NMPF’s Farmer Focus on Mibelloon Dairy

For Joel Eigenbrood, dairy farming wasn’t a part of his original life plan. Balance sheets and budgets shaped his path into becoming a dairy advocate, using his voice to enact change in an industry he believes in.

“One of the coolest things about dairy is there are multiple ways to enter the industry,” said Eigenbrood. “Any career field that you want to join, there’s a spot for it in dairy.”

Mibelloon Dairy was founded in 2002 by Leon Van Loon and Marleen Anthonissen, Belgian dairy farmers who immigrated to the United States with their children Gert, Tinne, Wouter and Sanne and built their operation in Saint Louis, MI. Today, Mibelloon is one of several businesses owned and operated by the Van Loon family that include Wheeler Dairy, Van Loon Farms, Redstone Dairy, Leoma Dairy and Marloo Equipment.

The farms milk approximately 9,000 cows across the four operations and raise over 10,000 acres of alfalfa, corn, soybeans and triticale, supporting a diversified family business rooted in dairy, crop production and equipment management.

A certified public accountant by trade, Eigenbrood has spent more than two decades in dairy farm accounting and advisory services. In 2005, Mibelloon became a key client for him during his time at Genske Mulder & Company. LLP. He began overseeing the farm’s financials, slowly learning from Leon and Gert what it takes to manage a dairy operation.

In 2016, Leon passed away after an eight-month battle with cancer. When he became ill, Leon convinced Eigenbrood, having grown with the family as a trusted partner and friend, to make the move from California to Michigan to become the family’s full-time on-farm business manager, before ultimately being named, full-time chief financial officer in 2021.

When Eigenbrood first stepped into the new role at the dairy, he expected to spend the majority of his time behind a desk working on financial statements and taxes. Instead, he quickly learned that the work of a dairy CFO often stretches far beyond the office. He often spends days involved in buying and selling cattle, flipping through cow catalogs, or helping plan and manage new projects, a stark contrast to his usual bookkeeping. “Each day looks different, and that’s the fun of it,” he said.

His accounting background equipped him with the skillset to problem-solve and identify potential risks before they arise. In 2020, Foremost Farm Inc. cooperative staff encouraged him to run for the Foremost’s board of directors, a chance to use his perspective to address challenges affecting his fellow dairymen.

He served as the cooperative’s First Vice Chair in 2021 before being elected as Chairman in 2024. Since then, Eigenbrood has served in multiple leadership roles, including with United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM); he joined NMPF’s Board of Directors in 2024. Across these roles, he has focused on one key priority: ensuring farmers have a strong voice in the decisions that shape their businesses.

“Serving on these boards gives me a bird’s eye view of how the larger industry functions,” he said.

That perspective proved critical when Michigan faced a significant milk oversupply challenge late in the 2010s. Michigan’s milk production had grown about twice the national average from 2000-2018 without corresponding growth in processing capacity.

At one point, roughly a third of the state’s milk production was being shipped out for processing to markets like Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dumping milk was also not uncommon during this time, Eigenbrood said. This led to significant pressure on Michigan producers’ pay prices and some of the lowest pay prices in the country.

Through collaboration with fellow UDIM board members, Eigenbrood helped support a strategic partnership with Florida Dairy Farmers to better align supply with growing demand in Florida — a solution designed to create long-term market stability. “It’s a great experience,” said Eigenbrood. “I have a greater appreciation for how board members can enact and support change.”

Eigenbrood uses that same approach in his role on the NMPF Board. He describes his joining as, “a small fish in a big pond.” He enjoys talking to farmers across the country, learning new perspectives and aligning on shared interests.

Farmers are accustomed to making quick, independent decisions every day. But in the regulatory arena, Eigenbrood said, progress requires patience, persistence and a willingness to stay engaged.

“One of the things I love about farming is you can grow and change at your own pace,” he explained. “In the regulatory space, that’s seldom ever the case.”

Through his role with NMPF, he is working to ensure that concerns ranging from changes to environmental programs to agricultural labor challenges are heard, engaging with USDA and industry partners to advocate for practical, workable solutions. While the legislative process can be frustrating, Eigenbrood said he knows the value of showing up every day and using your voice.

“Be patient,” he said. “Continue to show up for what you believe in and results will follow.”

Original Story At: https://www.nmpf.org/focus/mibelloon-dairy/