Stephanie Nash is loud, boisterous, excited…or as she likes to call it, extremely passionate about the dairy industry, as she enjoys servings as a front-line advocator to connect with consumers about where their food comes from.
A natural-born leader, Nash’s journey began out west, as her passion for dairy farming was instilled in her from a young age growing up on her family’s 1,000-cow dairy in central California. Immersed in the world of agriculture, she witnessed firsthand the hard work, determination and love that goes into running a successful dairy farm.
The Journey to Tennessee
The fourth-generation dairy farmer also grew up with a deep love for country music. Whether it was at music recitals, school choir or leading worship in church, Nash always loved to sing.
Although, Nash shares that she has taken a step back in music, as she feels the good Lord has pushed her towards advocacy work.
“I really think God is leading me to be a voice for agriculture,” she says.
In 2014, the family moved east to escape the challenges of ongoing regulations they faced milking cows in California.
Nash says while she appreciates growing up in California’s Central Valley and despite the differences in Tennessee’s terrain and climate, she and her family have embraced the opportunities Tennessee offers from a strong economy to ample water supply. However, she notes land availability has drastically changed since they moved.
“Land availability has become very sparse. And so that’s been challenging the last couple of years to make sure that we’re still in lease agreements with land that we need to feed our cows and grow crops,” she says. “Although, we don’t have to worry about water, like we did in California.”
Advocacy and Education
With a deep love of education, Nash found that her heartbeat includes advocating for an industry she grew up loving. Recognizing the importance of bridging the gap between farmers and consumers, Nash has taken on the role of being a vocal ambassador, using social media and her own experiences to shed light on the realities of dairy farming.
“I grew up in the Central Valley where everybody was involved in agriculture, and I really value that life. And I moved on to Tennessee and I saw that people don’t value it as much as I did. They just don’t know where their food is coming from. So, I saw an opportunity for transparent education of what is happening on the farm,” she says.
Looking Towards the Future
The role Nash plays in her family’s 1,000-cow dairy is different than what she envisioned when she was young.
“I always felt like I would feed calves once I came back to the farm,” she says, sharing that now she helps with the farm’s agritourism and creamery. “I’m still very much involved in the dairy industry and our family farm every day. It just looks more of a little bit different than what I thought as a little girl, but I’m still very involved with the calf and heifer programs.”
As a next-generation dairy farmer, Nash’s enduring spirit shines brightly as she has paved the way for making a profound impact on the industry by opening her farm’s barn doors and sharing the wholesome message of dairy farming.
“I think consumers really value truthful information. I advocate differently…I’m pretty out there,” she says.
The Next Gen farmer is completely okay with being called loud, as deep down she knows she is making a difference.
“I’ve grown such a great community here in Tennessee and across the world and people are like, ‘thank you for being truthful,’” Nash says.
