is bad," he said. "We need to openly talk about milk fat and at least acknowledge that it isn't bad."
Perdue responded, "Can we at least acknowledge where we've come from?"
He said two years ago schools were only allowing skim milk in schools, and now one percent is allowed in schools.
"When we talk about educating people, this is not just a regulatory barrier; we have to lead people in the democratic society," said Perdue. "We buy these internet myths so much, that's why dietary guidelines are so important."
He said there is so much pseudoscience and political science behind nutrition, which is why need to have dietary science leading the way. He added that the agriculture department will continue to push towards whole milk in schools, but the concept is facing strong opposition from advocacy groups that are against milk being served in schools.
Pictured: United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and New York 22nd Congressional District Congressman Anthony Brindisi visited Chobani’s plant in New Berlin and discussed issues dairy farmers are currently fac- ing in the United States. Also pictured Chobani Senior Vice President of Operations Jason Blaisure. (Zachary Meseck photo)
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