Kim (Ackerman) Koepke, 1996
Cornell University
I am currently a co-owner at Koepke Farms in Oconomowoc, Wis. I married John Koepke and spent five years in agricultural marketing and public relations prior to joining the family farm business; we have three sons. I spend my time meeting the needs of our family while also handling bookkeeping at Koepke Farms. In 2010, John and I created an artisan cheese business using the milk from the Koepke dairy herd. Our Gouda-style, semi-soft aged cheese is marketed under the LaBelle cheese brand label and is sold in stores within the Madison and Milwaukee metro areas.
From a technical standpoint, I gained knowledge and skills in the areas of interviewing, writing, editing, proofreading and photography. I also developed an understanding and appreciation of magazine graphic design and page layout. The internship enhanced my editorial skills that helped pave the way for my work in agricultural marketing communications. What I learned at Hoard's Dairyman is still with me today as I assist my family with communicating to a wide range of audiences about what is happening on our dairy farm and with our cheese. When you can present information that helps your audience with understanding and decision making, then you have achieved your communications goal.
