CAMBRIDGE, Wis. -- Dairy farmers have seen a drop in milk prices and a resulting drop in profits in recent years.

Some worry that the average consumer does not understand the challenges of dairy farming.

That's where Saturday's annual Dane County Breakfast on the Farm comes in.

This year's event was held at Hinchley's Farm in Cambridge, which has been Duane and Tina Hinchley's home for more than thirty years.

"I grew up here on this farm. I was born here," said Duane Hinchley. "It's always been a dairy farm."

But Hinchley has not been immune to the rough economy and its impact on dairy prices across the state.

"We had this big escalation of prices here in spring and then all of a sudden a collapse," said Duane.

This year, more than most, the annual Dane County Breakfast on the Farm is giving consumers a sobering glimpse of what farmers are going through.

"We’ve had good crowds coming in throughout the morning," said Duane.

And many in the crowd were hungry not just for cheesy scrambled eggs and sausage, but for an education as well.

"We get so many great products from our farms that I think it's good that kids come out and see where those products come from," said visitor Adam Gould from Edgerton. "It's a nice way to meet other people and get a good breakfast. The kids love seeing the animals on the farm."

The Hinchleys are used to welcoming people to their home, as they've hosted farm tours for 11 years.

"By having tours, it lets people know first hand what's going on with the animals," said Tina Hinchley.

The Hinchleys said that the tours result in visitors gaining a better understanding of the hard work and sacrifices farm families make.

"They don't understand the struggles that we have in that our paycheck varies," said Tina. "There is a definite better understanding from the moment that they walk in to the time that they leave, they have gained something."

Those that took the tour on Saturday seemed to concur with Tina's assessment.

"You really see the effort and work that goes into dairy operation," said Gould.

Despite the current challenges, the Hinchleys believe that the tough times for dairy farmers should improve.

"Farmers are always optimistic," said Duane. "We're eternally optimistic and we just keep plugging away."