We’re excited to introduce you to our entire Minnesota Dairy Initiative team with an in-depth interview each month highlighting each of our coordinators throughout the state. We begin with our State Director, Emily Mollenhauer. Emily has been with MDI a little over a year, and has her office in Goodhue, MN.
Tell us about your family farm…
I help as much as I can with my parents’ dairy farm, just outside of Goodhue in the Southeast part of the state. This is the farm I grew up on. We milk 120 cows and are certified organic. My mom grew up on a dairy farm in McLeod County, but my parents started farming together on my dad’s home farm a little over twenty years ago. Cows had not been milked on this farm in a long, long, time!
What is your favorite aspect of what you do at MDI?
As the State Director, I love getting to work closely with all of the individuals involved in MDI. Everyone from the Coordinators to the Board of Directors has been so enjoyable to work with and get to know! I enjoy getting to provide the Coordinators with great trainings that set them up to serve farmers to the best of their ability.
What is your favorite dairy product or dish made with dairy?
My favorite dairy product would have to be milk. I drink it all of the time! Any hotdish with lots of cheese is my go-to. My mom does make the best buttercream frosting I’ve ever had, so if I had to choose, that would probably be the winner of my favorite thing made with dairy!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy helping coach the Goodhue County 4-H dairy judging team and staying involved as a 4-H volunteer. I love spending time with my husband, Dylan and our 7-month-old daughter Caroline.
What area of Minnesota would you like to explore?
I would like to visit Grand Marais in the middle of July, as it’s much cooler there!
Stay tuned for more future Coordinator highlights next month. If you’d like to contact Emily, call (651) 764-0309 or email: [email protected]
