DFA Fly-in conversations quickly turn into action

What happened next shows how quickly those conversations can turn into action.

There, they met with Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and invited him to visit their farm. “I told him, ‘Sir, you’re not going to get a true grasp on this until you get boots on the ground,’” Jeff says. Before they were even back at their hotel, Barrasso accepted. Two days later, he was on the farm.

“No one advocates more effectively for dairy priorities than DFA farmer-owners,” Mary Knigge, DFA’s Vice President of Government Relations, says. “What starts as a conversation in Washington can come to life on a farm just days later. That kind of follow-up speaks to the credibility our farmer-owners bring.”

On Friday, Sen. Barrasso visited the Burnett’s dairy to see firsthand what they discussed in D.C.: the day-to-day realities of running a family farm, the need for stable, year-round labor, and the role dairy plays in local communities.

“It was such an honor to host the senator,” Kim says. “We took him to our 110-stall rotary parlor and shared how much we need the provisions in the upcoming ag labor bill. He spent nearly an hour and a half on the farm, asking questions, meeting our family and two of our farm managers, and seeing where our team spends most of their time each day.”

“We stood in the center of the rotary, and he watched how the robots worked and how employees attach the milking units,” Jeff said. “I really think it made an impact, especially when it comes to the need for stable, year-round labor.”

The visit wasn’t all business. Kim called a neighbor who runs Josie’s Creamery down the road and treated the senator and his staff to several local favorite flavors of ice cream. “We thought she’d bring a few pints,” says Kim. “She brought a whole cooler.”

Moments like this happen because farmer-owners are willing to show up, speak up, and open the door to what agriculture really looks like today. That’s what turns conversations into understanding, and understanding into better decisions for dairy’s future.