By Tina Hinchley, WMMB Board Member–District 24

Hinchley's Dairy Farm and Tours, Cambridge, WI

As a Wisconsin dairy farmer, I am passionate about the dairy industry and agriculture that surrounds my everyday life. I began hosting tours 18 years ago, primarily to school groups, and today I am glad to be able to share an authentic farm experience with more than 10,000 school children, families and international visitors every year.

While on the farm, guests will hand milk a cow, feed barnyard animals, and take an antique tractor-driven hayride to view the crops. During their visit, the farm work doesn't stop, allowing our visitors to observe what actually happens on the farm on a day-to-day basis. This includes tractors driving in and out, cows giving birth, and sometimes unpleasant things such as poop and smells.

Most concerns people express about agriculture seem to be founded on a lack of information about the processes involved, and I am glad to be able to shed some light on this for them. Many people who visit have never seen a cow before, and are only vaguely aware of how a cow is milked. Allowing people to see this with their own eyes, along with a simple explanation, removes most of the mystery surrounding modern agriculture.

Tours are often tailored to the individual groups. With younger school groups, we discuss where food comes from and how it gets to their plate. Adults often ask questions about antibiotics in the food supply, pesticide use and genetically modified organisms. We even have international farmers who are interested in American agricultural technology and we will talk about new crop strains, advances in herd health and breeding technology. Even though we have a wide variety of visitors every year, they all come to us for one thing - information. They all want to know how the farm works and where their food is coming from. Visitors understand that anyone can post something on the Internet, but when they come to our farm, they get to see how a dairy farm really works.

I encourage others in agriculture to share their passion for farming by hosting tours. Need help getting started? The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) developed the Wisconsin Dairy Farm Tour Booklet, a quick reference for helping give successful farm tours. Originally developed with school groups in mind, the booklet's information can be easily adapted to fit any touring audience. Available at: www.wmmb.com/Files/documents/farmtourkit.pdf, the booklet features: Why give a farm tour, Preparing for your farm tour, Talking points, Tricky questions and sticky situations, Neat ideas and Audiences. WMMB also sponsors farm tours for retail buyers and restaurant chefs, helping educate these influential people about the unique attributes of Wisconsin cheese, dairy farms and farmers.

Not interested in giving farm tours? Dairy farmers also can communicate their amazing stories through social media or have a breakfast at their farm. Return to Industry Buzz.

6.18.2015