Edstrom Family

Steve and Ashley Edstrom own and operate Sugar Hill Dairy in Colorado, where they are raising their three children: Campbell, Andrew and Blake.

As dairy farmers and parents, Ashley and Steve are passionate about talking to others about the family business. Ashley has been a Dairy Farm to School Ambassador for Dairy MAX  for five years, giving presentations at schools about how milk and dairy get from the farm to the table and helping students understand the nutritional value of dairy foods. She also engages with youth who are showing heifers and calves in local shows, and works with Dairy MAX to promote the in-school Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

“I think it’s very important to put factual information out there and to clear up misconceptions,” Ashley said.

Her husband, Steve, started the dairy farm in 2001, operating alone until marrying Ashley. Now they employ ten full-time employees to help with day-to-day operations of milking about 800 cows. They live and work on the farm; when a cow is giving birth in the middle of the night or a truck needs to be fixed, the Edstroms are the ones taking care of things.

Before meeting Steve, Ashley was a racehorse trainer on the East Coast and had never set foot on a dairy farm.

"I didn't have a cow background, but over the last decade I've gained a true appreciation for these beautiful animals and the dairy community and I love helping families learn to appreciate where their milk comes from," says Ashley.

Now, Ashley is an integral part of raising healthy, happy dairy cows, and takes pride in the high level of care her family provides.