Telling Your Story

Communications training helps dairy producers learn how to effectively communicate with consumers and the media about on-farm practices and modern dairy farming.

Through your checkoff investment, Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) has developed a training program for producers called Telling Your Story. It is composed of five modules:

1. Connect with Your Community — how to create a public relations plan for your dairy
2. Capture the Crowd — how to prepare and deliver a presentation
3. Control the Questions — how to succeed during a media interview
4. myDairy — how to use social media to tell your story
5. myStory — how to tell a compelling story to consumers

Why tell your story?

• As a dairy producer, you have a powerful story to share. You are one of the most credible sources to speak about on-farm practices on behalf of the dairy industry. You have regular opportunities to share your story — whether it’s an over-the-fence conversation with your neighbor, speaking at a town hall meeting or talking with consumers via social media.
• Research shows that communicating with the public about today’s modern dairy farms helps create a positive image of producers and the industry, which helps protect demand for and sales of U.S.-produced dairy products and ingredients.
• Today, fewer Americans have a connection to food and milk production. With less than 2 percent of the population feeding the United States and millions throughout the world, telling your story can help your neighbors and community better understand the dairy industry and its important impact on America.

For additional resources to tell your story, visit www.dairyfarmingtoday.org and www.dairyresponse.com.

While all dairy producers can benefit from reaching out to their communities by developing a public relations plan for their dairy, not all dairy producers will have the opportunity to give a presentation or media interview. Your local dairy checkoff staff can help you identify the right training opportunity for you.