From sunup to sundown, I get to live my passion of working with cows and dairy farmers as an education specialist with VAS.

What does it take to achieve more than 700% growth in one year? Start with a great idea, add social media, add teachers looking for new ways to engage their students, and mix in a pandemic to make things interesting.

If you need a pick-me-up or reminder of why you do what you do, give Gena Perry a call. She’ll be able to shed a light on agriculture’s big picture by providing perspective on a local and global scale infused with positive energy and boots-on-the ground experience to back up her intellect.

Megan Burley grew up on her family’s farm in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, where they grew about 160 acres of fresh market produce for Seigworth Farm Market. As a senior in high school, she was managing some of the buying and selling of the product, as well as helping to manage staff and employees. She was set on one day partnering with her family, but little did she know this was not the plan in store for her.

For almost 25 years, young leaders of the dairy industry have gathered once a year to exchange ideas, receive training and network with fellow professionals through the Holstein Foundation’s Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI).

When most people think of high-quality flavorful beef, meat derived from cull cows is not what first comes to mind. However, Jill Gould, owner of Butter Meat Co., a beef supply chain startup in western New York, is changing misconceptions and proving that the value of dairy cows doesn’t end even after retiring from the milking herd.

This is not our grandfathers’ or even our fathers’ dairy industry.