Time seemed to be traveling at a weird speed through this past pandemic year. Yet, somehow, we are already in the last week of May. That means it is time to celebrate June Dairy Month.
The pandemic certainly changed how we connect with our consumers. And even as things begin to somewhat return to normal, I think we can carry those creative, socially distanced connections forward to reach even more people.
I truly believe nothing beats getting people on the farm in person. The reality, though, is that it is just not a possibility for a large number of people in our target audience. Connecting through virtual tours makes us accessible to basically anyone. Rural farm connectivity can be a challenge to this idea, but test runs can be done to see if it is a possibility.
The creativity we’ve seen throughout this time period should be commended, from drive-through events, spaced-out outdoor events, and reservations-only tours. When being forced to think outside the box, some of these options have worked well.
No matter what, we’ve had to adapt to connect with our consumers. June really is the month to share all the amazing stories about dairy. We are an industry worth celebrating — let the creative connections continue for June Dairy Month!
The author is a third-generation dairy farmer from Oregon where she farms in partnership with her husband and parents. As a mother of young sons who round out the family-run operation as micro managers, Darleen blogs about the three generations of her family working together at Guernsey Dairy Mama. Abiqua Acres Mann's Guernsey Dairy is currently home to 90 registered Guernseys and transitioned to a robotic milking system in 2017.
