MEET THE 2023 YC ADVISORY COUNCIL

Nate Carlson

Northwest Dairy Association

Nate is a dairy farmer in Addy, Washington where he and his family milk 140 Holstein and Jersey cows, farm 1,300 acres, run 140 cow/calf pairs and manage a 400-head feed lot. When he’s not busy at Carlson Farms, Nate is a member of his local school board, where he has served for 15 years, and is active in Northwest Dairy Association’s YC Program.

Rachel Holtz

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.

Rachel manages Willow Bend Farm, LLC in Penn Yan, New York. The farm is home to 5,200 cows and 4,800 young stock across three sites in the Finger Lakes. Willow Bend also manages 9,000 acres of crops. Rachel has been involved with a number of dairy leadership programs including the Young Dairy Leaders Institute and Dairy Girl Network.

ISABEL MULLIN Agri-Mark

Isabel Mullin is a dairy farmer in the coastal town of Kittery, Maine, where she milks 80 cows in a tie-stall facility, raises 80 heifers and farms 300 acres. Through her involvement in the National YC Program, Isabel hopes to “learn as much about the industry as possible” in order to “contribute to it in the long run.”

CARL & HEATHER OLSON

First District Association

Carl and Heather milk 130 cows and farm 400 acres at Sunny Side Dairy in Mayer, Minnesota. They both serve in several leadership positions including roles within the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Farm Bureau, DHIA and First District Association. The pair recently started their own cheese company called Sunny Side Creamery.

Katelyn Packard

Michigan Milk Producers Association

Katelyn works alongside four business partners on Horning Farms LLC, a multi-generational dairy in Manchester, Michigan. The farm milks 400 cows and farms 1,000 acres. Katelyn is the dairy superintendent for her county’s 4-H Youth Show and coaches the local 4-H Dairy quiz bowl, judging, and skillathon teams.

Lorilee Schultz

Prairie Farms

Lorilee milks 60 registered Holsteins and manages over 200 acres at Mil-R-Mor Farm in Orangeville, Illinois. She has been involved in a multitude of leadership and community activities and is passionate about teaching kids about agriculture. She recently interacted with more than 200,000 school children through the Adopt-A-Cow program.

AMBER & BEN SELMAN

Prairie Farms

Amber and Ben milk 60 Holstein and Jersey cows, farm 1,500 acres of crops and manage a 250-head cow/calf beef herd in Maquoketa, Iowa. The farm focuses on genetics and breeding, calf care and milk production. The pair both hold degrees in Dairy Science from Iowa State University and met while on a dairy-focused trip to New Zealand.

JUSTIN & HANNAH WATT

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Co-op

Justin and Hannah are dairy farmers in Keymar, Maryland where they milk 280 Holsteins and farm 700 acres at Cedar Knoll Dairy LLC. The pair has been extensively involved in various leadership and community activities including roles with their cooperative, Farm Bureau, the Holstein Association and many more.