Dairy Month Kickoff slated for June 2nd

LUXEMBURG

Throughout the month of June, farms across Wisconsin will be inviting their local communities to visit and have breakfast with them.

The Kewaunee County Dairy Promotions Commmittee will officially kick-off the state's June Dairy Month with a breakfast buffet from 6:30 to 8 a.m. Thursday, June 2, at Rendezvous of Luxemburg, E896 County Highway N, Luxemburg.

The program will begin at 7 a.m. and feature Patrick Geoghegan of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), as the keynote speaker. Geoghegan is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications overseeing all communication functions for the non-profit organization funded by dairy farm families.

Geoghegan says farm breakfasts present a unique opportunity for those in the ag industry.

'With less than 2 percent of Americans involved in agriculture, farm breakfasts give us the chance to have a conversation with consumers about how their food is produced, how we care for our cows and the lengths we go to assure that we are good stewards of the land,' Geoghegan said. 'Farm breakfasts are also an opportunity to share our excitement for some of the advances that have been made over the years that have made agricultural more sustainable more efficient and have allowed us to remain the world's leader in keeping our food wholesome and affordable.'

WMMB's goal is to build the demand for Wisconsin milk and dairy products through the development of websites, national advertising, public relations, social media efforts and the activities of the Wisconsin Dairy Council, WMMB's nutrition education arm.

Geoghegan says he'd like non-farm citizens to understand that Wisconsin is blessed with more than a long history of farming (including our 175-year tradition of cheesemaking).

'Wisconsin also has been a leader in land stewardship, in innovations of all sorts from cheese making — where we produce more varieties, types and styles of cheese than any other state — to our high standards for producing high quality products,' he said.

Nearly every technological innovation is driven by the need to deliver consumer benefits.

'Whether it was an effort to allow farmers to operate more efficiently to keep food costs down or to simply reduce our carbon footprint, there is usually a strong benefit to the consumer,' Geoghegan said.

The ag industry is also an important economic driver in the dairy state, he said.

'Wisconsin is one of the richest agricultural regions in the world and supplies our citizens with thousands of jobs, which circulates thoughout our communities and benefits everyone whether they are directly involved in agriculture or not. In Wisconsin agriculture is everyone's business,' Geoghegan said.

The Kewaunee County Dairy Promotions Committee will also introduce the 2016 Kewaunee County Breakfast on the Farm hosts, Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, LLC. Their dairy farm is hosting the annual event on Father's Day, Sunday, June 19.

Tickets are $8.00 and available at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy LLC, Kewaunee County UW-Extension Office, or from a Dairy Promotion Committee Member. Tickets are also available at the door.