Dairy Initiatives

Dairy

Department of Animal Science

D A I R Y   I n i t i a t i v e s   N E W S L E T T E R
V o l u m e   9      I s s u e   2       S u m m e r   2 0 0 0

Your Best Foot Forward

What does your operation say about dairy farming -- and about you?

Folks just love being Rich and Nancy Micke's neighbors. Sure, there can be a bit of an odor issue when they spread manure from their 1,700-cow milking herd. And traffic gets a little backed up when they're moving machinery on the road. But the Mickes have made a point of taking pride in their operation, Gold Dust Dairy, and encouraging their neighbors to take pride in it too. Each year the eastern Wisconsin couple invites their neighbors -- last summer, more than 1,000 of them -- for a giant cookout and farm tour. After their taste of what dairy farming is all about, the visitors feel pretty good about the Mickes' operation, and about dairying in general.

"It's a real builder of common pride," says Gary Neubauer, dairy tech service veterinarian with Upjohn. Neubauer, who travels throughout the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, has seen it all, from shoddy, rundown farms to spotless, well-run operations that make everyone glad they're part of the community. He can't say enough about how important image is for both the individual producer and the dairy industry as a whole. If people can see that you are proud to be a dairy producer, they will respect and appreciate what you do. Neighbors will be glad you're around. Prospective employees will view you as a desirable employer. Your family members will be proud of their place in the community.

How can you help build your image? Neubauer offers these ideas:

• Clean up your act. Take a good look at your farm from the road. Does it look clean, tidy, and in good repair? Does it say, "I'm proud to be a dairy producer?" If not, spruce it up. "Those people who do that tend to be more successful and are more proactive in the dairy industry in promoting their products," Neubauer says.
  
  
• Invest in a sign. A bright, cheery sign with your farm's name on it reminds folks you are a real business, an important contributor to the local economy.
  
  
• Invite groups in for tours. Let community clubs and organizations know what dairy farming is like and what it does for your community and for America.
  
  
• Follow the golden rule. "You just generally have to be aware every day of your neighbors and do to them what you'd want them to do to you," says MaryKay Staudinger of Blue Royal Farms, another "high-pride" Wisconsin dairy. Consider wind direction and neighbors' social calendars when spreading manure. Try not to leave globs of stuff on the road. Wave. Apologize when necessary. Say "thank you."
  
  
• Join with others in your area in sponsoring a "day on the farm." The New Ulm Farm City Hub Club, a community group formed to promote agriculture in southern Minnesota, sponsors a free breakfast on a dairy farm each June -- complete with dairy-promoting broadcasts on the local radio station. Invite nonfarming folks for breakfast or a picnic, complete with plenty of dairy products.
  
  
• Take your message to schools. Visit a classroom and "show and tell" the kids what dairying does for them. Bring everybody an ice cream bar or a yogurt cup and explain how the treat connects with what you do.
  
  
• Connect your operation with a specific product. Neubauer cites the example of an Idaho producer who keeps product samples on hand to remind employees and visitors what the operation is really all about. Find out what brands of dairy products contain your milk, then display those products where others can see and take pride in them.
  

"The take-home message is to get involved. We need to promote our products," Neubauer says.

D A I R Y    I n i t i a t i v e s    N E W S L E T T E R
Volume 9    Issue 2    Summer 2000