By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

NOVI, Mich. — Michigan Milk Producers Assoc. (MMPA) President Elwood Kirkpatrick retired March 20 after leading the cooperative for 26 years.

In honor of his longtime commitment to the state’s largest milk-marketing cooperative, the MMPA board will provide the seed money to establish the Elwood Kirkpatrick Dairy Science Research Fund at Michigan State University.

The endowment fund will be used to fund applied dairy research and education programs in the MSU Department of Animal Science.
During his presidency, Kirkpatrick served the cooperative and dairy industry at the state and national levels, and he strongly supported the involvement of young dairy farmers in their cooperative.

“From the grassroots level to leadership, it is the responsibility of all members to stay involved,” Kirkpatrick said. “We are each owners of the cooperative and we need to pay attention to management and cooperative finances.”

Kirkpatrick’s financial knowledge helped him earn the respect of his fellow board members early on. After serving only two years on the board, Kirkpatrick was elected president in 1981.

Most recently Kirkpatrick served on the board of directors of the National Milk Producers Federation, Dairy Manage-ment, Inc. and United Dairy Industry Assoc.

He is a former member of the U.S. Ag Policy Advisory Committee for World Trade and the former chairman of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. In Michigan, Kirkpatrick was chairman of the Michigan Dairy Industry Committee and a member of the United Dairy Industry of Michigan board.

He was a long-time member of the Michigan State Fair Board, formerly served on the Michigan Agriculture Commission and was a past director of the First of America Bank – Michigan.

He and his family milk 300 cows and farm 1,200 acres near Kinde. As a farmer, Kirkpatrick has been honored with the MSU Dairy Farmer of the Year and Distinguished Service to Agriculture awards.
New MMPA President Ken Nobis of St. Johns said establishing the endowment fund is “a fitting tribute to (Elwood’s) lasting impact on the industry.

“Elwood has made a tremendous impact on our industry,” Nobis said. “One of the most notable and far-reaching impacts has been the establishment of the $70 million Revitalization of Animal Agriculture Initiative. His work on this endeavor highlights his passion for equipping dairy farmers with the right research and education needed to make dairy farmers in this region competitive in the global market.”

Karen Plaut, chairwoman of the MSU Department of Animal Science, lauded Kirkpatrick for his years of support.

“We really appreciate that Elwood has always been a strong supporter of the MSU dairy program through his 28 years at MMPA and are grateful that MMPA has developed this research endowment,” Plaut said. “This type of support will help us answer applied research questions that dairy farmers think are most important and continue the legacy that Elwood started with his support of MSU.

“This is a great example of the wonderful partnership between the dairy industry and the department that we plan to continue to foster well into the future,” she said.

MMPA is a milk marketing cooperative owned and controlled by nearly 2,400 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.