DARLINGTON – It was not a decision that was easy to make, nor was it one that anyone wanted but the Lafayette County Dairy Promotion has canceled the 2020 Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast, scheduled for June 13 at Highway Dairy Farms.

“We were holding off making a decision because we were hoping that things would start to open back up at end of April and the Breakfast could have been a great community building event,” said Jay Stauffacher, owner and operator of Highway Dairy. “We thought about postponing it until later in the year but it is really a June Dairy Month event and we want to stay with tradition.”

This year would have been 40 years since Stauffacher’s hosted the first Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast on a farm. It had been held in a church basement prior to 1980 but that year was the first time it was on an actual farm. At that event, there were 600 people that attended.

Highway Dairy has been feeling the hurt just like most of the dairy and agriculture industry. They have been operating as normal as possible, following all the prescribed safety protocols and regulatory programs.

“It’s no secret that milk prices plummeted,” Stauffacher said, “so we have also been dealing with the economic consequences and mapping out a way to manage our farm through this crisis.”

Through a network of fellow dairy farmers and working with their milk processor Grande Cheese, they have been finding guidance and support together, as no one is going through this alone.

Stauffacher encourages everyone to keep buying dairy products and support all local business as much as possible.

“If you know any farmers, don’t be afraid to reach out to them to let them know how much you appreciate them and offer words of encouragement.”

Highway Dairy Farms will host the 2021 Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast on June 12, 2021 and hope to see everyone there for that wonderful celebration.