See how dairy producers from Pennsylvania and Maryland have utilized the Marketing/Branding Consulting Services grants!
Living the Dream: Dairy Farmers Open Up About Their Journey to Building Their Value-Added Business and Dairy Store
Brooks and Katie Long are both lifelong dairy farmers with big dreams for processing and selling their own dairy products. Owners of Deliteful Dairy at Long Delite Farm in Williamsport, Maryland, the Long family just celebrated five years in business last month. With over 10,000 followers on social media and their milk now in Martin’s grocery stores, the Longs’ connection with their community runs deep. However, the road to open Deliteful Dairy was a three-year process that was full of challenges and learning curves, yet rewarding moments that made it all worth it.
Dairy Farmer Shares How She Broke Into the Dairy Industry and Now Manages On-Farm Creamery
Ariel Herrod may be a full-time dairy farmer and the owner of Clear Spring Creamery at the age of 31, but her path to breaking into the dairy industry wasn’t a traditional one. Herrod grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore with no family roots in dairy farming. What she did have was an independent spirit, coupled with a passion for agriculture and the environment, that took root from an early age. Herrod officially purchased Clear Spring Creamery in June of 2022. She purchased the livestock and equipment and signed a five-year lease with the option to purchase the land in five years.
Cumberland County Dairy Farmer Harnesses Big Dreams to Propel Value-Added Business Forward
“I’m continuing to work on where I want to be five years from now.” Like many dairy farmers, Amy Brickner of Stover Farms in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania 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.
Dauphin County Dairy Farmers Take Three-Prong Approach to Sustainability: Profitability, Environmental Stewardship & Community
For Kendra Nissley and her husband, Jeff, of Jubilee Dairy, LLC in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the word “sustainability” takes on a lot of meaning. With every business decision they make, they intentionally think about the next generation to ensure their farm remains sustainable over the long haul. With their five kids all involved in the dairy operation in some way, the Nissleys see growth potential in some of the value-added avenues they are pursuing. Jubilee Heritage Cheese LLC, their small value-added cheese business, focuses mainly on cheese curds. They have also experimented with yogurt and recently started direct marketing beef from their cheese shed as well.