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The MWFPA News Bulletin is underwritten in part by Bug Blocker Doors & Screens
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It's Almost Here - MWFPA's Cleaning & Sanitation Seminar
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Register now for MWFPA's
Cleaning and Sanitation in Food Plants Seminar, April 26, 2017, 8:00am-4:30pm at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
 In the past, the MWFPA Cleaning & Sanitation Seminar has attracted over 100 sanitation professionals from the food industry and has provided an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and challenges in food plant sanitation.
This year we've added two new opportunities to participate in the program. First, we are incorporating the exhibits into our program by setting aside 30 minutes for demonstrations. We will list the demonstrations and simply tell atten
dees to go to the demonstrations of their choice over that time slot. All exhibitors will be listed in the hand out material.
There are three exclusive sponsorship opportunities for this event (breakfast, lunch, break). Each sponsor's logo will be displayed and a company representative will be given the opportunity to address all attendees at a designated time. The cost of a sponsorship is as follows:
* Breakfast $500
* Lunch $500
* Breaks $500
Don't miss out on this opportunity to raise your profile as a market leader. Become a demonstration facilitator or a sponsor now!!
EXHIBITORS:
Engage in face-to-face conversations with attendees by reserving table top space located in the general meeting room or in close proximity to the registration desk.
Don't wait. Register Today!!
Register as an attendee by clicking
here!
Register as an exhibitor by clicking
here!
MWFPA has reserved a block of rooms at the Kalahari. Please ask for the MWFPA Group Rate when reserving your room. Phone: 608-254-5466.
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Applications For Friday/Weckel Scholarships Still Being Accepted - Application Deadline April 28
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 Undergraduate students attending, or planning to attend, UW Madison, Platteville or River Falls are eligible for Friday/Weckel scholarships.
Applications are due by April 28, 2017. Last year six scholarships were awarded totaling $9,000.
Information and applications can be downloaded from the MWFPA
website, or by contacting Brian Elliott at:
brian.elliott@mwfpa.org, or by calling 608-255-9946.
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Register Now For MWFPA's Spring Summit & Scramble
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Register Today for MWFPA's
Spring Summit & Scramble!
This is a Members-Only event.
On Wednesday evening, May 31st, a reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. in the Double Cut Grill at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center.
The shotgun style golf tournament will be played at Trapper's Turn June 1st, starting at 8:00 am followed by lunch, awards and cash prizes. Register now! This event fills up fast!
 Last year over 200 golfers participated and over $3,000 in cash prizes were awarded.
The Spring Summit & Scramble offers many opportunities to promote your company by sponsoring:
- A golf hole
- Wednesday evening reception
- Cash prizes
- Lunch
- Donating items for drawings and goodie bags*
 All sponsors will be recognized with signage at the event, on our website, our social networking pages, and in our bi-monthly e-bulletin. The sooner you sponsor the longer your logo is displayed.
This year's golf outing will again afford participants the opportunity to help raise money for MWFPA Scholarships. In 2017 MWFPA will award 16 $1,000 scholarships to the children of MWFPA member company employees.
LODGING:
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Kalahari,
(608) 254-5466. When you call
be sure to indicate that you are with MWFPA.
*If your company plans to bring a door prize, please contact
brian.deschane@mwfpa.org, or phone 608-255-9946 in advance of the event so your contribution can be included on the appropriate signage. A MINIMUM of 225 ITEMS MOST BE DONATED.
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"Be Bold" Report Underscores Importance Of WI Food Industry, Recommends Actions To Strengthen Sector
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Competitive Wisconsin, a non-partisan coalition that engages business, education, agriculture and labor in strategic collaborations dedicated to strengthening and growing the Wisconsin economy, has released a report underscoring the importance of food manufacturing in Wisconsin.
The BE BOLD III: Accelerate Wisconsin focuses on workforce and regulatory issues, but also touches on infrastructure concerns and the need to enhance public understanding of the critical role food manufacturing plays in WI's economy and quality of life.
The Accelerate Wisconsin report takes note of WI's food manufacturing industry (e.g., 64,000+ jobs, $8 billion+ in revenues, first in the nation in production of dairy products); explores what is and is not working for the sector in Wisconsin and elsewhere; and identifies the public and private sector actions that would enhance the ability of Wisconsin food manufacturing to create jobs and grow wealth in Wisconsin.
Accelerate Wisconsin was an initiative tasked with reviewing two business clusters - food manufacturing and health care - that were already performing well in Wisconsin and identifying best practices and innovation models in comparable areas that could enable them to perform even more strongly. The food manufacturing portion of the report is the first section to be released.
Read the report here.
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In Memoriam - Russell Schmidt
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MWFPA was saddened to learn of the passing of Lakeside Foods, Inc. Board of Director member Russell Schmidt who passed away on Sunday, April 9, 2017. He was 71.
Russ was a member of the MWFPA Board of Directors for six years and served as its chairman in 2007.
He was born on March 31, 1946 in Hutchinson, MN and graduated from Glencoe High School in Glencoe, MN with the class of 1964. He obtained degrees in mathematics and business from Mankato State College in Mankato, MN.
