"Portraits of Modern Dairy" launches on National Farmer's Day with photography, film and stories from seven women across six U.S. dairy farms, offering a closer look at the people and work behind dairy farming today.
Portraits of Modern Dairy features seven women across six U.S. dairy farms through original documentary photography and film.
The stories offer a closer look at the expertise, decisions and relationships behind dairy farming today.
The full experience lives on USDairy.com, with a curated collection of photography available free through Unsplash.
ROSEMONT, Ill., Oct. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Before most people wake up each morning, dairy farmers have already made dozens of decisions that shape the food we eat, drawing on generations of experience alongside real-time data and new technology.
Celebrate National Farmer's Day with Portraits of Modern Dairy. This new collection of photography and film takes you inside six U.S. farms to meet seven women who are redefining the industry. Witness a unique perspective on the dedicated individuals behind the daily work of farming.
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When Lolly Lesher took over Way-Har Farms in Pennsylvania in 1990, she saw an opportunity to leverage the family market to connect people directly to agriculture.
Jaylene Lesher grew up learning to care for the herd and now helps guide Way-Har's genetics and breeding program, making decisions that will influence the herd for generations to come.
Kyndra Brown describes her role at Moo-View Dairy in Texas with one word: monitoring. She combines a lifetime of knowing her animals with digital tools that help her spot when something needs a closer look.
Emily Schaapman founded Dairy Girl Fitness to champion the wellness of women in agriculture and today works alongside her sister-in-law Monica and mother-in-law Ailene at Georgia’s Schaapman Holsteins.
Raising her kids on the farm means everything to Margaret Johnson and has become one of the most rewarding parts of the work she does at Trailside Holsteins in Minnesota.
Meagan Hempfling farms at Hemsteads Holsteins in Ohio, where her family has worked the land for six generations. She's modernized the operation with robotic milking systems and feeders.
On National Farmer's Day, and during the United Nations' International Year of the Woman Farmer, America's dairy farmers and importers today launched Portraits of Modern Dairy, featuring seven women across six U.S. dairy farms. Through photography, film and first-person storytelling, Portraits of Modern Dairy brings the people, expertise and daily realities behind those decisions into view, offering a more complete picture of dairy farming today.
Why These Stories Matter
Nearly 97% of U.S. households purchase dairy products, yet many Americans have little direct connection to the people who produce them. For many, that means their picture of dairy farming is shaped by what they encounter elsewhere.
Search online and that picture can be incomplete. Cows, barns, equipment and landscapes are easy to find. Less visible are the people themselves—their expertise, personalities and the many roles they play on and beyond the farm.
Portraits of Modern Dairy was created to help change that picture. Seven women opened their farms and lives to photographers and filmmakers, who captured the work as it unfolded—the decisions made in real time, the details only an experienced farmer might notice, the relationships that keep a farm running and the unexpected moments that are simply part of the job.
"Our farm is where we work, raise our family and spend much of our lives, but it's a world most people don't get to experience firsthand. I hope these portraits give people a chance to know us a little better and see dairy farming through our eyes," said Lolly Lesher, co-owner of Way-Har Farms and Farm Market in Bernville, Pennsylvania, and chair of the National Dairy Board.
Meet the Women of Portraits of Modern Dairy
Each woman brings her own experiences, expertise and perspective to the work. Together, their stories reveal a larger portrait of the people behind dairy farming today.
Lolly and Jaylene Lesher | Way-Har Farms, Pennsylvania Lolly spent decades connecting people directly to the farm through the family market that sells dairy and other goods directly to consumers, while Jaylene helps guide the herd's genetics and breeding—two generations shaping the same family business in different ways.
Alice Crothers | Long Green Farms, Maryland Alice brought a background in healthcare administration to the farm, applying business strategy to decisions ranging from finances to a methane digester and other long-term investments.
Kyndra Brown | Moo-View Dairy, Texas A fourth-generation farmer, Kyndra knows technology can provide more information, but knowing what to notice comes from experience. She combines digital herd-management tools with what she's learned from a lifetime working around dairy cows.
Emily Schaapman | Schaapman Holsteins, Georgia Emily returned to the farm with a perspective shaped by entrepreneurship, storytelling and Dairy Girl Fitness, an online fitness, nutrition, and wellness platform she created for women in agriculture.
Margaret Johnson | Trailside Holsteins, Minnesota With a master's degree in agronomy, Margaret brings her knowledge of soil, crops and water to a multigenerational farm where three generations work side by side.
Meagan Hempfling | Hemsteads Holsteins, Ohio A sixth-generation farmer, Meagan is helping carry forward an operation her family has farmed since 1862, using robotic milking and data-driven herd management to care for cows and shape its future.
Putting More Current Images of Dairy Farming Into the World
A curated selection of Portraits of Modern Dairy photography is available free of charge through Unsplash, making it easy for journalists, content creators, educators and others to access and use current photography of U.S. dairy farmers.
The complete Portraits of Modern Dairy collection, including the farmer stories, photography and video, can be explored at USDairy.com/Portraits.
About Dairy Management Inc.
Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America's nearly 23,000+ dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
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