Congratulations to Jeff Ainslie, Jeff Harding, and Wal-Moore Farms, who each received the Pacesetter Award from the Center for Dairy Excellence at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit. The Pacesetter Award recognizes individuals who work to build a positive image of the Pennsylvania dairy industry to create a prosperous, marketable future for producers and supporting industries.
Jeff Ainslie from Lititz, Lancaster County, is a partner in Red Barn Consulting, an ag consulting and engineering firm that serves clientele in five states, including more than 1,200 farm clients located in the Chesapeake Bay area. In his role with Red Barn, he works extensively with the company’s dairy clientele on site planning, permitting, facility design and renewable energy.
Ainslie is currently completing a three-year term on the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania Board of Directors.
The second Pacesetter Award winner is Jeff Harding, State College, Centre County.
Harding is an Executive Sales Representative with Elanco Animal Health, where he has been honored with the company’s highest level sales promotion in 2012 and received the 2011 Elanco Milk Can Award, a recognition presented by his peers. Jeff was one of the first two Associate members to the Professional Dairy Managers board of directors, serving on the board from 2004 through 2009, where he has chaired the past few spring dairy tours.
Harding was a member of the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force, where he chaired the economic development committee. Recently, he was named to the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania board of directors. Before working at Elanco, Harding was Director of Sales with Pennsylvania Holstein Association and worked several years on a 1,500-cow dairy.
The final Pacesetter Award was awarded to Wal-Moore Farms, an 800-milking cow dairy operation in Chatham, Chester County. Wal-Moore celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009, marking a century of progression, innovation and stewardship to both the land and the community. Four generations of Moores have been part of the operation, which now consists of 1,200 acres and 800 milking cows. Walt Moore is currently the president and general manager of the operation, with his father Bill and wife Ellen also actively involved.
Wal-Moore Farm has a history of being an early innovator of new technology and continues to look at and evaluate new concepts in all dimensions of management. They continue to modernize and grow, planning, building and remodeling dairy barns, milking systems and nutrient management systems.
Source: The Center for Dairy Excellence