DFC BREAKING DOWN MISCONCEPTIONS BY HIGHLIGHTING DEDICATION AND INNOVATION OF CANADIAN DAIRY FARMERS

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) launched the latest evolution of its powerful Dairy Farming Forward campaign, which breaks down myths and misconceptions around dairy farming by highlighting the industry’s commitments to innovation, sustainability and animal care in producing high-quality Canadian milk.

 

Created with agency of record DDB Canada as part of DFC’s 2020 marketing strategy, Dairy Farming Forward targets a broad range of Canadians with a focus on millennials and generation-Z consumers. It leverages the same creative approach as the original version of the campaign which aired in July 2019, using snapshots of real dairy farmers to showcase the hard work, dedication and entrepreneurial spirit their work demands.

 

In so doing, the campaign illustrates the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and socially-responsible practices in producing quality Canadian milk.

 

“Like its predecessor, the latest edition of Dairy Farming Forward emphasizes the forward-thinking values and practices embodied by farmers in producing high-quality Canadian milk,” said Pamela Nalewajek, vice-president, marketing, DFC. “It breaks down misconceptions by showcasing farmers’ commitments around the key pillars of innovation, sustainability and animal care, and reminds consumers that these are the same core values reflected in high-quality milk and dairy products marked with our Blue Cow logo.”

 

Long before they became part of the collective consciousness, environmental protection and animal welfare were fundamental to Canadian dairy farmers’ values, something DFC wanted to highlight on this campaign. These commitments are backed by proAction®, the industry’s robust quality assurance program, which provides the proof points to that effect.

 

Dairy Farming Forward includes campaign placements across Canada on TV and in cinema, on digital platforms, Spotify ads, outdoor signage, and in-store signage. Campaign ads will run from January 27 to March 8, 2020, with signage in-store continuing through March 23, 2020. Media buying for the campaign was conducted by Initiative.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.