Women in Dairy: Katie Sattazahn, Womelsdorf, PA - Cowsmo

Women in Dairy: Katie Sattazahn, Womelsdorf, PA

Mary Mackinson Faber is the fifth generation of her family to be involved in her family’s dairy farm in central Illinois, Mackinson Dairy Farm, which is home to a herd of Ayrshires. Mary enjoys being an “ag-vocate” and keeps a blog and facebook page dedicated to sharing the real story of dairy and agriculture. She has completed her second series of “Women in Ag” profiles, and is allowing Cowsmo to share these profiles with you!To read more about Mackinson Dairy Farm, and Mary’s story, please visit her blog page and follow her on Facebook.

November 8, 2015: Katie Sattazahn, Womelsdorf, PA

MMF-Blog-Sattazahn-1I would like to introduce Katie Sattazahn a farm insurance agent from Womelsdorf, PA.  Katie attributes growing up on a dairy farm for inspiring her love of agriculture.  Today, her family still operates a dairy in Western PA and her husband’s family operates their dairy in Berks County, PA.  Katie attended Penn State University.  Currently her favorite hobby is the farm as she works as a farm insurance agent full-time, but trys to help on the farm as she can.  Other interests include sports, gardening, learning new things, church, and enjoying family as much as possible.

Katie’s favorite dairy product is milk because it tastes great as is or can be made into so many other products.  She loves lasagna and makes homemade ricotta—simply take a couple cups of fresh milk, boil for 5 minutes (making sure it doesn’t boil over!!), remove from the heat & add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice.  Once it sits for a couple minutes, strain it & you have fresh ricotta.

Katie’s Story in her own words:

When did you start farming?

MMF-Blog-sattazahn-2I’ve always farmed as I was blessed to be the farmer’s daughter.  Growing up on the farm inspired my love for agriculture.  I currently handle the financial management aspect along with some production aspects (although I have had to cut back since we started a family).

What do you want to share with others about the dairy industry?

I want consumers to know that the product we produce is what we drink at our kitchen table each night—that is how great of a product I think we produce.

What is the most rewarding part of being in the dairy industry? Challenging?

Farmers are awesome to work with—I understand what they need to insure because I am one.  I know the passion that they put into their farms and I respect that, which is how I approach their insurance exposures—I know the farm means everything to them & I want to ensure they are properly covered should a claim occur.   The most challenging is simply finding time for them to discuss their business, especially during planting and harvesting seasons.

What are 3 things you want consumers to know about the dairy industry?

  1. Farmers are not what are generally portrayed—a scruffy male in plaid and overalls with a pitchfork (with a red barn in the background) is not what most farmers look like. We are a diverse group and include very well educated group of people who wear many hats every day.
  2. We love our cows and we respect them. Cows are our number one priority.  Our family depends on them—without healthy animals, we don’t have a way to keep farming.
  3. I would love for consumers to get to know their local farmers and visit farms so they know how farms are run.

    What advice would you give someone interested in production agriculture?

    MMf-Blog-Sattazahn-3If someone is interested in production agriculture, I would highly encourage them to find a mentor.  Having a mentor as a resource can be a huge benefit and it’s always nice to have someone to bounce your ideas off of.  Being patient is also key but you have to be actively pursuing your dream as well.

    What do you envision the future of the dairy industry looking like?

    I envision the future of the dairy industry as amazing.  We are just at the beginning of becoming more resourceful, creating unique marketing campaigns to promote the perfect drink, and I hope to see a lot of young and enthusiastic people entering the industry.


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