Dairy checkoff makes important impact

Janet Clark

I didn’t always pay much attention to the role promotion plays in advancing our industry. My expertise as a dairy farmer is focused on caring for our animals and managing our business operations. Thinking about how the cheese made from our cows’ milk is marketed or what our promotion group was working on wasn’t at the top of my ever-growing to-do list.

But serving on the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin bo ar d has opened my eyes to the power of promotion to put our dairy products at the center of the table for families around the world. Seeing partnerships in action has helped me appreciate the full spectrum of checkoff-program initiatives. I recognize how the stories of farmers like me fit into the big picture – and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned about the value our dairy checkoff generates

Demand turns into dollars

Total dairy consumption has increased since 1983,when dairy farmers voted in favor of a milk-marketing order and created the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Now operating as Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, the marketing board was created to build awareness and demand for Wisconsin-dairy-farmer milk. Since then 15 cents of every 100 pounds of milk has been directed to state and national dairy-industry promotion. The professional efforts of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsinstaffarean often-unseen extension of the teamwork it takes to put our products on shelves. Wisconsin cheese can now be found in 99 percent of

“ grocery stores nationwide and in 140 countries

As a next-generation farmer who started after the checkoff program was already in place, I’ve taken for granted the impact it’s had on product innovation and building Wisconsin-cheese identity during the past 40 years. Consumer consumption of cheese doubled during that time and butter recently reached a 50-year record New-product development funded through checkoff dollars has spurred innovation and increased specialty sales. Keeping dairy perceptions positive has helped us weather economic challenges. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin messaging around sustainable solutions positions us for the future.

Messages reach valuable audiences

Sharing the story of Wisconsin milk happens through strategic initiatives to cultivate a wide variety of partners As a Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin board member, I’ve gained a front-row seat to programs designed to strengthen relationships with bulk buyers and individual consumers.

More than 4,650 Wisconsin dairy products now carry a “Proudly Wisconsin” badge, developed by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and considered an indicator of quality in the marketplace.Consumersareencouragedtolookforthatlabelthrough in-store demonstrations, digital ads, in-store sales materials, and earned and free media via public relations. Storytelling helps shoppers understand they’re supporting real farm families like mine. Retail-grocery-store programs such as “Cheese is Our Love Language” in February, “Wonders of Wisconsin” in May

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Walter

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