For Cameron Goodyear, dairy farming has been her source of comfort and how she has connected with family throughout her childhood. “I’ve been on farms since I was about 11 years old. I fell in love with cows, and they’re just my comfort. Farming was something I had an interest in. My stepdad showed me…
The Center Offers One-on-One Consulting Support at No Charge to Dairy Farm Families To help Pennsylvania dairy farm families with transition planning, business management consulting, and risk management planning, the Center for Dairy Excellence has several consultants available to work with Pennsylvania dairy farm families. Dr. Brian Reed and Dr. Charlie Gardner both serve as…
The Panel Discussions Will Feature Several Industry Experts With a Wide Range of Perspectives Brett Reinford from Reinford Farms, Curt Gooch from Land O’Lakes, Matt Royer from Penn State, and Mike Hosterman from Horizon Farm Credit will lead a dynamic panel discussion on climate-smart solutions and how they offer opportunities to enhance dairy farm profitability…
Ryan Parker did not grow up on a dairy farm, but he has loved his time spent working with dairy cattle over the last six years. In high school, he was enrolled in an agriculture education program which meant he needed to pursue an SAE (supervised agricultural experience). As a high school freshman, that’s when…
Mikayla DeReinzi has been fortunate to grow her dairy and agriculture story through her education and on-farm internship experiences. She did not grow up on a dairy farm nor did she have any agricultural background, but Penn State University helped expose her to the world of agriculture. Mikayla is currently majoring in animal science with…
Kerry Zeiset, a dairy producer from Lancaster County, had an active role on his family’s 72-cow dairy farm and a strong interest in continuing to farm with his family in the future. Like many dairy farm families, he just wasn’t sure how to take the next steps into ownership with his parents. When his mom…
A Total of 72 Grants Were Awarded to Classrooms Who Planned Field Trips to Dairy Farms A group of more than 70 elementary and middle school teachers from Pennsylvania and beyond provided their students with hands-on learning experiences at local dairy farms this spring. The teachers, who are enrolled in the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s Discover…
William Lesher Was Interviewed in the New Episode of “Cow-Side Conversations” In the Center for Dairy Excellence’s latest episode of the “Cow-Side Conversations” podcast, William Lesher of Way-Har Farms in Berks County, Pennsylvania describes his family’s dairy operation and retail store – which started out as a small jug store in 1970 and now sells…
The Center for Dairy Excellence hosted a special edition of its monthly “Protecting Your Profits” webinar on Wednesday, July 26. Dr. Hayley Springer of Penn State Extension shared how the dairy industry can begin to prepare for a potential outbreak of high-consequence animal diseases and the value this preparation can have in the face of…
PA College Students Were Awarded Student Leader Scholarships Twelve undergraduate students were recently recognized with Student Leader Scholarships, an award intended to encourage and empower the next generation of dairy producers. Supported by the Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association and Tröegs Independent Brewing for the 2023-24 academic year, each scholarship recipient…
