The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) Named Cooperative Communicator of the Year
November 20, 2025 | 3 min to read
NOVI, Mich. — The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) was recognized as the Cooperative Communicator of the Year at the National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) annual meeting yesterday in Arlington, Texas. The honor is part of NMPF’s annual cooperative communications contest, celebrating outstanding work in dairy communication across the country.
MMPA received five first-place awards, five second-place awards and five third-place awards in the contest, competing among 11 cooperatives and 102 total entries. The cooperative’s entry titled “The Low Down on FMMOs,” a story originally published in the January/February 2025 issue of the Milk Messenger, earned Best of Show: Writing, a top honor selected from all first-place winners across the contest’s four main categories: publication, writing, graphics and special projects.
“These awards reaffirm our cooperative’s mission to inform, engage and advocate for our member-owners,” said Joe Diglio, MMPA President and CEO. “Our communications team plays a critical role in strengthening the connections that unite our membership and sharing the story of MMPA’s impact across the broader dairy industry.”
Through its Milk Messenger magazine, digital platforms and member engagement initiatives, MMPA’s communications team continues to deliver meaningful content that informs and unites members across its four-state membership region.
This year’s recognition follows MMPA Board Chairman Doug Chapin’s honor as the 2024 NMPF Farmer Communicator of the Year, marking back-to-back national communications accolades for the cooperative. Together, these awards underscore MMPA’s ongoing commitment to strong, authentic communication.
“This recognition is a testament to the strength of MMPA’s communications,” said Doug Chapin, MMPA Board Chairman and 2024 NMPF Farmer Communicator of the Year. “Winning multiple awards, including Best of Show, reflects our commitment to keeping members informed and engaged.”
Read the award-winning article and other recent stories at mimilk.com/news/messenger, or subscribe to the Milk Messenger to receive each issue at home. For a full list of NMPF contest results, visit the official announcement.
About Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA)
The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is a member-owned and operated milk marketing cooperative known for producing high-quality, award-winning dairy products. Established in 1916, MMPA is the 9th largest U.S. dairy farmer-owned cooperative serving members in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. At MMPA, commitment to milk quality begins on the farm and extends through all four of their SQF version 9.0 certified processing facilities: a cheese plant in Indiana, a dairy product plant in Ohio and two dairy ingredient plants in Michigan.