What Every Wisconsin Dairy Producer Should Know
by Leon Pfaff, WMMB District #14 Director

I have served as a director of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board for nearly three years and have found it to be a challenging, educational and rewarding experience. Rewarding in the fact that our policies and plans directly impact Wisconsin dairying. It's also an education, because I've learned just how much goes into the development and promotion of our products–both locally and nationally. I never realized the full scope of WMMB until I became a director. It truly is quite amazing. There are many things that our investment dollars are funding that I am very proud of and wish that every Wisconsin producer knew more about. For example:

The Center for Dairy Research
Wisconsin dairy producer investment dollars fund more than 40 percent of research and programs at the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CDR works to develop, support and coordinate research programs for the dairy industry. These programs include new uses for milk components and by-products, dairy product and processing development, and enhancing the nutritional quality and safety of dairy products.

Regional Marketing Managers
As dairy producers we can be proud that Wisconsin remains the only state with five regional marketing managers who represent and promote Wisconsin dairy products. They enhance Wisconsin's distinguished presence in grocery store dairy cases throughout the country and build relationships with key retailers to increase sales of Wisconsin cheese.

County Dairy Leader Groups
As I got more involved in dairy promotion, I also realized that WMMB equips each of the 61 dairy promotion groups with various tools, along with $3,500 annually in monetary support, toward grassroots dairy promotion efforts. This helps local groups conduct promotions and educational events in their local communities.

These are just a few areas that I found particularly interesting as I became more involved in dairy promotion. As a director representing Wisconsin dairy producers in La Crosse, Trempealeau and Jackson counties, I am proud of what is being done with our investment dollars. Many dairy producers in the state don't realize how investment dollars are being spent to increase the demand for Wisconsin dairy products.

During my short time on the board, there have been several changes. With the hiring of CEO James Robson two years ago, we have been able to integrate programs and become more efficient. As a Board and organization we are looking at things in a big picture perspective and seeing what it's going to take to keep Wisconsin as a leader in the dairy marketplace. Through the Dairy Impact Campaign, WMMB is building awareness of the dairy industry's economic importance to all state residents. We are also looking at cheese marketing in the different way. With a new Wisconsin cheese logo and branding campaign, we hope that Wisconsin cheese becomes the brand of choice for consumers across the country.

They say that you learn something new every day, and that is exactly what I have done as a WMMB director. I only wish that more Wisconsin dairy producers had time to learn more about WMMB and its role in the Wisconsin dairy business. If you have any questions or would like to learn more contact your local director or visit www.wisdairy.com.

Leon Pfaff is a dairy producer from Holmen, Wisconsin. As a sole proprietorship, Leon and his wife, Ruth, farm 276 acres and milk 50 Holsteins. Leon is the WMMB director for district 14, which covers Trempealeau, Jackson and La Crosse Counties. He has served on the board since 2000 and is currently on the Communications and Local Promotions Committee.