California's Barbara Martin, also known as "Dairy Goddess," was the keynote speaker at the 2012 Women in Dairy Conference, held November 7 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and hosted by Penn State Extension.
Martin, a third-generation dairy farmer in Lemoore, California, spoke about her passion for connecting with consumers, both through social media and through her recent farmstead cheese product line. "Being able to share my story has been one of the most empowering things I've ever been a part of," she says.
Her "Dairy Goddess" persona began online as a logo for her blog and Twitter account before she made the leap into starting her own business.
"Dairy goddess gave me the courage to pursue my dreams and the confidence to keep going," she says.
Martin also shared with the group her involvement in speaking up for California dairy farmers and urging the assistance of the California Department of Agriculture .
Martin says California has lost 300 dairy farming families and is on track to lose 100 more by the end of the year. In her area alone, she says there have been four dairy producer suicides related to dire economic circumstances.
Following Martin's keynote address, the rest of the conference incorporated the issues Martin spoke about.
Penn State Extension Dairy Team 's Rebecca White led a presentation titled, "Tight Finances, Tight Times" while Farm Credit East 's Gary Snider talked about how to transition the family farm.
"The most powerful secret in transitions is that the first, or older, generation is seeking respect, and the new generation wants to be trusted," Snider says.
Martin also led a breakout session about telling her story through blogging, along with Raechel K. Sattazahn, who blogs at " Go Beyond the Barn ."
Other breakout sessions were:
• Pins, Needles, Residues and Calf Care, led by Penn State Extension veterinarian Dr. Robert Van Saun
• Re-entering the Workforce: Five Things You Need to Know Before You Take the Plunge, led by Penn State Harrisburg's Director of Career Development Karl Martz
• Dealing with Stress on the Family Farm, led by Invest EAP's Myra Handy
The day included lunch, with a milk toast from the Pennsylvania Alternate Dairy Princesses, Heather Wasson and Callie Curley.
The final session of the conference was titled, "You Are Not Alone: Enjoying the Ups and Surviving the Downs of Being a Woman in Dairy."
This session was led by dairywomen Phoebe Bitler and Maria Forry as well as Dairy Production Medicine Associates owner and veterinarian Darcie Stolz.
Bitler and Forry shared their struggles of finding a balance with work on the dairy, taking care of their families and carving out the rare time for themselves.
Stolz related to these issues and also shared the challenges she faced one of the first female large animal veterinarians in conservative southeastern Pennsylvania.
The next Women in Dairy Conference will be held in 2014. PD
PHOTOS
PHOTO 1: Raechel K. Sattazahn, left, and Barbara Martin, right, led a breakout session about sharing with consumers through blogging.
PHOTO 2: Farm Credit East's Gary Snider shared tips for transitioning a family farm to a new generation.
PHOTO 3: Pennsylvania Alternate Dairy Princesses Heather Wasson, left, and Callie Curley, right, led a milk toast during lunch at the conference.
PHOTO 4: (Left to right) Dairywomen Phoebe Bitler and Maria Forry and large animal veterinarian Dr. Darcie Stolz closed out the conference with a discussion about surviving the ups and downs of being a dairywoman. Photos by PD Editor Emily Caldwell.
