SHIPSHEWANA, Ind. – A Purdue University professor of agricultural economics will discuss why the dairy industry should care about the perceptions consumers have about its products during the upcoming Indiana Quality Milk Conference.

The conference is March 12-13 at the Blue Gate Garden Inn & Conference Center in Shipshewana. The event is hosted by the Indiana Milk Quality Professionals (IMQP).

“We need to understand where people are coming from if we hope to have meaningful conversations with them,” Dr. Nicole Olynk Widmar told Farm World. “What sorts of products are people looking for? What are they concerned about when it comes to dairy products and/or any of the production systems that come together to bring us these products?”

Consumers are diverse in their tastes and preferences, noted Widmar, interim head of the department. Even for an individual, what he or she buys tends to change over time, she added.

“Households with kids, for example, tend to buy larger quantities of fluid milk whereas households without children may buy different dairy products, like half and half, to use in cooking or coffee, but then relatively less fluid milk for beverage consumption,” Widmar explained. “There are individuals who may buy one brand over another due to production processes that they believe in or want to support, such as grass fed or wanting to support a specific farm that they are familiar with.”

Often not discussed but very importantly, there are many households that will simply be trying to get the biggest nutritional “bang for their buck,” she pointed out.

“Especially in households with children, we need to remember that many people are doing the best they can with their food dollars to meet the needs of the family and they may not have the financial resources to buy what they would necessarily ‘want’ at any given point in time,” Widmar said. “These households cannot be forgotten as we look forward to developing products and packaging to meet the tastes and preferences of others. There are many different types of consumers out there and we need to appreciate that not everyone is shopping for the same thing or with the same resources available.”

Widmar’s presentation is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on the 12th. After her presentation, she will moderate a consumer panel. A representative with the American Dairy Association Indiana will react to the consumer statements after the panel.

“I hope to get into (with the panelists) some of the trade offs that we are making with various products and to ensure that we are appreciating that most household’s food purchases are complex and changing over time,” Widmar said.

Other topics on day one of the conference include the future of niche markets, interpreting culture results, biosecurity plan training and livestock grading at the Shipshewana Auction. A milk quality panel is scheduled for the morning. Reports from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Indiana State Board of Animal Health are planned for the day.

An on-farm processor panel is scheduled for the morning of the 13th, along with a presentation, TB: Human to Cattle.

The cost of the conference is $175. There is no fee for industry and regulatory retirees, but registration is requested. Registration before the conference would be appreciated by organizers, though the fee may be paid at the door.

On the 11th, IMQP will host an Amish dinner and tour of the Amish Country Dairy processing plant in Shipshewana. The cost is $30 per person.

For more information, including a complete agenda, visit www.imqp.org.