Ollies Leads Milk Sales for Organization
Hailing from Pennsylvania, Ollies grew up around beef cattle, but the dairy world was just around the corner. “My aunt and uncle managed a dairy co-op, and I spent quite a bit of time with them.”
She began helping out in the office whenever the opportunity arose. Learning bits and pieces by exposure and good old-fashioned hands-on experience, her knowledge of the dairy industry and the intricacies of milk marketing grew. Ollies became the co-op’s office manager in 2016 and then served as the general manager.
As sales and marketing became more of a struggle for her small co-op, she reached out to National Farmers to explore what opportunities might exist. Reaching out proved fruitful, possibly giving Ollies more than she bargained for.
“I see my role as mainly supportive.” Keeping her ear tuned into all the happenings surrounding the dairy industry, she stays up to date on the policies and politics, commodity prices, and projections for the future. Closer to home, her day-to-day consists of connecting the dots between National Farmers dairy families and partners to a wide range of processors in need of high-quality milk. While that may sound straightforward, behind the scenes are hundreds of small details, and Ollies handles them all. From check writing, taking care of field service issues and working with processors and co-ops in New York, Indiana and Wisconsin, to keeping contracts current and supporting office staff, Ollies is happy to be the one dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.
Ollies ensures she meets the needs of processors, answering supply chain and sustainability questions so processors can match the milk sent to them with appropriate certifications and labels. “Remaining flexible and accommodating helps to secure reliable markets and gain premiums for our producers,” she says.
Originally, Ollies set out to become a high school English teacher. Never setting a foot in a classroom since obtaining her degree, Ollies is pleased the stars aligned and set her firmly on a different path. “I am happy acting as a sounding board for others, helping businesses and individuals work through problems, issues, ideas and whatever changes they are facing.”
When not sitting at her computer consumed with the intricacies of the dairy industry, you can find Ollies, her husband Michael, and sometimes Harvey, her cat, curled up watching the latest superhero or fantasy flick.
“Working with National Farmers has grown my dairy world beyond what I imagined. I am grateful to be working alongside such passionate partners who are dedicated to helping family farmers succeed.”
