Randy Mooney, chairman of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA) Board of Directors, has been honored by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon with the Governor’s Award for Agricultural Achievement, which honors outstanding farmers, growers and processors in a variety of agriculture commodities.

During a visit to Mooney’s M&M Dairy in Rogersville, Mo., this week, Gov. Nixon toured the dairy and presented Randy Mooney with a certificate recognizing his hard work and accomplishments.

Mooney, his wife, Jan, and partner Kent Miller milk 300 dairy cows at M&M Dairy, which utilizes an innovative grass-based dairy system. This pasture management system was adopted in 1992 and is designed to maximize forage use by intensively managing plant growth and grazing time.

In addition to his role with DFA, Mooney is chairman of the National Milk Producers Federation and serves on boards of several dairy organizations including the Missouri State Milk Board.

He was presented with the 2009 Dairy Leadership Award by the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors. The award was established in 1971 to honor those who have rendered outstanding service and provided leadership for the Missouri dairy industry over a period of time.

Mooney was born and raised on a Missouri dairy farm, which has been owned by the Mooney family since 1850. It was recognized as a Missouri Century Farm in 2010 by University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Farm Bureau.