CLIFTON SPRINGS, N.Y. (June 26, 2023) – Offering a glimpse into the lives of hardworking farmers, American Dairy Association North East launches the fifth season of the popular “This American Dairy Farmer” digital series on June 26.

Every gallon of milk has a story, and “This American Dairy Farmer” offers a behind-the-scenes look at dairy farms and the families who operate them, highlighting families, traditions and sustainable food production on local dairy farms, while helping viewers make personal connections with the people who produce their food.

In Season Five’s first episode, “Dairy Farm Propels Growing Opportunities,” viewers meet dairy farmer John Mueller, owner of Willow Bend Farm, and two of his long-time employees, Rachel Holtz and Josafat Pacheco, who talk about opportunities on the farm and how their positions have grown through the years.

Whether it is the calves growing up to be a part of the milking herd, the crops that are grown for feed, or employee growth and development, “growth” is at the core of Willow Bend’s mission.

“My favorite part of the job is watching things grow,” says Mueller. “And it’s not just specifically watching the calf grow up to be a milking cow or watching the seed of corn growing to be 10-feet tall, or the employee who starts as a high school kid. It’s a combination of all of that and it’s exciting to have that growth and to see people prosper.”

Since milking their first cow in 1960, Willow Bend has grown from 80 cows on one farm to nearly 5,000 cows at three locations and now employs 90 members of the community.

Tune into “This American Dairy Farmer” to see what “climbing the corporate ladder” looks like on a dairy farm.

“This series is an opportunity for consumers to meet and learn about the people who produce the milk for everything from their morning coffee to their children’s school meals,” says John Chrisman, CEO of American Dairy Association North East. “You see the passion dairy farmers have for taking care of their animals, protecting the environment and leaving a legacy for the next generation.”

Now in its fifth season, “This American Dairy Farmer” has amassed millions of while showcasing 30 dairy farms throughout the Northeast region of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland since its first episode in March 2021. The series will visit six more farms in 2023 and new episodes will continue to air through the fall months at AmericanDairy.com. Seasons 1-4 are available here, and Willow Bend Farm will mark the seventh featured farm from the Finger Lakes region, joining Rudgers Registered Jerseys in Attica, Hemdale Farms in Seneca Castle, HaR-GO Farms in Pavilion, Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, Stein Farms in LeRoy, Orleans Poverty Hill Farm in Albion.