Dairy farmers Dale and Lynnae Dick will represent the Michigan Milk Producers Association at various industry and association activities throughout the year. It’s part of their privilege after recently being named MMPA’s 2025 Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators.
Dale farms alongside his brother, Mark, and father, Gordon, on their sixth-generation farm, Dick Haven Dairy LLC, located in McBain, Mich.
The farm milks 300 Jersey and Holstein cows and operates 1,200 acres. Established in 1890, the farm has long been a cornerstone of the community, with the family sharing their dedication to caring for their animals and the land, according to MMPA.
“On our farm, we focus on transparency, education and responsible management,” Dale says. “We emphasize that we are a family farm, and like the families we serve, we consume the products we produce. This connection motivates us to maintain high standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship.”
Alongside Dale and Lynnae, Mason and Whitney Smith of Homer will serve as the 2025 runner-up cooperators. At Smith Farms, they milk 200 cows and operate 1,000 acres.
Finalist Carson Evans, a second-generation farmer from Litchfield, milks 220 cows and operates 1,200 acres with his family.
Selection of the Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators is done by a committee representing leaders in the Great Lakes dairy industry. Applicants' farming operations, farm-related and community activities, and demonstrated leadership abilities are considered during the process.
“The OYDC program is a fundamental tool in encouraging young dairy cooperators to network and learn more about their cooperative to help identify future leaders and recognize their efforts,” says Doug Chapin, MMPA board chairman.
Chapin and his wife, Cheri, were the MMPA OYDC runners-up in 1990.
Since 1950, MMPA has been identifying future leaders through the OYDC program, which strives to strengthen leadership abilities in young farmers, broaden young farmers’ knowledge of milk marketing and MMPA, and recognize the abilities and stewardship of young dairy farmers.
Source: MMPA