Why is it so important to continue building trust and sharing stories of sustainable dairy farm practices in Wisconsin dairy?

Lisa Ramatowski, vice president of sustainability and export marketing at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin says sustainability is not simply a global trend, it’s a lasting commitment that’s changing behaviors right here at home.

Roughly 43% of Midwestern consumers report a willingness to pay more for sustainably sourced food. This is good news for Wisconsin dairy farmers because they're using sustainable practices everyday! Sustainability is simply taking care of the land you love, the community you belong to and the animals you care about.

Research shows consumers' trust in the dairy industry and dairy farmers remains positive and stable. Many Wisconsin residents trust dairy farmers to provide nutritious, safe products, care about the environment and practice humane animal treatment.

Farmers telling their stories directly to consumers helps build connections and maintain consumer trust in dairy as we’ve seen from internal data where 90% of Wisconsinites trust dairy farmers to provide safe and nutritious dairy products.

It doesn't end there!  Additional research has confirmed a few more things about what today's consumers are thinking!  DFW conducted WI consumer research and this research confirmed 2 things. 1. Wisconsinites are proud of their Wisconsin dairy farmers and industry and trust WI dairy farmers 2. And they want to hear what WI dairy farmers are doing on farms, from their voices, on the sustainability practices they’ve implemented on their farms for generations.

For farm families that want to tell their story - Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is ready to help!  Simple examples of common sustainability practices could be:
* Reusing water to chill milk and water cows and crops
* Balancing cows’ diets with byproducts, such as cotton seeds and brewers’ grains
* Rotating crops, Planting cover crops, Reducing tillage
* Creating buffer strips
* Growing pollinator plots
* Selecting less water-intensive crops and reducing the use of fertilizers
* Developing nutrient management programs
* Providing stable employment with training and advancement opportunities in your local community.

Find resources and sustainability stories now at Wisconsin Dairy.