In 2023, Midwest Dairy partnered with Janice Person, founder, and CEO of Grounded Communications, to offer a new training to dairy farmers called Breaking Through the Noise in Person or Online. This two-hour training focuses on storytelling, something checkoff tells farmers is important. Checkoff aimed to go a step further by providing farmers with an easy process to further enhance their storytelling abilities.
Midwest Dairy’s first farmer workshop of 2023 kicked off with participants traveling from Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois to Galena, Illinois. Over two dozen farmers joined to learn more about how Midwest Dairy works to build sales and trust in dairy while also eager to sharpen their storytelling skills.
Day one featured Midwest Dairy staff sharing insights about how Midwest Dairy is building trust with Gen Z through different partnerships, followed by learning how sales increased through in-store and digital dairy promotions with food service partners. A farmer panel showcased creative solutions to local dairy promotion and emphasized the Undeniably Dairy grant program and leadership opportunities for farmers. The evening activities provided ample time for networking and socializing.
On the second day, farmers participated in the Breaking Through the Noise session. During the session, participants shared where they show up as the dairy expert, identified on-farm distractions, discussed challenges we all face in sharing our story, and, most importantly, the rewarding reasons why we share our story with consumers. The second half of the session focused on the formula to create captivating stories in-person and online.
Initial survey results indicated that after the event, farmers improved their understanding of how Midwest Dairy works to build sales and trust, identify leadership opportunities, and learn what resources are available. On average, the Breaking Through the Noise session provided helpful content and exceeded attendees’ expectations. One participant shared, “I love telling our story, so hearing how I can polish my storytelling to make it more effective was helpful.”
Fifteen farmers from across Missouri and Kansas also utilized this new training as they came together to Kansas City for fellowship, community service, and to sharpen their storytelling skills. On day one, the group enjoyed a warehouse tour and volunteered at Harvesters Food Pantry, dividing and packaging food boxes for distribution. The attendees also tried their hand at axe throwing as they teamed up for a little friendly competition and team building to round out day one.
Day two focused on crafting messages through another Breaking Through the Noise workshop, again led by Person. This group focused on building skills and the confidence to create memorable connections through storytelling, even when surrounded by noise and chaos. As one dairy farmer said, “It’s taking storytelling to the next level when learning how to customize it to your audience.” The excursion ended with farmers learning from Midwest Dairy staff members about building trust with partners and deep-diving into the newest checkoff partnerships in progress.
So far, the Breaking Through the Noise training has proved positive for attendees, and Midwest Dairy hopes to continue to allow more farmers to participate in the new year. Contact your Midwest Dairy Farmer Relations Manager to learn more about this training and how you can participate.