Brian and Carrie Preston of Quincy, Mich., were selected as the state winning 2014 Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators (OYDC). They represented MMPA’s District 1 and the Hillsdale-Litchfield Local at the annual OYDC Conference held August 14-15. The Prestons were selected to participate in the program earlier this year by fellow dairy farmers in their district.
Brian and Carrie farm with Brian’s father, uncles and cousin. They manage a herd of 700 cows and farm 920 acres. Brian has served as chair and vice-chair of MMPA District 1 and has been a MMPA delegate for five years. He’s a member of the Michigan Dairy Market Program Committee, a church deacon and is active in Farm Bureau. Carrie is FFA advisor for the Branch Area Career Center, serves as co-coordinator for Branch County Project RED and sits on the Michigan Draft Horse Breeders Association Scholarship Committee.
As the state winning cooperators, Brian and Carrie will represent MMPA at various industry and association activities. Ken and Kristen Sparks or Cassopolis, Mich., were selected as the runner-up cooperators. Selection of the OYDC is based on the applicant’s farming operations, farm-related and community activities and demonstrated leadership abilities.
The state OYDC Conference, held at MMPA headquarters in Novi, Mich., provides participants with information about milk marketing activities, cooperatives, milk testing procedures and other current events within the dairy industry. The program has been held annually the past 64 years.
“The OYDC program identifies outstanding young leaders in our organization and provides an opportunity for them to gain a greater understanding of milk marketing activities and MMPA,” says Ken Nobis, MMPA president.
All the MMPA District OYDCs will be officially recognized at MMPA’s 2015 Annual Meeting to be held next March in Lansing.
MMPA is a member-owned and operated cooperative serving approximately 2,000 dairy farmers throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana.
