This week on Lancaster Farming’s new podcast, FarmHouse, we’re talking to Lolly Lesher, a dairy farmer from Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Lesher and her family run Way-Har Farms, along with Way-Har Farm Market.
“Not only do we do the on-farm work with the cattle and the land and the water and those resources, but we also sell our products to consumers every day in our farm market,” Lesher said.
The Leshers milk about 260 cows at the farm. The farm market offers Way-Har’s own bottled milk, along with 90 different home-made ice cream flavors.
“Ice cream is such a great product,” Lesher said. “It’s fun to manufacture, it’s easy to make and you can even eat your mistakes.”
In addition to the farm and market, Lesher is also the first female chair of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program.
She’s found over the years that marketing dairy products is all about keeping up with the consumers.
“Consumers in many ways are so much more sophisticated and a lot dumber all at the same time,” she said.
But, at the end of the day, Lesher said her favorite part of Way-Har is getting to interact with her customers every day, whether it’s to educate them about dairy, share with them what’s going on at the farm, or thank them for supporting a local dairy farm family.
In addition to promoting dairy directly to her consumers, Lesher has testified in front the House Ag Committee to lobby for the dairy industry.
She said it’s important for legislators to hear straight from the source about dairy farming.
“If I don’t tell our story, somebody else is going to tell a story,” Lesher said. “And it may not be as accurate.”
All four of Lesher’s children are working in the dairy industry, with three of them now back to work at their home farm.
Lesher said her three daughters should have no problem succeeding in the dairy industry as women, and that she’s always felt like her voice has been respected, even in rooms full of men.
“As a mother and as a dairy farmer, it is my tendency — my nature — to nurture,” Lesher said.
Listen here:
