This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we're talking with Tonya Van Slyke, the longtime executive director of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association.

Van Slyke grew up on her family's 250-cow dairy farm in New York.

"I think my quest to be a leader in the industry came from my involvement in both 4-H and FFA," she said. "That's really where my desire to utilize my voice and be an advocate for the industry came from."

After working at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine as a project manager, Van Slyke joined the Northeast Dairy Producers Association as its first full-time executive director.

During her tenure at NEDPA, Van Slyke helped launch the Ag Workforce Development Council and a labor roadshow, initiatives designed to strengthen farm labor education and communication.

Van Slyke's work has also involved advocacy and making sure farmers have a seat at the table. A memorable event from her time partnering with the Grow New York Farms coalition involved parking a tractor on the front lawn of the New York State Capitol and welcoming hundreds of farmers to talk about the future of agriculture in the state.

"Empowering people to have a seat at the table and to use their voice and be solutions-based," she said. "That's really what the success of NEDPA has been founded on."

Recently, Van Slyke received the Leaving It Better Award from the New York State Fair, recognizing her lasting impact on the agricultural community.

"What that award means to me is that it was a recognition of the partnerships that I've been part of throughout the last 13 years," she said. "And that is more meaningful to me than I can express in words because so many of my colleagues have become friends and we've done some really good work together, and it hasn't all been easy, but it's been meaningful."