Holding all the cards

(click on images to enlarge)

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateN&navID=IndustryMarketingandPromotion&leftNav=IndustryMarketingandPromotion&page=DairyProducerCheckoffPrograms&description=Dairy+Producer+Checkoff+Programs

The Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 (Dairy Act) authorized a national producer program for dairy product promotion, research, and nutrition education to increase human consumption of milk and dairy products and reduce milk surpluses. This self-help program is funded by a mandatory 15-cent-per-hundredweight assessment on all milk produced in the contiguous 48 States and marketed commercially by dairy farmers. It is administered by the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (Dairy Board).

Probably for many the association of the checkoff money with manure is not a very big stretch, however, it is a bit of a stretch from the mandate.