Dairy Margin Coverage Enrollment to Begin
Dairy producers will be able to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage, an important safety net program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup begins Feb. 28 and ends April 29. For those who sign up for 2024 DMC coverage, payments may begin as soon as March 4 for any payments that triggered in January.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency has revised the regulations for DMC to allow eligible dairy operations to make a one-time adjustment to established production history. This adjustment will be accomplished by combining previously established supplemental production history with DMC production history for those dairy operations that participated in Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage during a prior coverage year. DMC has also been authorized through calendar year 2024. Congress passed a 2018 Farm Bill extension requiring these regulatory changes to the program.
“FSA is announcing the sign up for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage. We encourage producers to enroll in this important safety net program. In reviewing 2023 margins and the more than $1.2 billion in Dairy Margin Coverage payments issued to producers, Dairy Margin Coverage is proven to be a program to reduce risk for our dairy producers,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “If 2023 taught us anything, it’s that we honestly have no idea what will happen in the market in any given year. Producers who took advantage of this affordable risk management tool for the 2023 program year, were able to mitigate some financial impacts on their operations. At $0.15 per hundredweight for $9.50 coverage, risk protection through Dairy Margin Coverage is a relatively inexpensive investment in a true sense of security and peace of mind.”
DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. In 2023, Dairy Margin Coverage payments triggered in 11 months including two months, June and July, where the margin fell below the catastrophic level of $4 per hundredweight, a first for Dairy Margin Coverage or its predecessor Margin Protection Program.
2024 DMC Coverage and Premium Fees
FSA has revised DMC regulations to extend coverage for calendar year 2024, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, and to provide an adjustment to the production history for dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of production. In previous years, smaller dairy operations could establish a supplemental production history and receive Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage. For 2024, dairy producers can establish one adjusted base production history through DMC for each participating dairy operation to better reflect the operation’s current production.
For 2024 DMC enrollment, dairy operations that established supplemental production history through Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage for coverage years 2021 through 2023, will combine the supplemental production history with established production history for one adjusted base production history.
For dairy operations enrolled in 2023 DMC under a multi-year lock-in contract, lock-in eligibility will be extended until Dec. 31, 2024. In addition, dairy operations enrolled in multi-year lock-in contracts are eligible for the discounted DMC premium rate during the 2024 coverage year. To confirm 2024 DMC lock-in coverage or opt out in favor of an annual contract for 2024, dairy operations having lock-in contracts must enroll during the 2024 DMC enrollment period.
DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool.
DMC Payments
DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100 percent premium alfalfa hay.
More Information
USDA also offers other risk management tools for dairy producers, including the Dairy Revenue Protection plan that protects against a decline in milk revenue (yield and price) and the Livestock Gross Margin plan, which provides protection against the loss of the market value of milk minus the feed costs. Both DRP and LGM livestock insurance policies are offered through the Risk Management Agency. Producers should contact their local crop insurance agent for more information.
For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage or contact a local USDA Service Center.
American Cheese Society Adds Certified in Cheese Scholarship
New this year, the Certified in Cheese Scholarship was started by the industry to improve access to American Cheese Society certification exams. This fund gives a cheese professional with certification ambition a boost to reach their goals.
Crowdfunding for and by cheese professionals across the industry has paved the way for one certification seeker to elevate their career in the world of cheese.
The scholarship will cover costs for one person to attend the ACS conference, including conference registration fees, hotel and travel, as well as the exam fee for either the ACS CCP exam or T.A.S.T.E. Test.
Applicants must demonstrate a need for outside support in reaching their certification goals, including, but not limited to financial need, and have been accepted to take one of this year’s exams.
Applications are due on April 2.
Scholarships are open to open to cheesemakers, retailers, chefs, students and any other cheese professionals. ACS & ACEF encourages all members of the community to apply for scholarships! While we prioritize first-time attendees and first-time applicants, we thoroughly review every application that comes in and will award scholarships to as many people as we can.
Only one scholarship will be awarded per company, if multiple employees from a single company apply for a scholarship. Any applicants that do not receive a scholarship will receive a discount code for the lowest cost of an American Cheese Society Conference registration.
The Certified in Cheese Scholarship was started by the industry to improve access to the ACS certification exams. This fund gives a cheese professional with certification ambition a boost to reach their goals. Crowdfunding for and by cheese professionals across the industry has paved the way for one certification seeker to elevate their career in the world of cheese. The scholarship will cover costs for one person to attend the ACS conference, including conference registration fees, hotel, and travel, as well as the exam fee for either the ACS CCP exam or T.A.S.T.E. Test.