In 1970, Russ began working in finance for Green Giant in Beaver Dam. Then in 1980, he and his family moved to Manitowoc where he worked for Lakeside Foods, Inc. until his retirement in 2008. Russ remained on the company's Board of Directors until his death.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 21, 2017 at St. Francis of Assisi on Waldo - 1121 North 14th, Manitowoc. Online condolences may be sent to the family at
www.harriganparksidefuneralhome.com.
MWFPA extends its deepest sympathy to Schmidt family.
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April 24 Vote On Perdue Nomination For Ag Sec
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Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), has scheduled a vote on April 24 on President Donald Trump's nomination of former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to be U.S. agriculture secretary.
The scheduled vote comes after the Senate Agriculture Committee held a confirmation hearing on his
nomination on March 23 and held a
vote to move the nomination out of committee on March 30.
A coalition of 16 agricultural organizations, led by the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), sent a
letter to Senate leaders urging them to bring up Perdue's vote as quickly as possible.
Despite the push from the agriculture industry to confirm Perdue the first week of April,
but the debate and vote on the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch as the new Supreme Court Justice dominated the full Senate's time and attention. The Senate will vote after its two-week recess on April 24. The Department of Agriculture has been without a confirmed Secretary for over two months.
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Conference Comm Action Up Next For MN State Budget
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Both chambers of the MN Legislature have spent the last several weeks finalizing and debating their budget and tax bills.
When they reconvene on April 18, 2017 they will shift activity into conference committees. This next stage brings the House and Senate together to work out the differences between their budget bills in conference committees, and work with the Gov. Dayton's on acceptable compromises. The legislative session has an adjournment date of May 22 this year.
As for the the budget bills affecting the areas of agriculture and pollution control/natural resources, none contain fee increases to canning inspections as previously proposed, though a fee increase of $75 on import certificates requested from the MN Ag Department is in both the House and Senate agriculture budget bills.
Stand-alone legislation revisiting "chemicals of concern" including BPA that may be present in food containers has been introduced, but did not receive a hearing (and missed deadlines) and the authors did not attempt to insert the provision in the omnibus budget bills.
And language proposing to regulate "treated seeds" or attempting to restrict pesticides seen as harmful to pollinators is still being pushed by the Gov. and Ag Department.
MWFP will continue to monitor developments and report back to its membership.
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IL House Committee Passes Minimum Wage Increase
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 The IL House Labor and Commerce Committee voted 17 to 6 to recommend HB 198, which would increase the state's hourly minimum wage from its current level of $8.25 to $15 by 2022. The first increase, to $9 an hour, would go into effect Jan. 1. Read more from the Chicago Tribune.
MWFPA
opposes mandatory hikes in the minimum wage.
The House and Senate are taking a two-week recess and will reconvene during the week of April 24, 2017. This will leave one week for each chamber to move bills over to the opposite chamber ahead of the April 28, 2017 "third reading" deadline.
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WI State Senate Passed Hi-Cap Well Bill
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The WI State Senate has approved a bill that would modify high-capacity well regulation in the state. The final vote was 19-13 to approve the bill.
The measure would allow well repairs, replacement, reconstruction and ownership transfers without having to go through the permitting process again. It also calls for a study of watersheds in Wisconsin's Central Sands region.
The legislation now moves on to the State Assembly where the bill has already received a public hearing.
MWFPA supports the bill.
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MWFPA Offers Exclusive Property & Casualty Insurance Program For Members
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 The Midwest Food Products Association is pleased to announce that
its members now have access to an exclusive insurance program that is written specifically for our industry. With assistance from the risk management firm Hays Companies, this program offers a customized Property and Casualty insurance program.
The program offers a complete insurance program for all business types, from processor to manufacturers, logistics to wholesaler and anything in between. No market segment is excluded, and no organization is too large or too small.
Learn more about what the MWFPA Insurance Program can do for you by visiting the program's website:
https://mwfpa.haysprograms.com/.
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MWFPA Events You Won't Want To Miss
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April 26, 2017: MWFPA Sanitation Seminar, Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells,WI.
May 31 - June 1, 2017:
MWFPA Spring Summit & Scramble.Trappers Turn Golf Course, Wisconsin Dells, WI
October 5, 2017:
MWFPA Sporting Clay Challenge. Milford Hills Hunt Club,
Johnson Creek, WI.
November 28 - 30, 2017:
MWFPA 113th Annual Convention and 90th Processing Crops Conference. Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN.
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Other Educational Opportunities
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April 24-27, 2017: Better Process Control School, Madison, WI.
The cost of the training includes the updated (2016) course manual from FDA. Links to online registration, a course schedule, and other information can be found here:
www.foodsafety.wisc.edu Questions? Contact the conference registration services at 608-262-2451 or Dr. Barbara Ingham (University of Wisconsin) 608-263-7383.
May 30, 31 and June 1, 2017:
FMSA: From Legalese to Implementation - A Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Training
One of the key parts of FSMA is the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation (referred to as the Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation).
This course, developed by Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, is the standardized curriculum recognized by FDA: successfully completing this course is one way to meet the requirements for a "preventive controls qualified individual" and receive a PCQI Certificate. Even those who do not currently need to have this designation will benefit from this course as it will cover one of the main components of FSMA and how it is being practically implemented.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
612-626-6626
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