Nobody in Wisconsin's dairy community can deny - it is tough right now.  Milk prices are low, margins are tight, and there’s a lot of frustration out there. How does Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin view the year farmers just lived through?

That's where the conversation starts with Pam Jahnke and Ben Miller, Vice President of Industry Relations who's recently been named Chief Operating Officer at DFW. Bills don't wait, costs stay high, and the pressures never seem to end. That reality deserves to be acknowledged first, because no amount of talking around it changes what farmers are experiencing day to day.

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin does not and cannot control milk prices, that's very clear. What can be managed is how Wisconsin dairy shows up in the world. DFW is charged with working to protect demand, strengthen trust, and expand opportunity so that when markets improve — as they eventually do — Wisconsin dairy is positioned to compete and win. That doesn’t fix today’s milk check, but it helps build a foundation for recovery.

Miller talks more about what the previous investments made by Wisconsin dairy operators have done to get us this far, and what is underway now to propel Wisconsin dairy forward.

Everyone in Wisconsin's dairy community is paying attention to the current economic situation operators are facing regardless of size.  The message of Wisconsin dairy - it's heritage - it's people - it's products, are still resonating with those buyers and partners.