Southwest Virginia Dairy Farmer Participates in National Farm Credit Leadership Program
This summer, Rena Johnson, dairy farmer and manager at Highland Dairy Farm and a prominent agricultural leader in Southwest Virginia, joined a cohort of 40 Farm Credit members, employees and directors for the Advancing Women in Agriculture through Resilience & Distinction (AWARD) program — a leadership development experience held on the historic grounds of Gettysburg, Pa. and launched in honor of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Blending historical lessons in decision-making, legacy-building and resilience with modern leadership strategies, AWARD equips participants to return to their rural communities and farming operations with renewed purpose and power. Participants spent Aug. 31 through Sept. 3 strengthening leadership skills, learning from one another and celebrating the role of the woman in American agriculture, all at the Gettysburg battlefield — a fitting place to reflect on courage and influence in times of change.
Each attendee was nominated by their respective Farm Credit bank or Association in recognition of their commitment to agriculture and demonstrated leadership.
“These women are not only leaders in the fields they tend, but in the futures they cultivate,” said Christy Seyfert, President & CEO of the Farm Credit Council. “We’re proud to invest in their growth and amplify their stories.”
Johnson, along with her parents and brother-in-law, owns and operates Highland Dairy Farm, which milks approximately 730 cows and encompasses roughly 1,100 acres in Washington County, Va. In recent years, Johnson has become a key manager in the operation, leading many of Highland Dairy’s efforts around production, reproduction, herd health, nutrition and employee management. She has also been instrumental in having Highland Dairy serve as a host farm for many congressional tours, school groups and more, helping advocate for the dairy and agriculture industries. Additionally, Johnson has participated in Farm Credit of the Virginias’ Dairy Management Institute, a benchmarking program designed for the dairy industry, to help ensure the long-term success of her family’s operation.
When asked about the AWARD program’s impact, Johnson shared, “The AWARD program at Gettysburg was an unforgettable experience that challenged me to think more deeply about leadership. I left feeling inspired by the examples of servant leadership from the Gettysburg battlefield that we studied and grateful for the connections I made with other women in agriculture, many of whom are part of father-daughter teams and share my same passion to carry on their family farms.” She continued, “The program reminded me that leadership isn’t about standing in the front of the room and telling everyone what to do. It’s about working alongside your people, earning their respect and inspiring them to work toward the same goal of caring for the cows and caring for the land. That is something I hope to carry with me every day at Highland Dairy, and I am grateful to Farm Credit for giving me this opportunity that I will never forget!”
To learn more about Johnson’s role in carrying on her family’s farming legacy, read Farm Credit of the Virginias’ feature story, Sonny Johnson’s Granddaughter Carrying Highland Dairy Farm Legacy Forward.
About Farm Credit of the Virginias
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $2.5 billion dollars in financing to more than 12,500 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and have been for over 110 years. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center.