One of core values at Mission 4 Milk is to promote awareness and understanding of the dairy industry – which is why we’re always looking to get out into the community, to speak with as many people in the industry as possible and to engage the public about dairy farming – and all the benefits it brings.

And that’s exactly why we’ve been out and about over the last month, visiting dairy farms in Cheshire, talking at industry events and recruiting people for our mission.

Open Farm Sunday

One of our first ports of call was Open Farm Sunday, on the 9^th of June.

It’s an annual initiative run by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) that aims to promote local farms, farming as a discipline, and the rural sector as whole. As you can imagine, it’s an initiative very close to our hearts.

We spent this Open Farm Sunday visiting the Danny Newton’s Dairy Farm and the Richard Shepherd’s Dairy Farm, both in Cheshire.

It was brilliant to see all the work they’re doing first hand, and to experience their farms as a first-time visitor might. And there were plenty of those. Lots of families coming to meet the herd, see the milking process, and learn more about dairy farming.

In the future, we’d like to see more Open Farm days, particularly for the dairy industry. Mission 4 Milk will be looking to support LEAF’s work in this area. It’s vital for dairy farmers to be proud of the work they’re doing, and to show off their wonderful farms – and their amazing herds – to those who may not know much about the dairy process.

This is the perfect way to challenge misconceptions first-hand, demonstrate how we take our animal’s welfare extremely seriously, and educate the public on the benefits of cow’s milk.

Total Dairy

Towards the back half of the month, the Mission 4 Milk team spent two days at Total Dairy in Stratford-upon-Avon, right in the heart of England. It’s a large, collective industry event focused on all things dairy (as you might have guessed). The event brings together leading experts to discuss the latest research and ideas, presentations on new technologies, product demonstrations and networking with the who’s who of the dairy industry.

The theme for 2019 was “2020 Dairying – Challenges and Opportunities”, and we had plenty to share on that front. The way dairy is branded and promoted is a big challenge for the future – but it also presents plenty of opportunities.

It’s exactly why we established the Mission 4 Milk initiative.

We spent the two days sharing our thoughts, gathering research from farmers, dairy experts and consumers, and getting as many people as we could speak to, to come and join our cause.

It was fascinating to hear all about new developments and new opportunities for dairy farmers and the wider sector, and equally frustrating to hear how many people had concerns about how milk is being marketed, just like us.

It’s given us plenty of food for thought, new ideas to develop and an exciting few months ahead for Mission 4 Milk.