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Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky is a group formed by the Kentucky Dairy Development Council for those wanting to grow in the dairy industry. KDDC recognizes that the future of dairy in Kentucky relies on the next generation and hopes this group will bring together and support a community of people focused on progressive management, continued learning, and a drive to succeed in the industry.

Young Dairy Producers will be open to individuals between the ages of 18-35 who are establishing themselves in the dairy industry, including farm owners and employees, industry members, and students. Meetings and events will be farmer-focused and varied to meet the needs and interests of members, and will include in-person meetings, calls, and farm tours.

We would love to have you involved!

Questions or comments on YDPK? Contact Tori Embry at 859-516-1129 or [email protected] ​

​Upcoming Events

Monthly Farm Visits Series

March 26, 2026

April 23, 2026
May 28, 2026
June 25, 2026
July 23, 2026

Long Family Dairy
T&K Dairy
Legacy Dairy
Baker’s Dairy 
Sumner Dairy
Riney Dairy

Join Us on Facebook

The Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky Facebook group was created to strengthen the community of dairy producers in Kentucky. It is open to Young Producers and beyond.

Facebook Group

Riney Dairy Field Day Draws 200 Attendees for Dairy, Forage, and Equipment Discussions 

Written by Melissa Huggett

Approximately 200 producers, industry professionals, students, and agricultural stakeholders gathered in Washington County on July 23 for the Riney Dairy Field Day, hosted by the Kentucky Dairy Development Council in partnership with Riney Dairy and many agricultural partners. The event combined a dairy facilities tour, forage demonstrations, equipment displays, and producer-to-producer learning opportunities focused on practical strategies that attendees could evaluate for their own operations.

The day began at Riney Dairy, a tenth-generation Kentucky farming operation with agricultural roots dating back more than 250 years. Billy Riney Jr. established the dairy in Springfield in 1978, and today the operation milks approximately 450 cows while raising much of its own feed and forage across roughly 1,500 acres.

Throughout the morning, attendees toured the operation by tractor and wagon, visiting the dry cow barn, bred heifer barn, milking parlor, feed center, and automated calf feeding barn. Conversations centered on cow comfort, labor efficiency, feeding systems, calf care, facility design, and the role of technology in supporting day-to-day dairy operations. The Riney family openly shared both successes and challenges while discussing practical approaches to improving efficiency without compromising animal care or herd performance.

Following a cookout lunch at the Riney family home, participants were transported to the demonstration site where the focus shifted toward forage production and crop management. Guided discussions and walk-throughs of corn silage and sorghum silage demonstration plots allowed attendees to compare varieties side-by-side while discussing forage quality, management practices, and production goals with seed representatives and industry specialists. Representatives from Nutrien, CPC, Agri-King, Dekalb, Pioneer, Beck’s, Dyna-Gro, Ag Revolution, John Deere, and other agricultural partners were available throughout the day to answer questions and discuss products, services, and management practices relevant to dairy, beef, and forage operations. Equipment displays provided additional opportunities for attendees to evaluate practical applications and technologies currently being used in the industry.
Representing a broad cross-section of Kentucky agriculture, attendees included dairy producers, beef producers, forage producers, crop farmers, students, industry representatives, and agricultural professionals. The mix of backgrounds and experiences helped create valuable conversations throughout the day as participants compared management approaches, discussed challenges, and shared ideas from their respective operations.

The success of the event was made possible through the collaboration of numerous agricultural organizations, businesses, and volunteers. A special thank you goes to Central Kentucky Ag Credit, which sponsored lunch for attendees, and the Washington County Cattlemen’s Association, whose members prepared and served approximately 170 ribeye sandwiches and 150 hot dogs throughout the day.

KDDC extends its appreciation to the Riney family for opening their operation and sharing their experience, as well as the many industry partners, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters whose participation helped make the event a success. The strong turnout and broad participation demonstrated the value of hands-on learning opportunities that bring producers and industry professionals together to explore practical solutions, exchange ideas, and support the future of Kentucky agriculture.

Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky May Farm Visit - Brent & Keisha Baker's Dairy Farm     Written by Melissa Huggett

The Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky (YDPK) May Farm Visit was held on May 28, 2026, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky Dairy Extension’s Building Strong Dairy Communities event in Adair County. While the two groups met separately earlier in the day, the joint farm visit provided a great opportunity for interaction between young producers, industry professionals, and extension personnel.

