Like many other dairy producers, Dave and Stacy Jauquet and their family don’t shy away from educating the public. They’ve hosted their county’s annual breakfast on the farm, and hundreds of school children have touched a cow for the very first time while touring their 600-cow dairy.
But for three years now, the Jauquets have hosted a special event that takes those efforts to the next level: an elegant, invitation-only dinner designed to encourage conversations and questions with people who have little first-hand knowledge of modern food production and farm life, right on their dairy.
The Farm-Meets-Fork Gala, organized by volunteers with the Kewaunee County Dairy Promotion, brought more than 100 guests to the Jauquets’ Hillview Dairy in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, on Aug. 27. The white tablecloth affair welcomed key influencers, community members and neighbors from the tri-county area for a tour of the farm, followed by a fine dinner of locally produced foods and beverages. Non-farm guests were strategically seated at tables with dairy producers, encouraging them to engage in one-on-one dialogue to address questions and concerns around agriculture.
“The Farm-Meets-Fork Gala helps facilitate more in-depth, intimate conversations,” Kari Kuehl, event organizer, explained. She brought the concept back to her home area after attending a similar dinner in Maryland four years ago. Kuehl proposed the idea to the local dairy promotions group, who quickly affirmed its merit. The Jauquet family stepped forward with open arms to embrace the call to educate others about dairy production.
“We want to ‘influence the influencers,’” Dave Jauquet said. “We try to invite people we feel have an influence in the community, so when they interact with others, they can speak in a more educated fashion and say positive things about modern agriculture.”
This year’s guest list represented a range of industries, such as trucking, health care, grocery, education and finance. Some guests came from the nearby city of Green Bay, while others were neighbors to the farm.
“It’s good to teach everybody that farmers care for their animals and the environment,” he added. “The best way to do that is to get them on the farm and show them what we do every day.”
While Jauquet acknowledged that these messages are important to dairy producers everywhere, he recognized the specific concerns around agriculture production in northeast Wisconsin. “There’s been a fair bit of opposition about why farms in this area have grown and the impact they have,” he said. “Water quality is also a hot topic around here.”
To address these issues, Jauquet personally served as the tour guide. While riding on a wagon around the farm, he explained to visitors that as operations like his have grown, they still remain family farms. He went on to point out how they follow a nutrient management plan to protect ground water. Driving through the sand-bedded freestall barn, he touched on animal welfare and cow comfort. “It really opens their eyes to see what a cow’s environment is really like,” he noted.
Around each corner at the gala was an opportunity to enjoy dairy foods and connect with the people who produced them. Following the tours, guests were treated to a display of cheeses and meats, compliments of local processors, followed by a three-course meal. Prime rib, donated by the American Foods Group packing plant in Green Bay, was the main entrée. Each table was served by a youth volunteer connected with a local farm or agriculture program. Just prior to dessert, each guest received a cold glass of milk to raise in a heart-felt toast given by Stacy Jauquet.
A heaping helping of dairy education was part of the menu as well. Keynote speaker Dennis Frame, co-founder of the University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms, talked about the strides taken by dairy farmers around the state to measurably improve water quality, and emcee Kristy Pagel praised all three generations of the Jauquet family for their contributions to the dairy industry. She also asked all dairy producers present to stand, not only to honor their profession, but also to demonstrate how few people in today’s society produce food.
“It’s a very symbolic gesture for people to see that it really is just a small percentage of us that feed the world,” Dave Jauquet added.
The combined efforts of the Jauquet family and Kewaunee County Dairy Promotion did not go unnoticed; in fact, it left a lasting impression on gala attendees Ed and Mary Skoldberg. “The [gala] is simply wonderful, educationally enlightening by the farmers themselves,” they commented. “One experiences an infinite slice of family values, mixed with the love and care of the animals that transcends the final consumer product.”
It’s equally rewarding for Kuehl to see the bigger picture of the idea she initiated just a few years ago. “The gala is an important part of a whole movement, showcasing all kinds of modern agriculture.”
She has shared the concept with dairy producers and supporters around the state and founded a nonprofit group, Wisconsin Farm to Table, which is now hosting events similar to the gala in other regions.
As for the Jauquets, they plan to continue educating those who know little about dairy farming through future galas and tours. “We thoroughly enjoy having tours and people on the farm,” Dave Jauquet said. “This is another avenue for us to allow that to happen.” 
-
Peggy Coffeen
- Editor
- Progressive Dairyman
- Email Peggy Coffeen
PHOTO 1: Three generations of the Jauquet family raise their glasses of milk in a toast to the dairy industry during the Farm-Meets-Fork Gala hosted at their 600-cow dairy near Luxemburg, Wisconsin, last month. From left to right: Hub and Joanne Jauquet, Dave and Stacy Jauquet with daughter Stella (left) and son Blake (right). Photos by Tom Parizek.
