Growing up as a sixth-generation dairy farm kid, I knew that we used a plate cooler to chill our milk before the hauler picked it up. It was a big change from when my great-grandparents owned the farm. What I didn’t recognize was that this technology was a sustainable practice that helped our farm be more energy efficient and save water. From my family’s perspective, sustainability is ingrained in how we care for our animals and the land. It’s what we do. We just didn’t talk about it as something different or special.

When I began working as an intern with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW), Wisconsin's dairy checkoff organization, I learned the importance of initiatives that connect consumers with Wisconsin’s dairy industry. Sharing stories about how dairy farmers care for the land, soil, and their cows is a powerful way to educate people who didn’t grow up with farming as a way of life. This outreach is increasingly necessary. Only 2% of the population actively farms, which means 98% of people are becoming further removed from their food source.

Building consumer trust

In my new role as a sustainability marketing specialist for DFW, I’m working with farmers to help them share their sustainability practices through stories from their farms. Farmers are our most trusted messengers. According to a poll conducted by American Farm Bureau, 88% of Americans trust farmers, which is a significantly higher percentage than other surveys that track trust in media, government, and other groups and institutions. DFW works to empower farmers by providing training and toolkits that give them the confidence to share their stories with ease. This helps consumers feel good about purchasing high-quality dairy products.

To help farmers prepare for June Dairy Month, DFW released “sustainability kits” that encourage dairy event attendees to “Be like a farmer.” These reusable materials include posters, whiteboard prompts, and a sticker showcasing dairy farming’s roots in sustainability. Each element underscores the efforts dairy farmers make to care for cows and the land, and how they save energy and water. Our call to action invites consumers to take similar steps toward sustainability in their own lives.

Highlighting personal stories

Because 95% of Wisconsin dairy farms are family owned, sustainability stories are personal. DFW produced a documentary series that showcases real Wisconsin farmers on the cutting edge of dairy sustainability. Spoiler alert: Like many, these farmers all share an appreciation for the ways their families have been promoting sustainable practices through the years. Our farmers are focused on continual improvement with the goal of leaving a legacy.

My great-great-great grandparents started farming in Green Lake County, Wis., way back in 1883. I don’t know what they would think of my modern dairy industry job, but I like to think they’d be proud. And I’m sure they’d be both surprised and proud of the continued sustainability efforts that help keep dairy farms strong for future generations.