The Building Strong Dairy Communities program focused on strengthening the dairy industry through education, networking, and support resources. As part of the morning session, participants attended QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training led by Adair County Extension Agent Nick Roy. This training helped participants recognize warning signs and provided three practical steps to respond to someone who may be in crisis to help prevent suicide.
 
The afternoon farm visit took the combined group to Brent and Keisha Baker’s dairy farm near Columbia, Kentucky, where they milk ~150 cows. The Bakers showcased their recently constructed calf barn, a project supported in part by KDDC Dairy Impact Grant funding. The new facility has allowed them to raise their own replacement heifers, improving herd consistency and reducing reliance on outside purchases.
In addition to the calf barn, the Bakers have made improvements to their grazing system and overall herd management, resulting in better efficiency and long-term sustainability for their operation. Their approach reflects a willingness to evaluate their operation, utilize available resources, and make strategic improvements where it matters most.

The May visit provided a valuable opportunity to see these improvements firsthand and to have open discussion about management decisions, challenges, and opportunities within today’s dairy industry. Events like this continue to highlight the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing across all sectors of Kentucky dairy.

Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky April Farm Visit - Legacy Farm    Written by Melissa Huggett

The Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky (YDPK) April Farm Visit was held at Legacy Dairy, a fourth-generation family farm owned and operated by Doug and Genelle Jones. A total of 15 participants attended the visit to learn more about the farm’s transition from a traditional dairy operation to a value-added business focused on producing cream-line milk bottled on-site.

Participants had the opportunity to tour the full operation, gaining an up-close look at the on-farm processing space and learning about the complete process from milking through bottling and distribution. Discussion focused on the management decisions and considerations involved in operating a small-scale, diversified dairy, as well as the logistics of bringing a value-added dairy product to market.
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The Jones family also shared their experiences with various grant programs, including the SDBII Grant, and highlighted additional educational opportunities they have pursued to expand their knowledge of value-added dairy production. These included participation in the Carpigiani Frozen Dessert University, the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) Conference, and upcoming attendance at the Southeast Value-Added Dairy (SEVAD) Conference in July.

Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky Kickoff Farm Series     Written by Melissa Huggett

KDDC kicked off the new Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky (YDPK) Monthly Farm Visit Series on March 26 with visits to Long Family Dairy and T & K Dairy. Developed in response to producer feedback from the February KDDC Board Meeting, this series offers young dairy producers a flexible, low-pressure environment to tour Kentucky dairies, exchange ideas, problem-solve, and network with peers.

March visits highlighted innovative facilities and management practices. Seventeen participants toured Long Family Dairy, where they explored manure management practices from barn to field application, viewed the manure solids separator, toured the parlor and basement facilities, and wrapped up the visit in the dairy’s newest calf barn. Twelve participants attended the visit to T & K Dairy to see their sorting facilities, parlor, direct-to-truck milking process, and in-line milk cooling equipment.

Photos provided by Ally Chaote

KDDC Presents: Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky new Series     Written by Melissa Huggett
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Following the conclusion of the 2026 Kentucky Dairy Conference on February 25, the KDDC Board met to reflect on the event, share experiences, and discuss future ideas. One recurring theme from both the conference and board discussion was the desire for more regular, local opportunities for producers to connect and learn from one another.

Producers expressed interest in programming that meets the needs of both new and experienced dairy farmers, with a strong emphasis on seeing what other farms are doing day to day. Regular farm visits create space for open conversation, shared experiences, and practical learning. By talking honestly about challenges and successes alike, producers can learn from one another and continue working together to grow Kentucky’s dairy industry.

As agriculture continues to evolve, partnerships and transparency from farm to farm are becoming increasingly valuable. While it isn’t always easy to share mistakes or pause to celebrate small wins, these conversations create opportunities for growth—not just individually, but across the industry.

​In response, KDDC is launching the Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky Monthly Farm Visit Series. By selecting a consistent date each month and working with a variety of dairy farm sizes and operations, this series aims to bring producers and industry members together to build relationships and learn from one another across the commonwealth.

The first farm visits are scheduled for March 26, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. CT at Long Family Farm in Glasgow, KY, followed by an afternoon visit at 2:00 p.m. CT at T&K Farm in Summer Shade, KY.
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For more information, questions or farm locations, please contact your regional consultant or any KDDC staff member here.

