As dairy farmers, we have a unique way of life and a distinct responsibility to share the stories of our farm and industry with our communities.

Our family owns and operates Henar Acres Dairy in Clark County, Wisconsin – the very heart of America’s Dairyland. With over 640 dairy farms, Clark County boasts the most in the state. But even here, it is important to communicate with our neighbors and community members about how we care for animals, land and natural resources.

We are the second and third generations to operate this farm, and both our families have been farming in Wisconsin since the late 1800s. Paul’s parents purchased the land for Henar Acres Dairy in 1977, and Paul and Sara became sole owners in 2008. Matthew, 22, is a recent graduate of University of Wisconsin – River Falls with degrees in dairy science and agriculture business; and Jacob, 10, also helps on the farm and is starting dairy judging.

Over the years, we have grown the herd from 45 to 90 registered Holsteins and Jersey cows, and have upgraded heifer facilities, calf hutches and group housing, and more. We have also looked for ways to innovate on the 300 acres we farm, including no-till, grass buffers and cover crops, as well as using byproducts such as distillers grain, brewers grain and more in our feed rations to lower the carbon footprint of our dairy and the industry.

It is our goal to never stop learning. Whether we’re gathering information on managing our business or our herd, or learning how to communicate with the media and the public, we are always looking to improve and be more efficient. A focus on learning also allows us to be ahead of possible curves coming at us through regulations and consumer opinion. We care deeply about our land and the quality and safety of the milk and meat we produce, and we are best equipped to advocate for ourselves.

Programs like Cornerstone Academy presented by Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) and media training in conjunction with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin give us the tools to answer questions and take leadership roles in our communities and industry.

We put these skills to work each year by hosting farm tours with fourth graders from a nearby school district and taking calves to an annual summer school program. We teach them about the dairy industry, how we care for calves, cows and land, and what we are doing to be more sustainable on our operation. Tours provide an opportunity to show students what it takes to make the wholesome milk and dairy products they enjoy. Even in our rural area, about three-fourths of the students we interact with don’t have a farming background.

As part of the Clark County Dairy Promotion Board, we have the opportunity to partner with FFA chapters who help host seven June Dairy Month breakfasts on farms across the county. We also host youth events at the county farm, support Ag in the Classroom and a variety of other promotional activities throughout the year. Staying up-to-date on the latest research, management practices and technologies allows us to share our industry’s commitment to innovation and new ideas.

We are fortunate to have many opportunities for young people to start building these skills at a young age through programs such as 4-H, livestock judging, FFA and more. Being involved as rabbit and dairy judges at county fairs gives us an additional way to make connections on and off the farm.

In a judging competition, young people must not only evaluate animals but also explain their reasoning for ranking the class as they did, building both confidence and public speaking skills. These skills are valuable not only as dairy farmers, but in any other career path in which it’s important to be able to make decisions and back them up with facts and rationale.

For our family, rabbit judging has also led to building friendships and connections outside of the dairy business. In fact, it has grown from a hobby to a way to diversify our farm income; in 2019, we added a rabbit feed business to our operation.

Communications and leadership skills are valuable outside of our dairy industry, especially in the volunteer and civic roles many dairy farmers play in their communities. Paul serves as a supervisor for our township board, and Sara is clerk of elections.

In our busy schedule with farm and other commitments, taking time for professional development can be a challenge, so we appreciate that technology has given us ways to stay on top of the latest research and news in the dairy industry. The Dairy Signal webcast brings to us leading dairy and crop researchers, economists and many more experts three days a week for interactive conversations with farmers and allied industry. We can watch episodes live or catch the recorded videos or audio recordings on our own schedules.

For those of us in the dairy industry, the commitment to learning is truly a lifelong journey. Ideally, one can start young and continue with formal and informal opportunities to grow and learn throughout their lives – that’s an unbeatable approach to making our farms and industry more productive and sustainable.

Paul Fischer is the co-owner of Henar Acres Dairy. He currently serves on the Clark County Dairy Promotion Board and Town of Hoard Town Board. Paul previously served on County Farm Bureau Board as president.

Sara Fischer is the co-owner of Henar Acres Dairy. She currently sits on the Clark County Dairy Promotion board of directors, is elections clerk for Town of Hoard and has previously served as the Ag in the Classroom chair of their county’s farm bureau.

Matthew Fischer helps manage Henar Acres Dairy with his family. He also serves as an educational leadership consultant for the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. Matthew is currently president of the Clark County Dairy Promotion Board and active in Wisconsin Young Farmers and Agriculturists.

This column is contributed by Professional Dairy Producers (PDP), the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind. PDP focuses on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.