More than 70 high school students attended the recent Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow farm tour, hosted by the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation – double the attendance of recent years.

Students and their teachers toured two progressive family-owned dairy farms in central Pennsylvania and learned more about opportunities through the Penn State College of Ag Sciences.

First stop of the day was Reinford Farms of Mifflintown, Pa.,a progressive, environmentally-minded, 610-cow dairy farm with a 28-cow rotary parlor. Reinford Farms includes a methane digester and hauls its own milk.

HOPE-TO-BE DAIRY LEADERS. More than 50 students from 10 schools attended Pennsylvania's recent Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow farm Tour

The father-son team of Steve and Brett Reinford challenged students to never sacrifice family by trying to create a successful business. The key, they noted, was to use the strengths of each person involved, to diversify profitability and to never stop learning. The Reinfords also explained how they use the Center for Dairy Excellence on-farm resources to bring trusted industry professional insight and more wisdom to the table.

After lunch, they visited Murmac Farms near Bellefonte, Pa. The dairy operation includes 1,300 milking cows with a Boumatic double-20 parallel parlor and two six-row freestall barns. Murmac uses recycled sand as bedding and use a flush system to keep alleyways clean and reclaim sand through a sand separation system.

Murmac's Sherry Craig and Pam Whitehill passionately told students to never give up on what they are passionate about, but find a way to make it happen. Craig challenged those who are from farms and who want to be involved in the future to communicate their desire to farm to their parents. Communicate openly and honestly, never assuming parents already know.

"These farmers run their businesses very differently," noted Emily Yeiser, dairy initiatives manager with the Center for Dairy Excellence. "Yet, they shared a common passion for the importance of family and working toward the goal of sustaining profitability to support those involved with the business."

The Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow farm tour was offered at no cost to participants because of the funding through the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania, Elanco, and a environmental education grant from the Department of Environmental Protection.

The Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation's funding priorities include youth development, continuing education, consumer outreach and market development. For more details on the center and the foundation visit

www.centerfordairyexcellence.org, or call the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717-346-0849.