Emily Mullen, a 4th-generation farmer and owner and operator of Mullen Dairy and Creamery in Butler County, Ohio is the latest recipient of Farm Credit Mid-America’s Forward Thinker Award. This honor is given annually to a young or beginning farmer who exemplifies exceptional leadership, community involvement, and innovative practices that advance their farming operations and the agriculture industry.
Mullen’s passion for agriculture and the dairy industry began when she was a high school freshman, leading her to pursue a degree in dairy science from The Ohio State University. During college, she gained valuable internship experience and envisioned modernizing and diversifying her family’s farm.
After graduation, Mullen returned home to follow in her father’s footsteps. Over the past few years, she has transformed Mullen Dairy and Creamery into a modern dairy facility by focusing on infrastructure, herd health, production, and technology.
She established a creamery that now produces more than 30 flavors of milk and 25 scented products and partners with local businesses, including Crumbl Cookies.
The creamery’s success enabled the farm to build a new livestock facility with a robotic milker and reduce labor needs and enhance animal welfare. The farm also serves as an agritourism hub, hosting tours and community events, such as calf yoga, which foster engagement with consumers.
Mullen is a strong advocate for agriculture and the dairy industry. When the local 4-H dairy program was discontinued due to low participation, she offered her operation to 17 children who expressed interest in raising a dairy heifer for the local fair. All 17 students fulfilled their commitment and confidently showcased their animals at the fair.
“That experience was been my most fulfilling leadership role to date, allowing me to help children who otherwise would not have had such opportunities discover a passion for the agriculture industry and find a sense of belonging within it,” she said.
Mullen serves on The Ohio State University dairy program’s advisory board, the Butler County Farm Service Agency office board, and is active and engaged with Farm Bureau, local and state FFA alumni, county extension service, Butler County Soil and Water Conservation District, and many more agricultural communication networks.
“It’s important to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are and have more wisdom. These groups allow me to continue to discover new ideas and keep an open mind for what’s to come in our industry,” she added.
The Forward Thinker Award is made possible through Growing Forward®, Farm Credit Mid-America’s program for young, beginning, and small farmers. This multi-year program provides eligible customers with continuing education opportunities that focus on financial management and help these customers position their operations for growth and long-term success.
Forward Thinker Award recipients are recognized at one of the cooperative’s Know to Grow® conferences. They also receive $5,000 and a personalized plaque. Applications for the next Forward Thinker Award will open in late 2025. Applicants must be customers of Farm Credit Mid-America and either belong to or have graduated from the Growing Forward® program.
