Santander to lay off 77 employees in Berks

Apr. 18—For almost 35 years Lolly Lesher has devoted her life to dairy farming, whether it's been milking and feeding cows on her family's Berks County farm or managing its nearby country store.

And now Lesher has received the honor of being the first woman chosen to lead the program that promotes Pennsylvania's nearly $12 billion per year dairy industry.

Lesher, whose family owns Way-Har Farms in Upper Tulpehocken Township, was recently elected as the first female chair of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program after having served on the board for 20 years.

In that role she'll use her passion for dairy farming to spread the word about the value of milk as a healthy food source and economic driver, she said.

"Milk is a fresh, nutritious, local food and I want to help people learn that," she said.

Pennsylvania has 5,000 dairy farm families. The industry is responsible for 47,000 jobs and ranks eighth in the nation in total milk production.

Lesher, 58, said those families are committed to improving the land and farming in ways that are healthy for the animals and consumers.

Now she is honored to help tell those stories in her new role while still keeping up with her work at Way-Har, she said.

"I'm very proud to tell about how hard they work and how they make things better," she said.

The biggest change in promoting dairy over the past decades is the way farmers interact with customers, Lesher said.

"Connecting with consumers is key," she said. "As farmers, we are passionate about the care we give to our cows and how we protect the land by recycling. We want the people who buy our products to know they come from a good place."

She therefore encourages people to attend local farm fairs, such as those held in Kempton, Oley and Kutztown each year, and stop by the barns to talk with farmers.

"They love to share about what they're doing," she said.

Lesher operates Way-Har Farms with her husband, William, and their children Olivia, Joshua, Jaylene and Laura.

In addition to handling its 215-acre dairy farm, another 250 acres of farmland it rents and its 300 cows, the family processes milk and ice cream and operates Way-Har Farm Market nearby in Jefferson Township, which is a popular stop on the Pennsylvania Ice Cream Trail.

The farm employees 10 people and the store another 25, she said.

When the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program was established in 1984, delivering information to consumers was accomplished primarily through traditional media — printed newspapers, television and radio, Lesher said

"But today it's vastly different," she said. "Now we have to also focus on digital technology like the internet, streaming networks, and social media — reaching them on their hand-held devices.

"It's imperative that we continue to evolve in the ways we promote dairy in 2023. As dairy farmers, we like to see billboards and television advertising to promote milk, but we have to reach consumers where they are, on whatever device they are using most. In Pennsylvania, we have so many opportunities to share our story — not only what dairy offers nutritionally, but the important role the industry plays across the commonwealth."

The Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program is a farmer-directed organization funded by participating producers to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout Pennsylvania. It is managed by the American Dairy Association North East, a dairy farmer-funded organization working to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia. ADANE represents 9,000 dairy farm families.

The Pennsylvania program develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools throughout the state. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, communication via traditional and social media and in collaboration with health professionals through the National Dairy Council.

So when Lesher's busy farming and store schedules allow she will be visiting schools and other public settings to spread the word about milk and the industry itself. She even takes along a bike connected to a blender in a way that when students pedal it powers the machine to make yogurt smoothies for them to try. She has already spoken to students in the Hamburg, Tulpehocken and Gov. Mifflin school districts.

"Your mom was right when she told you to drink your milk," she tells them. "It's good for you, and the research backs us up."

"We are so fortunate to have a dedicated team of dairy farmers who are willing to guide and direct our local dairy promotion activities and advertising," said John Chrisman, CEO of American Dairy Association North East which manages the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. "We are truly committed to actively reaching consumers with forward-thinking, top-quality programming that helps grow sales and trust in dairy."

Lesher said dairy farmers with ideas on how she can better promote the industry can contact her at lesher@wayharfarms.com.

"I'm all ears," she said.