This year, the Center for Dairy Excellence is celebrating our 20-year anniversary! From multiple grant programs that directly benefit Pennsylvania dairy producers at the farm level to the dairy education curriculum and programs offered through our Foundation, we are proud to serve the dairy industry by creating partnerships that support Pennsylvania dairy farm families and businesses.
Take a look at some of our key milestones from throughout this journey, and read stories from dairy producers who have worked with us over the last 20 years. Thanks for being part of our history!
Click on one of the colored circles to read stories about each milestone.
Hear From the Producers We’ve Worked With:
Amy Brickner: Harnessing Big Dreams to Propel Value-Added Business Forward
Marketing & Branding Grants: Like many dairy farmers, Amy Brickner of Stover Farms in Cumberland County, PA grew up feeding calves with her grandmother and left for college thinking she wouldn’t return to the farm. But after spending a few years away from the farm, she felt the farm calling her back home. She decided it was her destiny to create an on-farm store that helped consumers learn where their food comes from. That’s how Destiny Dairy Bar at Stover Farms was born. What started as an idea to add value to her family’s dairy operation and connect with her community turned into years of hard work and diligence to bring her vision to life. Amy utilized several grants from the Center, including the Marketing/Branding Consultant Grant, to work with consultants along the way. Originally published in Hoard’s.
Zach and Heidi Kreger: Improving Costs, Analyzing Their Numbers and Working With Consultants
DDC Grants: For Zach and Heidi Kreger of Kreger Farms, a 75-cow dairy in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, knowing their numbers and making their finances work is important to them since they both work full-time at the farm. By learning from outside consultants and taking advantage of programs like the Dairy Decisions Consultants (DDC) Grants through the Center, Zach says they are trying to streamline and enhance their farm’s accounting process. They also worked with consultants to make the decision to install a robotic feed pusher for their tie-stall barn, which is common in tie-stall barns in Canada but not the U.S. “Our consultants can sit down with us and tell us what’s working and what isn’t working. That’s the kind of accountability you need. We’re driven to do better because of it,” Zach shared.