Marilyn Hershey

Marilyn Hershey is the chair of Dairy Management Inc, and a director on the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) board. UDIA and the National Dairy Board fund Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program.

Marilyn and her husband, Duane, own and operate Ar Joy Farms, LLC, a Pennsylvania family farm nestled about an hour west of Philadelphia and 40 minutes north of the Chesapeake Bay. Their long family history of dairy farming is evident as they care for the land (550 acres), the animals (800 milking cows) and their employees.

Environmental stewardship is a priority for the Hersheys and they have many on-farm practices that conserve water and soil, reducing their carbon footprint. In 2017, they installed a methane digester, taking manure from the cows and converting it to electricity. They are also able to incorporate food waste from the local community, increasing the amount of gas produced from the methane digester. The digester produces enough gas to run their farm as well as contribute to their community.