DFW Board Director Reflects On Vital Youth Programs

Stephanie Hughes highlights how DFW plays a crucial role in funding community initiatives, youth education, and sports partnerships across the state.

Hughes, the primary operator of her family’s 70-acre, 60-cow dairy farm, is a Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Board Director representing Portage, Waushara, and Wood counties.

“Being on the board and being able to know where our dollars go and where they’re getting invested is an amazing part of being a part of that board and helping, no matter what size dairy, promote our product,” Hughes notes.

DFW continues to foster a deep connection between the next generation and the state’s dairy industry by investing heavily in foundational youth programs:

FFA

DFW actively supports agriculture educators and FFA advisors by providing hands-on lessons and activities for classroom implementation. They champion student growth through two major state-level sponsorships:

• The State Dairy Cattle Evaluation Career Development Event (CDE): Competitive events where students participate to learn new, practical agricultural skills.
• The Dairy Cattle Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award: An honor that ensures the future leaders of the dairy industry are recognized on both the state and national stage.

Adopt a Cow

Bringing the farm to the classroom, this program enrolls 55,000 students each year in Wisconsin.

Four host farms from across the state provide two to three calves to the program, issuing monthly updates to classrooms regarding the calf’s weight, height, and daily care. These updates are paired with lessons from Discover Dairy that align with Common Core standards.

The program successfully bridges communities, reaching 58% urban classes and 42% rural classes.

While 85% of registrants are traditional classroom teachers, the program also extends its reach to homeschools (6%), preschools (4%), and nursing homes or other community programs (5%).

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA)

As a proud partner of high school athletics, DFW celebrates both nutrition and character:

• The Spirit of Sport Award: An award recognizing individuals who exemplify the core ideals of education-based athletics. Hughes personally had the honor of presenting this award to recipient Mike Thies this year.
• Milk remains celebrated as the official beverage of the WIAA.
• Through this athletic partnership, DFW successfully reaches every media market in Wisconsin and streams nationwide, delivering dairy stories and messaging to millions of consumers.