I spent a few days at the Central Plains Dairy Expo on April 1 and 2, and I was able to listen to Trent Loos’ two-part presentation titled, “We Are The Champions.” Loos’ presentation was sponsored by the folks at Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, and the house was packed as Trent Loos dived into the challenges facing farmers, especially for dairy producers. Here is a little segment from Trent’s speech. Hopefully it will add a little inspiration to your day, as well!

Over the years, we have gone from 24 million dairy cows, to 9 million dairy cows. Our efficiencies are producing three times more milk now than ever before. We are producing so much milk that there is now an “oversupply” of milk. There is no surplus of milk! 82% of girls in this country are calcium deficient; they need your products! We just aren’t positioning our marketing strategies to the right crowd. How much does a pound of chicken wings cost during Super Bowl season? $3.99/lb! Lean beef is only $1.19/lb. We are paying over double the amount for bones, fat and little meat in a chicken wing over pure protein in lean beef. Why? The poultry guys do an excellent job of marketing their products, so that everyone loves chicken wings. So, how do dairy producers do the same with their marketing campaigns?

I have got to give credit to dairy producers these days. It can’t be easy getting up every morning to milk cows for $9.00 milk. On average, you and your colleagues are losing $5.00 per day, and yet, you are the most optimistic and progressive people I have ever met. It’s time we take the next step forward and work to connect with our consumers in a language they will understand. We have got to show them where their milk comes from!