Value-added done differently on dairies in Western Kentucky.
​On July 13, the Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky toured operations in Western Kentucky that focused on different aspects of value-added production. Our first stop was to Enos Stoltfuz’s dairy farm, where he has been milking at the current location since 2016. In 2021, Enos switched markets and started shipping milk to his neighbor, Country View Creamery. Since then, many of his decisions around his farming operation are with the creamery in mind. Enos stated that “most of what we do revolves around the creamery” including their current transition from Holstein to Jersey cows to take advantage of the higher protein yields and heat tolerance. Enos also raises tobacco, laying hens, mums, and other crops that support the creamery. Enos showed us how successful producers can strategically grow and adapt to fit their market to create a mutually beneficial relationship.

After lunch at Country View Creamery, we were offered a tour by Omar Stoltzfus. Country View purchases all of their milk from dairies within 5 miles of their location and is currently processing cheese 2-3 days of the week. They have customers throughout the state and beyond, with products being sold under their Country View Creamery label, as well as under private labels. Omar said the goal of the creamery is to support local farmers and he values the different relationships they have with other companies that help the creamery meet that goal. Country View is a refreshing view of a market that focuses on supporting local farmers and other businesses within their industry.

Our last stop of the day was at Mark Hoover’s farm. This included a variety of operations, the first being a dairy farm operated by Mark’s son. The dairy milks about 100 Holsteins housed in a freestall barn. All cows are AI’ed to ABS InFocus beef bulls and replacements are bought from other operations, a decision based on the economics of selling high-quality beef-on-dairy calves and replacing with quality springers as needed. This breeding strategy also supports Mark’s beef-on-dairy feeding operation. Here, Mark will buy calves at 400-500 pounds and fatten them out to around 1200 pounds to sell at the packing plant. He’s had success with this venture with high quality carcass results and hopes to keep expanding. He attributes this success to not only good, reliable genetics like those found using ABS InFocus or Select Sires Profit Source bulls, but also from buying calves that have been well-managed and fed correctly prior to receiving them. Besides the cattle, Mark also has a custom soybean roasting business where he provides several customers with ground, rolled, or whole roasted soybeans to fit their needs. This operation is a great example of strategic management from beginning to end to produce high-quality products.
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We appreciate the producers that took the time to show us around their operations, as well as those young farmers that attended the tour. News and updates on future events will be posted on our Facebook page and mailed to members. 

The Young Dairy Producers of Kentucky is off and running! (Milk Matters, May/June 2023)
On March 13, YDPK hosted it’s first event: a tour of farms around Lebanon. The tour included 3 stops and began at the Riney Dairy, owned and operated by Billy and John Riney. John showed us around a few barns, including one housing milk cows with a pen of freestalls and a pen with a compost bedded pack. John remarked on how he liked the flexibility of having both types of housing in one barn and has plans to expand with a similar barn in the future. We finished up at this stop by going through the calf barn where John discussed how he’s adjusted to his recently installed Lely automatic milk feeders and group housing.

After a quick lunch with the group, we stopped at Bill Mattingly’s farm. Bill milked cows for years before converting his facilities to custom raise heifers. Heifers are housed in compost bedded pack barns and fed a TMR. Bill receives heifers when they’re around 400-500 lbs and will raise them until breeding age, at which point they are moved to another farm that breeds and raises them out until close to calving.

Our last stop for the day was at the Jones Dairy, owned and operated by Tim, Kim, and their daughter Brittany Jones. Brittany showed us the swing parlor, where she explained how the style of the parlor made milking an easy one-man job. Housing included a freestall barn and compost bedded pack barn. Cows are fed corn silage from silos using a conveyor and Tim commented on how the efficiency of this system was a significant advantage for their farm. The Jones’ are strategically using beef on dairy, creating crossbred calves with a wagyu bull in cooperation with a local wagyu breeder.

These 3 stops included a range of facilities and management styles, interesting conversations between attendees, and plenty of info to take back to the farm.

Later that week, 2 of the founding members of YDPK Thomas Sumner and John Riney, as well as KDDC consultants Jennifer Hickerson and Tori Embry attended the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Annual Business Conference to bring back some ideas for Kentucky farms and our organization. We returned from this trip impressed not only by the scale and pride of the PDPW organization, but also by the cutting-edge advancements that our industry is making so dairies can farm more efficiently and productively.