Love of farm, family motivates YC leader

A commitment to a rural family life motivates work at Unc Brooke Farm, said Val Lavigne of Schaghticoke, NY, chairwoman of NMPF’s National Young Cooperators organization of younger dairy farmers, Lavigne said in a Dairy Defined podcast released today. Lavigne and her husband, members of the Agri-Mark cooperative, operate the 200-cow dairy near Schaghticoke, NY, along with numerous side businesses related to the farm. “We are a family run farm. We do have a few employees, but for the most part, the family does a lot of the work, and we’re happy to,” she said. “I’m so happy to be able to raise my three children on the farm with the cows and the other animals, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Along with the farm, the family raises turkeys, beef, and goats along with a catering business.

Lavigne also discusses the challenges of being a younger farmer and why she’s leading the YCs, which since 1950 has provided dairy leaders with a better understanding of issues facing farmers and their co-ops. This week, the YC program is hosting its capstone event in Washington, combined with the program’s annual fly-in to Capitol Hill.

The full podcast is here. You can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.” A transcript is also available below. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.