CARLISLE, Pa. — It's no secret that Pennsylvania is a leader of the milk industry in the United States.
There is more than 5,000 dairy farms across the Commonwealth, each playing an integral part in the industry.
But, how does working on a dairy farm work?
FOX43's Tyler Hatfield went to a Stover Farms in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, to learn what it takes to be a dairy farmer.
Amy Brickner, owner and third-generation dairy farmer at Stover Farms, said that this job requires the farmer's full attention
“It’s a 24/7, 365 days a year job," said Brickner. "No matter the weekends, holidays, the cows always need to be milked."
But, there are many different aspects of the dairy farm than just milking.
Farmers have to feed the cows nearly fifty pounds of food each day. They also need to keep watch over cows in the maternity pen who may give birth at any time.
“We are sort of the caregivers of these really amazing creatures," said Brickner. "They use their whole heart everyday to produce the milk we use.”
Dairy farming is difficult work, but Brickner says it's worth every second.
“We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t care about every animal we have in our barn," said Brickner. “We wouldn’t be doing this 365 days a year."