Applicants must demonstrate a need for outside support in reaching their certification goals, including, but not limited to financial need, and have been accepted to take one of this year’s exams.
The American Cheese Education Foundation is continuing The Peterson Company Scholarship for BIPOC Advancement.
This annual scholarship will fund an Individual membership with ACS for the year, attending that year’s ACS Conference, including registration fees, hotel, and travel, and the fee to take that year’s Certified Cheese Professional Exam.
Applicants must identify as a Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color and have been accepted to take that year’s ACS CCP exam.
The Forever Cheese Scholarship for Cheesemongers is open to those who wish to attend the annual American Cheese Society conference.
The scholarship is open to all those employed as a cheesemonger at the time of application and whose employer must not be providing financial support for them to attend the conference.
The Forever Cheese Scholarship for Cheesemongers will cover costs for one person to attend the ACS conference, including registration fees, hotel and travel. It will also cover the cost of the ACS CCP exam or T.A.S.T.E. Test, if applicable.
To apply, applicants should submit a short letter explaining how they are making an impact in the cheese community in the optional field on the ACS & ACEF Scholarship application.
The Comté Association Conference Fund is open to all applicants who have been accepted for the current year’s Certified Cheese Professional exam and seek to attend the American Cheese Society’s annual conference. Applicants must demonstrate financial need. The Fund covers travel expenses to the conference, registration, a one-year ACS Membership, and taking the CCP Exam.
For any questions, email info@cheesociety.org.
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Green Chef x Emily Mariko Recipe Series Launches
Green Chef, the #1 meal kit for clean eating, is launching a new recipe series with Emily Mariko, the acclaimed content creator celebrated for her innovative lifestyle and ASMR food content. The collaboration takes inspiration from Emily’s simplistic cooking style, which focuses on fresh ingredients and creative cooking techniques, to offer customers eight delicious and elevated recipes that make clean eating at home easy and approachable.
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Green Chef to bring my favorite seasonal ingredients, exciting flavor combinations, and simple cooking techniques to kitchens across the country,” said Mariko. “Together, we aim to make clean eating and inspiring flavor combinations accessible and convenient.”
Available the week of March 4 through the week of March 25, customers can choose from two exclusive Green Chef x Emily Mariko recipes per week. The recipes incorporate Emily’s love of farmers market hauls and spotlight a mix of organic farm-fresh ingredients, like cauliflower and apricots, as well as whole grains and premium proteins. Each recipe comes with step-by-step instructions and portioned ingredients that are delivered directly to customers’ doorsteps.
The full recipe series lineup includes:
- Maple Cauliflower Bowls with Seared Tofu
- Sockeye Salmon with Sweet Heat Pan Sauce
- One-Pot Herbed Chicken Soup
- Beef Tenderloin with Brown Butter Potatoes
- Chicken with Cardamom Spiced Greek Yogurt
- Ricotta Pancakes with Cherry Maple Syrup
- Chicken with Sriracha Apricot Pan Sauce
- Seared Beef Tenderloin with Ginger-Lime Aïoli
“Emily shares our dedication to using quality ingredients and our passion for cooking simple, yet satisfying dishes. It was exciting to work with Emily to integrate her favorite flavor profiles and cooking style into our menu,” said Luke Esbenson, senior culinary development manager of Green Chef. “These recipes are crafted with seasonal, fresh ingredients in mind, making them excellent options for our Green Chef customers.”
As the first CCOF-certified organic meal kit company, Green Chef features nutritionist-approved recipes catering to various dietary preferences, including Keto, Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, and the newly introduced Gut & Brain Health. Offering 80+ weekly menu and market options, Green Chef makes it easy for customers to prepare and enjoy delicious chef-crafted recipes with clean, organic ingredients that nourish your whole body.
For more information on the Green Chef x Emily Mariko recipe series or to start your order, visit https://www.greenchef.com/pages/emily-mariko-new.
Founded in 2014, Green Chef is powering the pursuit of eating well by making it easy to cook colorful, flavorful meals in approximately 30 minutes or fewer. Green Chef’s menus cater to various dietary preferences, including keto, protein-packed, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, Mediterranean, and more. Each delivery contains all the essentials to create three to four nourishing dinners for two to six people: high-quality, measured ingredients — including pre-made complex sauces and spice mixes — and chef-crafted recipes. For more information, visit www.greenchef.com or follow Green Chef on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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