Dear Editor,
During June Dairy month, it is a perfect time to have a conversation about how the general public is being misled about the food they consume.
As a Dairy Farmer, I am really glad to see that Senator Howard Marklein is working on Truth In Food Labeling legislation again. These bills are important to our dairy industry and consumers because they protect our products from fake competitors.
Real milk and real dairy products should not be confused with lab made, plant-based alternatives that use our names. Almond “milk” is not “milk”. Soy “provolone” is not “provolone”. These are not the same things.
I know that these Truth In Labeling bills are not the end-all for our industry, but they are important to us as farmers as well as the consumers who put them on their tables.
We work hard to raise strong, healthy animals to produce high-quality, nutritious food. The people who buy our products deserve the absolute best – real dairy, real ice cream, real cheese and real meat. They should not have to figure out whether the cheese slices they hold are real – or not.
Thanks, Senator Marklein, for standing up for real dairy farmers in Wisconsin and our consumers, during Dairy Month. We appreciate your effort.
—Jim Winn
Cottonwood Dairy
South Wayne, WI