Western United Dairymen has called on the leaders of several national milk organizations to join with it in a dialogue on the federal mandate requiring ethanol to be blended into gasoline. In a letter sent to the leaders of Land O’ Lakes, Dairy Farmers of America, California Dairies, Inc. and the National Milk Producers Federation, CEO Michael Marsh said the ethanol mandate is “the biggest economic driver contributing to the negative margins for dairy families.” Marsh wrote, “Dairy cooperatives and producers owe it to the families that invest in feeding the cows to work together to repeal the U.S. mandate.” WUD is supporting a Congressional effort calling on the EPA to grant a waiver of the ethanol fuel mandate due to the massive drought in the Corn Belt. Marsh called on the dairy leaders to join with WUD in advancing this effort among all livestock operators in the country. “A comprehensive public relations effort should be undertaken that will rally consumers, politicians and environmentalists to our cause,” wrote Marsh. Aug. 3, 2012 WUD Friday Update