This week has kept me busy starting off with an orientation at MMPA headquarters in Novi, MI. While there I was able to meet a lot of the employees and learn about their different, unique roles in MMPA. I also was able to tour the lab and learn about how hundreds of milk samples from around the state (and some from Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin) come in daily and are analyzed for different bacteria and cell counts as a measure of quality control.
I have also gone to my first Be Aware Be Prepared meeting. At these meetings representatives from Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan Farm Bureau, MSU extension specialists, and representatives from the industry discuss emergency plans for foreign animal disease control such as Foot and Mouth Disease.
After traveling with field representatives this week, I have learned about the services MMPA offers including routine inspections, well sampling, and equipment analysis. Before I know it terms such as herringbone or rotary parlors, pulsators, vacuum lines, receivers, and bulk tanks will be a regular part of my vocabulary! I'm just beginning to realize how many services MMPA offers to their members and the importance of each of them.
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